Hartismere School

At Hartismere, we define bullying as a sustained willful act with a conscious desire to hurt, threaten or frighten someone else. 

It is often aimed at certain people because of their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation or any other aspect such as appearance or disability. It can happen face-to-face or online.

Bullying can take many forms including:

• Emotional bullying – being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting (e.g., hiding books, threatening gestures).
• Physical bullying – pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence.
• Racist bullying – bullying another person based on their ethnic background, religion or skin colour via racial taunts, graffiti, gestures etc. Racist bullying is a criminal offence under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and Public Order Act 1986.
• Sexist bullying – bullying based on sexist attitudes expressed in a way to demean, intimidate, or harm another person because of their sex or gender. Sexist bullying may sometimes be characterised by inappropriate sexual behaviours.
• Sexual bullying – bullying behaviour that has a physical, psychological, verbal, or non-verbal sexual dimension/dynamic that subordinates, humiliates or intimidates another person. This is commonly underpinned by sexist attitudes or gender stereotypes.
• SEND bullying – Bullying behaviour based on another person’s special educational needs or disability. All schools have a legal responsibility under the Equality Act 2010 to protect disabled children and those with SEN against direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, or victimisation.
• Bi-phobic bullying – bullying another person because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation.
• Homophobic bullying – bullying another person because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation.
• Transphobic bullying – bullying based on another person’s actual or perceived transgender status, gender ‘variance’ or for not conforming to dominant gender roles.
• Verbal bullying – name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing.
• Cyber bullying – an aggressive, intentional act carried out by individuals or a group using electronic forms of contact, i.e., the internet, text messages, social media etc.

Bullying is not simply a 'falling out'.

If you have any concerns about bullying, please speak to your Head of Year.

Useful links

National Bullying helpine

Advice and support for children who are being bullied. https://www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk/kids.html 

0300 323 0169

Anti Bullying Alliance

For advice and support about bullying for parents/carers, young people, or those who work with young people.

https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/tools-information/advice-and-support

Bullying UK

Bullying UK offers support to young people, parents and schools in all aspects of bullying, cyber-bullying, bullying in school.

0808 800 2222 (7am – midnight)

KidScape

To help keep children safe. Our vision is for all children to grow up in supportive communities safe from bullying and harm.​

https://www.kidscape.org.uk/

Call: 020 7823 5430

WhatsApp: 07496 682785

Email: parentsupport@kidscape.org.uk 

ChildLine

Cyberbullying is when a person, or a group of people, uses the internet, mobile phones or other digital technologies to threaten, tease or abuse someone.
Find out more: https://www.childline.org.uk 

Digizen

Information for educators, parents, carers and young people, sharing specific advice and resources on issues such as social networking and cyberbullying.
Find out more: https://www.digizen.org/parents