Rating description:
- Fully met: Data and evidence collected regularly (through surveys, lessons and other means) show that all pupils understand the definition of bullying, the impact of bullying, the difference between bullying and relational conflicts, and different roles and influences they may have in bullying scenarios.
- Partially met: Data and evidence collected shows that some pupils understand the definition of bullying, the impact of bullying, the difference between bullying and relational conflicts, and more understanding is needed on the different roles and influences they may have in bullying scenarios.
- Not yet met: Data and evidence is either not collected or shows that pupils don’t fully understand the definition of bullying, the impact of bullying, the difference between bullying and relational conflicts, and the different roles and influences they may have in bullying scenarios.
Why is this important?
Having a good understanding of what bullying is and isn’t across a school community will help you prevent bullying.
It is vital to use a shared definition of bullying to ensure all members of the school or setting community - including all school staff, children and young people and their parents - fully understand what bullying is, and what it isn’t.
Not having a clear definition increases the risk of misidentifying bullying or missing it entirely. Having a clear definition will ensure that bullying is identified correctly. It also helps children and young people to identify bullying and know when to get help, as well as setting a standard about how we are expected to treat each other and encourages pupils to think about the impact of their actions.
Top Tips:
- There is no such thing as 'over-sharing' when it comes to the definition of bullying! It is important that your whole-school community understand it, and how it differs to relational conflict such as falling out with a friend. Share it during assemblies, on your website, on regular newsletters, at staff meetings, parents evenings, on displays around the school, and anywhere else appropriate. Ensure all staff refer regularly to the definition when talking to pupils about bullying, too.
- You can use ABA resources to deliver classroom activities and share the definition of bullying with pupils - see the links in the section below, we have lots of resources around this.
Resources & Examples:
Resources
- The Anti-Bullying Alliance has a wealth of resources to support you develop your shared understanding of bullying:
- We have also developed a toolkit around the difference between banter and bullying, including lesson plans. You can access it here.
Examples
Please note that examples from primary and other school settings may still include some useful hints and tips you can adapt and apply for a secondary setting.
- Primary School Case Study - on involving the whole school community in understanding the definition of bullying.
- Primary School Case Study - on pupils raising awareness of the definition of bullying throughout the school
- Primary School Case Study - on noticing pupils not understanding the difference between bullying and friendship issues
- Watch the below video for an example from a Secondary School talking about the impact of having a shared definition of bullying:
See below for quotes and pieces of advice from other schools:
- "The key improvement to our practice has been around the labels/learning of the wider roles often present in a bullying situation. By being able to identify these, we have been able to explicitly teach children and adults about them, which has lead to both greater understanding and an easier way to hold children accountable for their actions."
- "Pupils engaged openly with conversations about bullying rather than accusing their peers. During a meeting with a concerned parent, one year 2 pupil was able to explain to them why what had been happening to them was not bullying."
Note: the resources listed at the bottom of this page (below) have all been referenced in the text above.