No Bull
The Process
ALL school policies are created from a process involving staff, parents and, most importantly, you guys, the students.
Bullying policy decisions should be based on some education about the issue and plenty of discussion with everyone involved. You should never have to make decisions about things you don’t necessarily know enough about.
Whilst, ideally, policy should be developed by many people working together, in schools it is usually left to only a few who truly care about this issue and are willing to devote plenty of time to it.
Because of the many people involved in developing a bullying policy, the process can take ages. It is, however, better to take a while than create 'quick-fix' policies that cover up rather than resolve harassment issues. The more careful people are in developing a policy, the better it works.
Don't forget the Powers That Be
No matter what type of school you're at, there is probably a grand high board of poo-bahs who set rules for policy decisions in the entire system. State schools have the Department of Education and Training (DE&T), religious schools each have a governing body and private schools answer to their school councils. Remember, students can be and possibly ARE on your school council already. If you want to influence policy you have to be aware of the rules and regulations set by these groups in regards to bullying. Your school principal will have copies of this stuff or check out DE&T online at: www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/bullying/policy/index.htm |
