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Anti-Bullying Policy

At Brainworks-Total, we have agreed upon an Anti-Bullying Policy to ensure a safe and supportive environment where all members of our school community have the right to be respected and have a responsibility to respect each other. We have a zero tolerance policy towards any behaviour that dehumanizes or infringes upon the right to dignity of an individual.
Aim
We aim to provide an environment that is physically, emotionally and intellectually safe for all members of our school community.
What is bullying?
Bullying is when an individual or group misuses power to target another individual or group to intentionally threaten or harm them on more than one occasion. This may involve verbal, physical, relational and psychological forms of bullying.
Bullying may involve:
* Verbal bullying: The repeated use of words to hurt or humiliate another individual or group. Verbal bullying includes using put-downs, insulting language, name-calling, swearing, nasty notes and homophobic, racist or sexist comments.
* Emotional/psychological bullying: Includes repeated stalking, threats or implied threats, unwanted email or text messaging, abusive websites, threatening gestures, manipulation, emotional blackmail, and threats to an individual’s reputation and sense of safety.
* Relational bullying: Usually involves repeatedly ostracizing others by leaving them out or convincing others to exclude or reject another individual or group, making up or spreading rumours, and sharing or threatening to share another’s personal information.
* Physical bullying: Includes repetitive low level hitting, kicking, pinching, pushing, tripping, ‘ganging up’, and unwanted physical or any inappropriate touch and damage to personal property. More serious violent behaviours are not necessarily treated as bullying and may be better managed through the school’s discipline processes.
* Cyber bullying: Involves the use of information and communication technologies such as email, text messages, instant messaging and websites to engage in the bullying of other individuals or groups. This technology provides an alternative means for verbal, relational and psychological forms of bullying.
School Community’s Response

Brainworks-Total has a deep conviction that bullying is absent in any of its schools. Our students are well informed and educated to live a life of dignity. However, we are prepared with measures to counter any thing that remotely signifies any form of Bullying.
We seek to achieve this by:
Preventing the occurrence of bullying. We do this by educating the students on establishing positive relationships and reinforcing the rights and responsibilities of all school members. All our lessons are values reinforced.
Developing individual self-esteem and respect for others through activities in Sports & Health and Community Service.
Combating bullying by processes of reconciliation, support (which may include involvement by the school counselor and parents). We do not support suspensions and dismissals as they are counter-productive to the bully and do not really provide a solution to the problem. However, if the school is of the opinion that a certain individual or a group’s behavior has been threatening to any other individual or a group to a large degree then a suspension or a dismissal is not ruled out.
Our vigilant staff, our digital assistance through CCTVs’ and our in-house counselor will ensure that both the victim and the bully get the required help.
Procedure
* If any form of bullying is suspected or reported, then the incident will be dealt with immediately by the member of staff who has been approached. It is preferable that the Class Teacher deals with the incident initially and if deemed serious it should go straight to the Department Head or Head of School.
* A clear and detailed account of the incident will be recorded in a log book. Class teacher and Subject Teachers will be informed and be asked to keep an eye out for the individual/s.
* Parents will be informed of the incident and counseled over the appropriate responses needed at home. Parents will also be educated/informed about the psychological and legal implications that might surface.
* The school may also ask the concerned individual/s to seek counselling from the School Counselor and schedule an appropriate time table until such time as deemed necessary by the School Counselor.
At Brainworks, we do not believe in dismissals as a solution. However, we have zero tolerance for any form of bullying. The school cannot risk its social fabric for an individual. Even milder or initial signs of bullying will result in certain student privileges being taken away from the individual. If an individual does not refrain from bullying behavior despite repeated warnings, then the school will have no other choice but to dismiss the individual.