Article: Advice and support for children and young people being bullied Article Body Children's services in Barnsley can provide support and advice to children who are being bullied, or to parents or carers of a child being bullied. We recognise that life can be difficult for any young person who is subjected to any form of bullying. Exerting power through the intimidation of others is not acceptable. Forms of bullying may include verbal teasing, racism, physical confrontation and/or attacks, theft or destruction of property and isolation (being sent to Coventry and marginalised) and cyber bullying. Bullies behave in the manner they do, partly because of a lack of something in their own lives, for example feelings of inadequacy, unhappiness, learnt behaviour or they may have been victims themselves. Their unacceptable behaviour needs to be understood and appropriately dealt with if the cycle of bullying is to cease. What to do if you are being bullied Any young person should raise issues of bullying with their parents, carers, school teachers or any adult they feel they can trust. Bullying can also be reported to the police. Children, parents and carers can also access practical help and advice on ways in which bullying can be tackled on the Being bullied website. Schools' bullying and harassment policy Since September 1999, it has been a requirement that all schools must have an anti-bullying policy which clearly states how the school is working to prevent bullying and explains the procedures if an incident of bullying is reported. Parents and carers can ask to see the schools anti-bullying policy and many schools include a summary of their policy in their school prospectus, including the name of the member of staff to contact if they have a concern that their child is being bullied. Policies should also include a clear definition of bullying and although there are many definitions of bullying, the government in their most recent guidance defines bullying as: Behaviour by an individual or group, usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group, either physically or emotionally.' Reference: DCSF Safe to Learn: Embedding Anti-bullying Work in Schools, 2007. Bullying includes: name calling; taunting; making offensive comments; kicking; hitting; pushing; taking belongings; inappropriate text messaging and emailing; sending offensive or degrading images by phone or via the internet; producing offensive graffiti; excluding people from groups and spreading hurtful and untruthful rumours. Bullying can seriously damage a young persons confidence and self worth and they will often feel that they are at fault in some way. It can lead to serious and prolonged emotional damage for an individual. Those who conduct bullying or witness bullying can also experience emotional harm and the impact on parents, carers and school staff can be significant. If a parent or carer feels their child is being bullied in school, in the first instance this should be discussed with the appropriate member of staff in school who, in discussion with the family, should try to resolve the problem. In the event of the parent/carer not feeling satisfied with the outcome, the next step would be to discuss the problem with the headteacher and, if necessary, a member of the governing body. Parents/carers should make every effort to work closely with the school to resolve any issues around bullying and give the staff and governors time to take any required action. However if they feel the school is not dealing with the problem appropriately and the bullying continues, parents/carers can lodge a formal complaint with the school and contact the local authority who may be able to help. Anti bullying issues have been co-ordinated by Barnsley Safeguarding Board since April 2006. The work of the Anti Bullying Sub Group will be transferred to the Service Development Sub Group in April 2011. This process will ensure that effective links between anti bullying and other areas of safeguarding are robust and ensure that the needs of children and young people are co-ordinated effectively. The Service Development Sub Group will meet six times a year and will during 2011 review the Anti Bullying Strategy which can be viewed on the Barnsley Safeguarding Children website. The sub group will also ensure that partner agencies of BSCB remain informed and up-to-date about relevant anti bullying initiatives and co-ordinate with the Multi Agency Training Sub Group any training needs in this area. Related links Barnsley Safeguarding Children website Childline NSPCC Anti Bullying Alliance How to contact us Chair of the Service Development Sub Group Barnsley Safeguarding Children Board Manager Postal address: PO Box 634, Barnsley S70 9GG Telephone: 01226 773577 Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 5pm and Fridays from 8.30am to 4.30pm Email: safeguardingunit@barnsley.gov.uk