|
Help us by completing the online Kidscape
Survey
Please give us feedback about our website. Email
us and let us know what you think.
Other
Awards...
|
Top 10 Frustrations of Parents of Bullied Children
1. No response to letters or phone calls
- Put everything in writing!
- Hand deliver a letter asking why there has
been no response to previous correspondence. Request a written
reply by an appropriate date.
- Keep copies of all letters sent.
- Consider a formal complaint to the governing
body if lack of communication is a persistent problem, but
you will need clear records as proof.
- Read Kidscape's Advice
for Parents.
2. Being told their child is: fussing, over-sensitive, needs
to 'laugh it off'
- Respond that all children are different,
and have different needs. In order to thrive and be successful
academically they need to feel safe and protected within
school. This is part of the school's duty of care to
your child.
- Use the Kidscape Bully
Log.
3. Promising verbally to do things which don't happen
- Make sure you've seen a copy of the school's Anti-bullying
policy. This is a document every school is required
to have by law. If you meet with
any difficulties, we'd like to know - email experience@kidscape.org.uk
- Insist that your concerns are dealt with as
outlined in the policy.
- Requests and responses should be in writing.
- Consider moving your child to another school.
The No Blame policy is
not appropriate to deal with serious issues, because
it will not prioritise keeping children safe by making bullies
accountable for their actions.
- Read Kidscape's response to the No
Blame approach.
If the school says their policy is "in draft" or "under
review" then ask for the copy the school is currently working
to.
6. Being told that the bullying 'has been dealt with internally'
and given no details
Education is a partnership between home and
school. You have a right to be told how the safety of your
child will be assured, but not to be given
personal information about the support planned or punishment
of the child responsible.
7. No consequences for the bullies - 'they've been spoken
to'
- Ask for details of measures the school plans
to put in place to ensure your child's future safety.
- Ask to see what records have been kept by
the school of the incident for future reference. Use the
Kidscape Bully Log.
8. Their children having to move classes or offered lunch
in the library, a counsellor etc, while bully goes free
- Does the school operate a No
Blame policy? If it does then see the advice above.
If not, consider the advice anyway!
- Take your child to a GP to log incidents,
and ask for a letter of support to go to school.
- Ask (in writing) why the bullied child is
being further ostracised by the actions of the school when
the cause of the problem is not dealt with.
9. Family rows/upsets/divorce because of bullying
- Try and come to some agreement about an agreed
timescale for action, and the support your child needs.
- S/he is probably feeling bad enough without
taking on responsibility for parental rows too! Separate
your child's need for support from your personal philosophy
of education.
10. Being told 'we don't have bullying in this school'
Be very suspicious of any school that claims
to have "no bullying", as they either:
- don't want to acknowledge it exists, so
they don't have to deal with it.
- are only interested in academic attainment,
not "whole child" development.
- don't want to deal with an aggressive or
influential parent.
- are out of touch with what is happening
in their school.
Check the advice given in the questions above,
look at our leaflets and booklets available to download,
and act accordingly.
|
Subscribe to our mailing list
Use our FAQ to get some general advice
about your situation, or try our helpline
View the Kidscape Gallery...
Do you worry too much about
your child?
You wouldn't put up with
this as an adult so why should they?
Watch a video showing how Kidscape can
stop your child from being bullied
Top 10 frustrations on
dealing with bullying
Download Dealing with Bullies...
Student Councils
Peer Support
Why Kidscape disagrees with the 'No
Blame' approach
|
