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Glasgow has revised and updated its anti-bullying policy in response to a number of factors, including the increase in cyber-bullying and new legislation. The new policy will also require early years, primary and secondary schools in the city to record and report all discriminatory behaviour.
This will be done electronically and merged with the existing obligation to log all racist incidents.
Monitoring the incidence, frequency and types of bullying behaviour across establishments will allow the Council to identify trends and areas in which establishments are being particularly good or unsuccessful, in addressing an issue.
Thus, helping staff to learn and share good practice city-wide.
Since the 1980s Glasgow has led the way in anti-bullying initiatives and officials recognised that the first step in addressing bullying behaviour in schools is to recognise that it happens.
Extensive research then revealed that bullying is a bigger problem when it goes unrecognised and unacknowledged.
Glasgow’s anti-bullying policy was last updated in 1998 and there is no doubt that these measures including curriculum teaching and work with parents have made a real difference to the lives of children.
But society is changing and the nature of bullying behaviour has changed over the last 10 years and the new document and new measures reflect this.
Councillor Jonathan Findlay, Executive Member for Education at Glasgow City Council welcomes the revised policy and wholeheartedly endorses the fact that bullying behaviour will not be tolerated within Glasgow’s schools.
He said today: “We are committed to driving out bullying in all its forms. The Council and individual schools are constantly looking at new approaches to achieve this end, including innovative collaborative working with parents and pupils.
“The vast majority of our children feel safe in our schools and we know that happy, safe and confident individuals are more likely to reach their potential and maximise their attainment and achievement at school.
“This revision takes into account the changing face of bullying and the introduction over the last few years of the use of new technology and social network bullying. We have to tackle any forms of this upsetting and menacing behaviour as well as the traditional playground bullying.
“The introduction of recording and the on-going continuous professional development of our teachers and school staff in all 29 learning communities will help to understand and address issues our children are experiencing.”
The launch of the revised policy included a live dramatisation by young people from St Margaret Mary’s Secondary in Castlemilk, who took part in respectme’s recently launched anti-bullying resource CD ‘Andy’s Story’.
Respectme, the national anti-bullying network, works closely with Glasgow City Council and other local authorities.
Brian Donnelly, Director of respectme, was at the launch and said today:
“respectme commends Glasgow City Council on the launch of its revised anti-bullying policy. This robust guidance clearly sets out Glasgow’s expectations for all schools and learning communities when dealing with bullying behaviour.
“We particularly welcome the Council’s considerable commitment to training 80 key staff across the city, which will result in every learning community in Glasgow having trainers who can build anti-bullying skills and capacity locally.”
