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Contents

1. Definition of Bullying
2. Risk Assessment
3. Placement Planning
4. Prevention of Bullying
5. Responding to Bullying
6. Notifications
7. Recording

1. Definition of Bullying

One person or a group can bully others.  Bullying is behaviour, usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group, physically and/or emotionally.

Bullying can take many forms.  A traditional viewpoint is that bullying is characterised by aggressive behaviour which intentionally harms another person.  There is a power imbalance that makes it difficult for the victim to defend themselves and it is usually persistent.  Girl's bullying (compared to boys) is more bound up with friendships, feuds and exclusion.

Prejudice based bullying is based on characteristics such as race, religion / beliefs, disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity.

Cyber bullying has become an increasingly significant issue and accounts for around one third of total bullying in young people, with a later age peak, at mid adolescence, than is found for traditional bullying. This type of bullying uses a variety of Information Communications Technology (ICT) tools (such as text and instant messaging, email and social networking sites) to attack and hurt others.  A single act by the perpetrator can be conveyed to a wide audience and repeated over and over.  Compared to traditional bullying, cyber bullying is much more likely to be perpetrated and experienced outside of school, but is still often between class / school mates. (Smith P K and others 2008 ABA Briefing Bullying Among Looked After Children).  

Bullying can present as:

• Verbal e.g. name-calling, taunting, making offensive comments, spreading hurtful and untruthful rumours
• Social e.g. being left out of things/being ignored, marginalised, conditional friendship, posting malicious material on social networking websites, filming and then distributing degrading images via mobile phones
• Material e.g. possessions stolen/property damaged or destroyed, producing offensive graffiti
• Psychological e.g. threats or pressure to conform,  manipulation to get the person to act against their will / better judgement, made to feel powerless or worthless
• Physical e.g. kicking, hitting, pushing, inappropriate touching
• Harassment e.g.  unwanted conduct which violates a person's dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading or humiliating environment,. Can be to the person's face, behind their back or by use of technology.

2. Risk Assessment

By assessing risk the practitioner can inform supportive and effective care planning in the prevention, identification and management of bullying. The peer relationships between children and young people living together must be regularly appraised, especially where children move in and out of a home setting. 

'When children live together new hierarchies can form, with the strongest bullying the weaker or younger ones.  When supervision is limited or staff / carers change frequently, an underlying culture can develop in which children do not report bullying' (Barter 2003 - Young people in residential care talk about peer violence SJRCC).  

Regular discussion of the peer relationship must take place between residential practitioners and the one or more responsible social worker practitioners for individual young people living in residential children's homes.  Likewise the peer relationship between children living together in foster care must be discussed between the foster carer, the fostering officer and responsible social work practitioners.  This would include all the children in the household whether looked after or the foster carer's own children and any peer associations formed by the children of the household.

Initial and subsequent social worker visits following changes in placements for the child or young person and the preparation for LAC Reviews are regular opportunities for appraisal and discussion.

Where children are placed alongside others in either a foster or residential placement then the relationship between these children / young people should be explained at each review.  The respective IRO's for the children in the placement should ensure that all pertinent information in respect of any concerns in relation to bullying are shared.

Potentially, the risk of bullying and problematic behaviours occurring may increase in placements where there are several children or young people living together who are exhibiting anti social behaviour.   The dynamic between individual young people or within a group can be quite volatile and go from 'being friends' to 'persecutor versus victim' quite quickly.

Groups most vulnerable to bulling and discrimination include:

• Children in care
• Children with emotional and behavioural difficulties
• Young people with disabilities
• Lesbian, gay  or bisexual young people

Children who are looked after and living away from home are particularly vulnerable and may experience discrimination from other children just because of their looked after status.  They may have had many placements, lost contact with family members and friends.  Research shows that children and young people in the care system may have higher levels of psychiatric disorders, with conduct and anxiety disorders being the most common (McCann, Wilson & Dunn 1996 Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in young people in the care system BMJ). 

Children can often be held back from telling anyone about their experience because they either feel threatened feel that nothing can change their situation or that they do not see the bullying as inappropriate especially if they have had previous experiences of abuse.

Staff, carers, parents and other agencies need to be alert to any changes in the young person's behaviour such as refusing to go to school, a particular place or activity.  The young person may also become anxious in public places or when picking up mobile phone text messages. 

Children who bully have often been bullied themselves and the bullying behaviour may occur because the child or young person has significant needs themselves.

Everyone must also be clear what measures they should take if they suspect bullying or it is reported to them.

In this respect, everyone should be alert to the fact that bullying may constitute Significant Harm and, if so, must trigger a Strategy Discussion to decide whether a Section 47 Enquiry is to be undertaken.

3. Placement Planning

As part of the placement planning process, the child's social worker must ensure that a risk assessment is conducted to ascertain whether the child may be a victim or perpetrator of bullying, or both. 

If there is any risk, the child must have a Behaviour Management Plan outlining the concerns and strategies to be adopted to counter it.

