7.3              Bullying and Harassment

Bullying and Harassment may be described as behaviour that is destructive of a positive learning environment for students and/or a positive working environment for school staff. Each school should have a code of practice for dealing with incidents or complaints of bullying and harassment, especially sexual harassment, involving students. ACCS, ASTI and TUI have developed an agreed Code of Practice for dealing with complaints made by parents/students against a teacher and for dealing with complaints of sexual harassment of a teacher by a student. These codes of practice should be incorporated into the school’s own code.

Suggested Procedures for dealing with Bullying and/or Harassment

(i)                 Students subjected to harassment should report the harassment to any of the following: Principal, Deputy Principal, Guidance Counsellor, Year Head, Class Tutor, who will report the complaint to the Principal/Deputy Principal for investigation.

(ii)               Where a complaint of harassment is made by a student against a member of staff or by a staff member against a student, the complaint should be dealt with in accordance with the Code of Practice as described above

(iii)             Where a complaint of harassment is made by one student against another student, the complaint should be handled in accordance with the Code of Behaviour and Discipline for students.

(iv)             Where a student is victimised as a result of invoking or participating in any aspect of the complaints procedure, including acting as a witness for another student or a staff member, such conduct should be subject to disciplinary action.

(v)               All investigations of complaints must be handled with sensitivity and with due regard to the rights of all concerned.

(vi)             No record of any complaint should be registered on a student’s file unless the formal procedure is invoked.

(vii)           It is the responsibility of the Board of Management to ensure that all students are aware of the Code of Practice on Harassment and of the complaints procedures described above.