Tackling bullying

Bullying is never far from the headlines -- understandably as it represents one of the most common assaults on dignity and rights. How can schools best safeguard young people's rights to safety, education, effective remedy and fair treatment?

During 2008-10 the Office of the Children's Commissioner (a partner in the Human Rights in Education initiative) reviewed the literature on bullying in schools and published two reports:

• School Safety
• Responsive Schools

OCC concluded that only programmes that alter the whole school environment, culture and ethos are effective in addressing bullying. Schools committed to human rights-based education develop a learning community in which the rights and responsibilities of all are known, promoted, explored and lived. Their culture minimises the incidence of bullying, and their processes for handling the bullying that does occur ensure fair treatment for all concerned, particularly the most vulnerable.

The following advice for schools is taken from the OCC reports:

• Impact of bullying
• Identification of students involved
• Policy and legislation relating to students' safety at school
• Identified barriers and enablers to school safety
• Indicators of safe schools
  
• Responsive schools

For further advice and tools visit

• Wellbeing@School: www.wellbeingatschool.org.nz
• PB4L Online: www.pb4l.tki.org.nz