SCHOOL-BASED
CHILD PROTECTION &
ANTI-BULLYING
POLICY
I.
INTRODUCTION
This policy aims to provide all
members of staff, students and stakeholders with a clear and secure framework
for ensuring that all students in Anselmo A. Sandoval Memorial National High
School are protected from harm, both while at school and when off the school
premises. They have the right to go
about their daily lives without the fear of being threatened, assaulted or
harassed. No one should underestimate
the impact that child abuse and bullying can have on a person’s life. This will often lead to depression,
self-esteem problems and self-destructive behavior for the victim and the
psychological effects can last a lifetime.
Thus, the school together with the committee on Child Protection through
the leadership of the Principal ensures a stable and sheltered learning
environment which is an essential requirement to achieve an Education For All
Students.
II. POLICY
STATEMENT
Anselmo A. Sandoval Memorial
National High School is committed to the following:
•
The
welfare of the students is utmost important
•
Working
in partnership with parents is essential
for the protection of students
•
Taking
all reasonable steps to protect students from harm, discrimination and
degrading treatment and to respect their rights
and feelings
•
All
students, whatever their age, culture, ability, gender, language, racial
origin, religious belief and/or sexual identity should be able to experience
fun and safe environment.
•
All
uncertainties and allegations will be taken seriously and responded to properly
and promptly involving and including the whole school community in preventing
and responding to bullying and abuse.
III. POLICY
OBJECTIVES
•
To
develop student’s self-esteem, assertiveness and self-protective skills
•
To
give students the necessary skills to enable them to recognize and resist
abuse, bullying, discrimination, exploitation, and violence
•
To
teach students that they should always tell an adult about any situation which
they find unsafe, upsetting, threatening, dangerous or abusive.
IV. DEFINITION
OF TERMS
|
Child/Young
Person
|
Defined as a person
under the age of 18 (Children’s Act 1989)
|
|
Abuse
|
Any form of physical,
emotional or sexual mistreatment or lack of care that leads to injury or
harm, it commonly occurs within a relationship of trust or responsibility and
is an abuse of power or a breach of trust
|
|
Bullying
|
An act of aggression,
causing embarrassment, pain or discomfort to someone
|
|
Discrimination
|
The unjust or
prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially
on the grounds of race, age, or sex
|
|
Exploitation
|
The action or act of treating someone
unfairly in order to benefit from their work
|
|
Violence
|
Behavior involving
physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something
|
V. FORMS OF
BULLYING
|
Cyber
|
Targeting individuals
on instant messenger, abusive websites or text messages
|
|
Physical
|
Hitting, kicking,
taking, harassment, damaging personal property
|
|
Psychological
|
Threats, intimidation,
spreading nasty rumors, exclusion from social groups
|
|
Verbal
|
Name calling,
insulting, making offensive remarks or writing offensive writings
|
VI. FORMS OF
ABUSE
|
Emotional
|
Refers to the
psychological and social aspects of child abuse; It is the most common form
of child abuse.
|
|
Neglect
|
Refers to a range of
circumstances in which a parent or guardian fails to adequately provide for a
child’s needs
|
|
Physical
|
Physical assaults that
would be serious criminal offences if committed by one man against another –
for instance, hitting, slapping, or striking with an object – have been legally and socially sanctioned when
committed by a man against his wife
and child, or by parents against their children
|
|
Sexual
|
Describes any incident
in an adult engages a minor in a sexual act, or exposes the minor to
inappropriate sexual behavior or material.
Sexual abuse also describes any incident in which a child is coerced
into sexual activity by another child. A person may sexually abuse a child
using threats and physical force, but sexual abuse often involves subtle
forms of manipulation, in which the child is coerced into believing that the
activity is an expression of love, or that the child bought the abuse upon
themselves. Sexual abuse involves
contact and non-contact offences
|
VII. THE
IMPACT OF BULLYING AND CHILD ABUSE ON STUDENTS
Victims: May become unhappy and distressed. Their self-image is damaged and they may feel
anxious and insecure. They may view
themselves as failures.
Academic Attainment and Attendance: Child Abuse, Violence, Exploitation,
Discrimination and Bullying impact negatively on the achievement of individuals
in school and consequently on the achievement of the school as a whole. Students who do not feel safe at school are
unlikely to perform to the best of their ability academically and commonly lack
confidence, concentration and motivation.
VIII. SUPPORT
FOR VICTIMS
Guidance Counselor will play a vital
role in counseling students who are victim of child abuse and bullying. There is a great need to raise their
self-esteem and improve their social interaction so as not to attract unfair
attention.
IX. HOW TO
CHANGE THE BEHAVIOUR OF ABUSER OR BULLIES
AASMNHS through the unified efforts of
the guidance counselor, prefect of discipline and the advisers headed by the
principal will use the counseling skills and mediation between the bullies and
the bullied or the abused and the abuser as well as the parents of both parties
to get the problem fixed sooner rather than later.
Parental involvement is important in
both making the bullied/abused student feel appreciated and safe while also
improving the issues that are causing the bully/abuser to act out against
others. It is often the key to a
successful child protection initiatives.
X. ACTIONS TO
MAKE IF STUDENTS TALK ABOUT ABUSE OR BULLYING
It is possible that a student may
seek his adviser, guidance counselor, prefect of discipline or principal to
share information about bullying or abuse.
In this situation, these authorities must:
•
Listen
carefully to the student.
•
Give
the student proper time and attention.
•
Allow
the student to give spontaneous information.
•
Make
an accurate record of the information.
•
Reassure
the student that you are glad they have come and told you and that they have
not done anything wrong and everything will soon be all right.
•
Solve/Help
solve the problem right away.
XI. IMMEDIATE
ACTION TO ENSURE CHILD’S SAFETY
Immediate action may be necessary at
any stage in involvement with students and families. Thus, in all cases it is
important to take whatever action is needed to protect the students like:
•
If
the student suffered from bullying or any form of abuse, entrust, consult or
ask help from the adviser, Guidance Counselor, Prefect of Discipline or direct
at the Principal’s Office.
•
Contact
parents/guardians of concerned students in the incident
•
Guidance
and Counseling
•
If
emergency, medical attention is required.
This can be secured by going to the Clinic or by calling the student’s
parents/guardian especially if there’s a need for the student to take into the
nearest hospital.
•
If
a child is in immediate danger, the police will be contacted for they alone
have the power to remove a student immediately if protection is necessary, via
Police Protection Order. But this will
always be with the knowledge of the parents/guardians of the concerned student.
XII.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHILD PROTECTION COMMITTEE
The designated Child Protection
Committee takes the lead responsibility for child protection, including support
for other staff and information sharing with other agencies. Usually, the designated child protection committee
is also the named person who responds to allegations made against members of
staff.
•
Develop
and update the Child Protection Policies, ensuring that staff, students and
parents/guardians are aware of them.
•
Provide
support and advice to all members of staff within the setting regarding child
protection and anti-bullying concerns.
•
Keep
every member of the committee especially the School Head be informed about any
issue that arise.
•
Ensure
that the students file is secured and separate from other students’ record.
•
Cooperate
with the parents/guardians and with the local authority if necessary.
Other Staff’s
Responsibility:
•
It
is the responsibility of all the members of the school to ensure that all
safeguarding concerns, both serious and minor, are reported to the designated
child protection committee.
XIII.
IMPLEMENTATION AND DISSEMINATION
•
This
policy is reviewed annually by the Designated Child Committee.
•
All
students and their families will be made read and agree to the policy before
enrolment. It is very important for the families
to be aware of the actions of the school if there are any concerns for the
student’s safety. Knowing about Child
Protection Policy ahead of time helps parents to engage better in the process.
•
Copies
of this policy are easily accessible in the Principal’s Office and Guidance
Office.
XIV.
CONFIDENTIALITY
AASMNHS ensure that any records made
in relation to a referral are kept confidentially and in a secure place. Thus, information in relation to child
protection concerns are handled and disseminated on a “need to know” basis
only. This includes the following:
•
The
Principal
•
The
Guidance Counselor
•
The
Prefect of Discipline
•
The
Adviser
•
The
Person Making the Allegation
•
The
Parents/Guardian of the Student (Victim)
•
The
Alleged Abuser/Bully
•
The
Parents of the Alleged Abuser/Bully
Prepared
by:
__________________
SHIRLYN V. MORENO
Guidance Counselor
Noted:
_____________________
GABRIEL R. ROCO, Ed.D.
Principal IV
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