4. Prevention of Bullying

Every children's residential home must have clearly written policies and internal procedures for countering bullying and every foster carer must have access to written policies and procedures containing measures to both prevent and respond to incidences of bullying.  Clear messages must be given that bullying is not acceptable and children must be reassured that the significant adults involved in their lives will take instances of bullying seriously.  Policies must be well publicised and communicated to children and young people in a manner appropriate to their understanding and needs.

Staff/carers must be alert at all times to the possibility of bullying and take steps to intervene early to prevent harm rather than wait for incidents of bullying to occur.  The components of an effective strategy to prevent bullying include:

4.1 Ethos

Everyone involved in looking after children shares responsibility for countering bullying and for creating a culture that positively encourages acceptable behaviour and reduces or prevents the likelihood of bullying.  As part of this ethos, everyone must understand what bullying means and what measures must be taken within the home setting by staff / carers to counter it.  An inclusive environment in which bullying was not tolerated would:

• Encourage and model behaviour that is respectful and fair
• Challenge prejudice and promote equality
• Discourage children and young people from colluding with bullying

4.2 Leadership

Within a children's home a member of staff can be a nominated person who coordinates all anti bullying activity in the home.  This leadership role will include responsibility for:

• Maintaining  policies
• Arranging training
• Responding to bulling incidents
• Ensuring that records are kept

4.3 Policies

An anti-bullying policy or establishing house rules is an important way for everyone to understand what behaviour is acceptable, what is unacceptable and how bullying will be dealt with.  It is important to:

• Involve children and young people in setting and reviewing the house rules/developing policies
• Cover the different kinds of bullying (LINK to Definitions of Bullying)
• Consider any other forms of bullying that are more likely to occur in the home setting, such as taking money or deliberately getting someone into trouble.
• Discuss how the policy or house rules will be put into practice
• Children can easily refer to the rules i.e. Invite young people to design a poster for display

4.4 Communication

Effective communication is key in creating an environment where bullying is not tolerated.  It is important that staff and carers are able to discuss aspects of bullying with children/young people in their care.  How to identify/ recognise forms of bullying and harassment, understand what behaviours are not acceptable, what the consequences are for those who bully and what to do if they see it or experience it.  Staff and carers are ideally placed to promote positive images and use positive language in respect of disability and diversity.

Every children's residential home must have clearly written policies and internal procedures for countering bullying and every foster carer must have access to written policies and procedures containing measures to both prevent and respond to incidences of bullying.  Clear messages must be given that bullying is not acceptable and children must be reassured that the significant adults involved in their lives will take instances of bullying seriously.  Policies must be well publicised and communicated to children and young people in a manner appropriate to their understanding and needs.

4.5 Training

Good quality training should help staff and carers to:

• Understand their role
• Know how to spot bullying and understand different types of bullying 
• Know how to respond appropriately if they witness bullying or young people report it
• Know who to contact, how to access help

4.6 Practical Steps

There are many practical steps that can be put in place to reduce the likelihood of bullying happening. 

• Consult children and young people about bullying, whether they feel safe and if there are any places where they feel unsafe (at school, in their home environment or travelling between the two).
• Home visits/contacts, review meetings etc can make children feel sensitive, vulnerable and distressed. This may make them more susceptible to being bullied or in turn some may bully others due to feelings of anger or problems resulting from an emotional time.
• Being vigilant if a young person has clothing or equipment damaged.
• Provide private quiet times alone with the young person to explore bullying experiences as a parent might.  This could be done during social worker visits by the responsible social worker, by the foster carer or residential officer in the home setting / or on a trip out for privacy.
• Building the capacity of young people to develop their own resilience and strategies for preventing bullying.  Techniques can include' fogging' or 'broken record'.  Fogging is where the young person seems to agree with the bully, deflects the hurt or refuses to provide the expected reaction the bully hopes for.  Broken record is where the young person calmly repeats a phrase such as "No, I don't want to" or uses a pre-prepared phrase of their own .  Rehearsal and role play can help the child / young person feel more comfortable in using these techniques and practice assertive body language that gives off a confident air even thought they may be frightened.

4.7 Partnerships and Resources

Children and young people in care can experience bullying at home (foster or residential), at school, during outside activities and on journeys between the three.

It is therefore important to:

• Develop links with other practitioners who work with the child / young person such as teachers and youth workers,
• Investigate resources such as local safer travel and school transport teams, 
• Use local support websites such as the Leeds Learning Network website - The Power of Me

5. Responding to Bullying

When responding to bullying, a clear consistent response is essential and the interventions that are applied to the situation must focus on achieving the following goals:

• To make the victim feel safe
• To stop the bullying and change the behaviour of the bully
• To make clear to every other child or young person that bullying is unacceptable

All reports of bullying must be investigated as soon as possible so that the nature of the concern is fully understood.  Consultation with other significant adults can bring a wider perspective to the incident and this could include talking with youth workers and teachers for example.  Where staff or foster carers have any concerns that bullying is taking place, they must discuss them with their manager/ or the child's supervising social worker so that an appropriate course of action can be undertaken to prevent the risk of bullying.

