Parents/carers will also be invited to attend regular training sessions in order to educate them on the signs and symptoms of cyber bullying, and will be advised to report to the headteacher if their child displays any of the signs outlined in 6.2 and 6.3 of this policy. Procedures for dealing with cyber bullying Responses to cyber bullying incidents, including the necessary sanctions, will be dealt with in accordance with the Anti-bullying and Harassment school’s Policy. Any cyber bullying incidents that involve members of staff will be dealt with in accordance with the Allegations Against Staff flowchart. school’s Staff are required to report any concerns to the headteacher, who will investigate the matter and will conduct an appropriate response. All incidents of cyber bullying, including any concerns, will be recorded and kept by the headteacher. The headteacher will arrange a discussion with the victimised pupil in order to gain knowledge about the situation, and will use this to inform a discussion with the pupil who has been accused of cyber bullying. The headteacher will discuss the incident with any witnesses and will gain evidence of the cyber bullying incident; this may involve text messages, emails, photos, etc., provided by the victim. The school understands that pupils at primary level, and particularly younger children, may not be aware of their actions and, as such, may not mean to intentionally cyber bully another pupil. The headteacher will take into account the nature of the cyber bullying incident and the way in which it has been conducted, including if it is evident that it was intentional or if the age and knowledge of cyber bullying is a pupil’s contributing factor to the incident, when deciding on the appropriate sanction. If necessary, the headteacher may decide to involve the police for appropriate response to the cyber bullying incident such as by removing internet access, monitoring the use, etc., in accordance with the Digital pupil’s internet Safeguarding Policy. Support for the pupil being bullied The headteacher will discuss the support available with the victim and, therefore, their feelings and requests are paramount to the support provided. The support available includes: Emotional support and reassurance from the ELSA Reassurance that it was right to report the incident and that appropriate action will be taken.
Parents/carers will also be invited to attend regular training sessions in order to educate them on the signs and symptoms of cyber bullying, and will be advised to report to the headteacher if their child displays any of the signs outlined in 6.2 and 6.3 of this policy. Procedures for dealing with cyber bullying Responses to cyber bullying incidents, including the necessary sanctions, will be dealt with in accordance with the school’s Anti-bullying and Harassment Policy. Any cyber bullying incidents that involve members of staff will be dealt with in accordance with the school’s Allegations Against Staff flowchart. Staff are required to report any concerns to the headteacher, who will investigate the matter and will conduct an appropriate response. All incidents of cyber bullying, including any concerns, will be recorded and kept by the headteacher. The headteacher will arrange a discussion with the victimised pupil in order to gain knowledge about the situation, and will use this to inform a discussion with the pupil who has been accused of cyber bullying. The headteacher will discuss the incident with any witnesses and will gain evidence of the cyber bullying incident; this may involve text messages, emails, photos, etc., provided by the victim. The school understands that pupils at primary level, and particularly younger children, may not be aware of their actions and, as such, may not mean to intentionally cyber bully another pupil. The headteacher will take into account the nature of the cyber bullying incident and the way in which it has been conducted, including if it is evident that it was intentional or if the pupil’s age and knowledge of cyber bullying is a contributing factor to the incident, when deciding on the appropriate sanction. If necessary, the headteacher may decide to involve the police for appropriate response to the cyber bullying incident such as by removing internet access, monitoring the pupil’s internet use, etc., in accordance with the Digital Safeguarding Policy. Support for the pupil being bullied The headteacher will discuss the support available with the victim and, therefore, their feelings and requests are paramount to the support provided. The support available includes: Emotional support and reassurance from the ELSA Reassurance that it was right to report the incident and that appropriate action will be taken.
Wansdyke-Cyber-Bullying-Policy-Final-2017-1.docx