Enquire Seminar 16 March 2011 Bullying Behaviour and Additional Support Needs Brian Donnelly Director, respectme Lorraine Glass Policy Development Programme Manager

2 Bullying…Its Never Acceptable

Workshop Objectives Can bullying behaviour create additional support needs? What can be done to address bullying behaviour associated with additional support needs?

4 Bullying Behaviour Can Be… Being called names, teased, put down or threatened Being hit, tripped, pushed or kicked Having belongings taken or damaged Being ignored, left out or having rumours spread about you Receiving abusive text messages or s Behaviour which makes you feel like you are being bullied Being targeted because of who you are or who you are perceived to be

What is Bullying Behaviour? Is intent required? Does the behaviour have to be persistent? What about impact?

6 Why Do People Bully? They are in a culture which supports and accepts bullying behaviour They feel that they will never get caught or wont be held accountable if they are To gain control and power over a situation They may have experienced this behaviour in other environments and are modelling what they have seen They may have been bullied themselves and are bullying to prevent them being the next target Not aware of effects or impacts of bullying behaviour Dont perceive their behaviour as bullying

Prejudice-Based Bullying Asylum seekers and refugees Body Image Disabilist Homophobic Looked After Children Racial Religion and belief Sectarianism Sexism and gender Young carers

8 What about the child who is bullying? Deal with the behaviour in the same way as you would with any type of challenging behaviour Listen and take time to discover the reasons for the bullying Do not label the individual or group as bullies, name the behaviour Be prepared for a strong reaction from parents and carers and children and young people Be prepared to address prejudicial attitudes that may be behind the bullying behaviour Address whats happening behind the behaviour, even when the bullying has stopped

Personal Plan What will you do now?

Conclusion Bullying is never acceptable. It is not a normal part of growing up. It does not build character – trust, acceptance, consistency and safety build character. We must all be good role models in the truest sense and remember – we can make a difference!

Conclusion Bullying is never acceptable. It is not a normal part of growing up. It does not build character – trust, acceptance, consistency and safety build character. We must all be good role models in the truest sense and remember – we can make a difference!

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