Anti-Bullying Policy

Statement of Policy

At Rossmoyne Senior High School (RSHS), staff commit to ensuring a safe and supportive environment where all members of our school community have the right to be respected and have a responsibility to respect each other.

Policy Aims

We aim to provide an environment that is physically, emotionally and intellectually safe for all members of our school community.

We seek to achieve this by:

  • preventing the occurrence of bullying. We do this by educating the students on establishing positive relationships and reinforcing the rights and responsibilities of all school members;
  • developing individual self-esteem and respect for others through informative lessons and activities in Health and Homeroom; and
  • combating bullying by processes of reconciliation, support (which may include involvement by Student Services personnel and parents as deemed necessary by the Year Leader) or sanctions (as prescribed by the Associate Principal) which are directly linked with the Department of Education Policy.

What is Bullying?

Bullying is when an individual or group misuses power to target another individual or group to intentionally threaten or harm them on more than one occasion. This may involve verbal, physical, relational and psychological forms of bullying.  Teasing or fighting between peers is not necessarily bullying. [Behaviour Management in Schools policy, Department of Education (2013)]

Bullying may involve:

  • verbal bullying:  The repeated use of words to hurt or humiliate another individual or group.  Verbal bullying includes using put-downs, insulting language, name-calling, swearing, nasty notes and homophobic, racist or sexist comments.
  • emotional/psychological bullying: Includes repeated stalking, threats or implied threats, unwanted email or text messaging, abusive websites, threatening gestures, manipulation, emotional blackmail, and threats to an individual’s reputation and sense of safety.
  • relational bullying: Usually involves repeatedly ostracising others by leaving them out or convincing others to exclude or reject another individual or group, making up or spreading rumours, and sharing or threatening to share another’s personal information.
  • physical bullying: Includes repetitive low level hitting, kicking, pinching, pushing, tripping, ‘ganging up’, unwanted physical or sexual touching and damage to personal property.  More serious violent behaviours are not necessarily treated as bullying and may be better managed through the school’s discipline processes.
  • cyber bullying: Involves the use of information and communication technologies such as email, text messages, instant messaging and websites to engage in the bullying of other individuals or groups.  This technology provides an alternative means for verbal, relational and psychological forms of bullying.

What is not bullying:

  • While fighting between two students is a serious concern involving violence, it is not bullying unless it is recurring and deliberate abuse of power over a period of time.
  • Teasing, done in mutual fun and jest, where all individuals are involved and feel capable of responding, is not bullying. However constant, continual teasing that is done in a mean and hurtful way, is bullying.

At Rossmoyne Senior High School:

Students have the right to:  Students have the responsibility to:
Be treated with courtesy and respect Show courtesy and respect to others
Work in, and enjoy, a safe, secure and clean environment Keep our environment safe, secure and clean
A learning environment that is free from disruption Ensure that there is no disruption to another person’s learning environment
Achieve their educational potential Develop their potential and assist others in doing the same
Have their property respected Respect student, staff and school property
Be proud of their achievements Ensure their actions do not discredit the school community

Websites relating to bullying which may provide useful information for parents and students: