​The Seaview High School community affirms the right of all of our members to feel safe and supported at school.

Definition of Bullying

Definition of Harassment

Bullying is repeated verbal, physical, social or psychological behaviour that is harmful and involves the misuse of power by an individual or group towards one or more persons. Cyber Bullying refers to bullying through information and communication technologies such as the internet and mobile phones.

​Conflicts or fights between equals and single incidents are not defined as bullying.

​Bullying of any form or for any reason can have long standing effects on those involved including bystanders.

​Harassment is behaviour that targets an individual or group due to their identity, race, culture or ethnic origin, religion, physical characteristics, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, parenting or economic status, age, ability or disability and that offends, humiliates, intimidates or creates a hostile environment.

Bullying and Harassment

Bullying and Harassment

• May involve hitting, kicking, pinching (physical)
• Name-calling, teasing, threats (verbal)
• Notes, graffiti, text messages, sending filmed or photographed images, comments on social networking sites (visual/written)
• Standover tactics, gestures (psychological)
• Rumours, putdowns (social exclusion)
• Physical, verbal or non-verbal sexual conduct (sexual)
• May be done directly (e.g. face to face) or indirectly (e.g. via the internet or mobile phones)
• Involves the misuse of power and may be motivated by jealousy, distrust, fear, misunderstanding or lack of knowledge
• Has an element of threat
• Can continue over time
• Is often hidden from adults
• Will be sustained if adults or peers do not take action.

Further examples of Harassment

Physical Harassment

• Fighting, pushing, shoving, gestures or invasion of personal space
• Damaging other people’s property or taking it without permission

 
Verbal Harassment

• Name calling, making unkind jokes about someone or rude remarks

Intellectual Harassment
Giving someone a hard time because they may be good at their work, or find their school work difficult

Racial Harassment

• Calling someone names, making rude remarks, telling unkind jokes, putting someone down because of how you feel about them being a member of a particular race or cultural group

 
Sexual Harassment

• Making rude signs or pictures, writing rude messages, patting or touching when someone does not want you to or when they feel uncomfortable.

What to do if you are being harassed:

All students are encouraged and supported to report all incidents of harassment to any member of staff.

• Talk it over with friends or parents to help identify what is happening
• Report it to any member of the school staff (you may choose to do this with a friend for support)
• Negotiate a process to resolve the conflict with the support of a staff member
• If you are aware of other students being bullied or harassed please encourage them to report it. Harassment will not be tolerated at Seaview High School.

Students involved in harassment and bullying will be warned and disciplined in line with the Department for Education and the School’s Behaviour Support Policy and Suspension, Exclusion and Expulsion Policy.