Where the responsible social worker is not available to consult in the first instance, residential staff and foster carers must take appropriate actions to stop, reduce or prevent the bullying from occurring and inform their manager/supervising social worker and the child's social worker as soon as practicable so that an appropriate course of action can be undertaken to reduce or prevent the risk of further bullying.

If the bullying is persistent or serious it may be necessary to conduct a review of the placement or hold a Strategy Discussion.

Bullying is a complex behaviour and if it is not clear who the perpetrator is or the full group dynamics of the individuals concerned it may be more useful to agree with the young people how they will behave in the future.

5.1 Supporting the Child who is Being Bullied

The first step is to talk to the child or young person who is being bullied, find out what has happened and agree a way forward.  This can be done by:

• Make time to listen in a calm atmosphere
• Take bullying seriously and avoid telling the child or young person 'just ignore it'
• Agree a plan of action with the young person's consent
• Avoid humiliating the young person by taking actions which can make them seem weaker, powerless or a 'grass'
• Help the child become more resilient by building up their self-confidence, emphasising their strengths and helping them to develop protective friendships

5.2 Working  With the Child who Bullies

Work with the bully can help them to understand their behaviour and its effect on others.  The goal is to ensure that the bullying stops and the bully's behaviour changes by:

• Making it clear that it is the behaviour that is 'bad' not the child
• Explore how the bullying behaviour makes them feel and why they need to do this?
• Help the young person to find other ways than bullying to feel recognised and manage their emotions
• Help a child to recognise their emotions and responses
• Identify any patterns to the bullying behaviour
• Identify strategies that would 'work for the young person'
• Look at anger management, interpersonal  and conflict resolution skills
• Give the child tasks to do that earn them praise or rewards for pro-social actions such as helping another child or young person.  Encourage and praise any positive behaviour by the bullying child.
• Encourage the young person to try and understand the feelings of the victim and challenge prejudice.  Prejudiced views may be shared among the general community in which they live or be driven by personal anxieties about identity and territory.  Children and young people may adopt certain views to 'fit in' and be part of a group. 
• With the child, look at how they can make amends or compensate the victim for the distress caused, what ideas do they have?
• Avoid giving the bully hero status or marginalising them so that you have no influence
• Be aware that many people who bully others may have been victims at some point themselves and may still be one.  These situations can be complex and 'bully victims' may need professional help and counselling. 

5.3 Monitor and Record

Bullies can often appear to comply but may bully someone else or bully more secretively so that they do not get caught.  It can appear that the bully is complying because of strong controls strictly enforced but it could be unclear whether or not their behaviour and prejudices have really changed.  It is important to monitor the situation by:

• Recording any bullying incidents and action taken
• Report back to the victim initially and then follow up discreetly with them to find out whether the bullying has stopped and they feel safe.

5.4 Responding to Serious or Persistent Bullying

Sometimes bullying involves a specific serious incident, such as a serious physical or sexual assault.  Bullying might persist despite attempts to intervene.  The behaviour may result in other criminal offences such as theft, criminal damage, harassment offences, and the misuse of electronic communication or hate crime offences.  This type of situation will require a different response but the goals of the intervention remain the same: to make the victim safe and to stop the bullying behaviour. It may be necessary in these circumstances to seek the support of senior management and to involve the Youth Offending Service and / or the police (see 6. Notifications).

6. Notifications

There are different notifications procedures depending on the persistence and seriousness of the bullying:

6.1  Notifications of Minor or Non-persistent Bullying

Where bullying is not persistent or not serious, it should be notified to the manager/supervising social worker at the first opportunity; the manager/supervising social worker will inform the child's social worker, unless it has previously been agreed this is not necessary.

6.2  Notifications of Persistent or Serious Bullying

Serious, one-off, episodes of bullying are deemed to be incidents and must be notified to the manager/supervising social worker and the child's social worker as soon as possible but within 24 hours.  The child's social worker should decide whether to inform the child's parent(s) and, if so, who should do so.

Where serious bullying persists, the social worker, manager/supervising social worker and staff/carer should come to a decision about whether it is deemed to be an incident and whether the child's social worker should be notified on each occasion or at specified intervals.

It will also be necessary to decide whether to notify the child's parent(s). These arrangements must be outlined in the child's Behaviour Management Plan, in the Placement Information Record.

Under the Children Act 1989 a bullying incident should be addressed as a child protection concern when there is 'reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer significant harm'.  The child's social worker must consider whether the bullying constitutes significant harm and if so,  instigate immediate Section 47 Enquiries (see Core Assessments (Including Section 47 Enquiries) Procedure).

7. Recording

There are different recording procedures depending on the persistence and seriousness of the bullying.

7.1 Recording of Minor or Non-persistent Bullying

Minor or non-persistent bullying should be recorded in the Daily Record of the child who is bullied and the alleged bully.  The record should include details of staff/carer intervention and outcomes.

7.2  Recording of Persistent or Serious Bullying

Unless otherwise agreed between the social worker, manager and staff/carer, and set out in the child's Behaviour Management Plan, incidents of persistent or serious bullying must always be recorded as incidents and be the subject of a management review. Please see Incidents Guidance

End