Anti-Bullying Policy
THIS AIM OF THIS POLICY IS TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS ARE INVOLVED IN A SUPPORTIVE, CARING AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING BULLIED.
Genevieve Ryan Dance Academy believes that each student has the right to feel free from fear and intimidation. Bullying is not tolerated, we have a zero tolerance bullying policy. Bullying can be a secret activity and difficult to detect. To ensure that no student should suffer in this way, communication between home and the GRDA is very important.
When will the policy apply? The policy will apply to several time periods/activities including:
- During dance classes
- During school term
- Dance shows
- Dance competitions
- Dance trips
- School events
- Intervals/breaks during dance schedules
- Social networking/media and cyber technology sites such as Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, texting that has a negative impact on the child within the dance classes, and so on.
Furthermore, the policy applies outside the school if the behaviour impacts upon any person’s participation in our dance academy. It deals with negative behaviours and attitudes which arise or occur in the academy, and which affect the progress and sense of emotional wellbeing of students or other people. The policy will outline the necessary steps to be taken when a bullying incident is reported. Bullying behaviours such as cyber bullying which break the law may be referred to the Gardaí.
What is Bullying?
Bullying behaviour is deliberate and repeated aggression, verbal, psychological or physical, conducted by an individual or group against any person. Bullying may take the forms of verbal bullying (attacks of a highly personal or sexual nature, which may be directed at a student’s family, culture, race or religion, or the spreading of malicious rumours), physical bullying, gesture bullying (non-verbal threatening gestures which convey intimidating or frightening messages), isolation, exclusion, extortion (demands for money, possessions or equipment, or forcing a student to steal), intentional diminishment, or cyber-bullying (the use of web-pages, e-mails and especially text messages to abuse, intimidate or attack a student). Isolated or once-off incidents of intentional negative behaviour, including a once-off offensive or hurtful text message or other private messaging, do not fall within the definition of bullying and should be dealt with, as appropriate.
Key steps when someone reports being bullied –
- Teachers will contact Genevieve or Jay right away
- Teachers will fill out an incident report
- Parents will be contacted
If there is physical proof of a student bullying, that student’s parents will be contacted right away and they will be removed from classes.
If there is no physical proof, we will talk to the class and let them know that this is their first warning, and remind them of our policy. If it happens again we contact parents and remove them from classes.
However, in the context of this policy, placing a once-off offensive or hurtful public message, image or statement on a social network site or other public forum where that message, image or statement can be viewed and/or repeated by other people will be regarded as bullying behaviour.
It is not bullying when:
(1a) Students of about the same age and strength have the occasional quarrel or conflict.
(1b) A member of staff offers constructive or fair criticism of a student’s behaviour or work performance
