Scottish Guidance Association7th March 2015

Bullying –Re-framing our responsesLorraine Glass, Partnership Manager

respectme

Scotland’s Anti-Bullying Service

Bullying and definitions – some critical reflection…

• Does the behaviour need to be persistent?

• Does there need to be intent?

• Bullying as a relationship

• Bullying is behaviour and impact – never one on its own

‘Bullying takes something away from me’

Bullying is not about just any kind of injury, nor just any negative impact. It involves a particular kind of harm. It is aimed at engendering a kind of helplessness, an inability to act, to do anything. It is an assault on a person’s agency. Sercombe and Donnelly (2012)

Agency = where we retain the capacity to refuse to accept the behaviour, and can take effective action.

What do we mean by bullying?

• Bullying is behaviour that impacts on a person’s capacity to feel in control of themselves

• Bullying makes people feel hurt, frightened and left out

• This behaviour may not be repeated but the threat can be sustained

• Bullying is about impact and behavior

• This happens face to face and on-line

How this reframes responses and interventions

• If I lose something, how do I get it back? Interventions must address this

• Listening to what someone wants to happen

• Behaviour is changed by describing behaviour and impact – not labelling

“What can I Do?”• Involve young people in what happens –bullying is about relationships

– utilise these

• Make sure you have a shared understanding of unacceptable behaviour

• Make sure everyone knows they have a responsibility to notice bullying and respond

• Are the boundaries clear in my school/club? Do young people think it is a safe place? Ask them

• What are the options they have when being bullied? – no one-size fits all

• Be prepared to address prejudiced attitudes

How to build resilience

• Promote positive relationships• Teach how to navigate relationships• Involve children and young people• Give them a voice• Role model responses• Provide support

Survey results

8

Over 8,000 children and

young people took part

All 32 local authorities

30% of children surveyed

told us they had been bullied

In the last year

Where did the bullying take place?

9

Of the individual incidents of bullying reported by young people.

60% were offline, 19% were online, and 21% were both online and offline.

What do you do online?

Key messages to take away…• Mobile technology and social media are entirely woven into every

day life – it is a social activity

• Most young people knew who the person was who bullied them online (92%)

• The behaviour and impact is on/by people – it is not the technology

• Effective intervention is made when we address risks as a whole

• Lack of knowledge on how young people use social media to communicate is a barrier

11

Many thanks