The Anti – Bullying Alliance define bullying to be;
“The repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or virtually.”
Bullying does not limit itself to the playground and can be witnessed anywhere, by anyone. At Active Essex we recognise that bullying is an issue we should face together and by providing the right tools and guidance to recognise and prevent, we can tackle bullying together!
There are various bullying behaviours that can be recognised inside and outside a sport setting and these include;
- Physical
- Verbal
- Emotional
- Online / Cyberbullying
Different types of bullying can also then relate to;
- Identity based bullying – including racism
- Homophobic and transphobic bullying
- Bullying, disability and neurodiversity
It is the responsibility of parents, carers, deliverers, providers and coaches to educate themselves with the different types of bullying, especially with the emergence of cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying
To protect targets of bullying and knowing when reported behaviours should be flagged, it is important to understand these following behaviours can be deemed cyberbullying;
- If your child sees or is sent something inappropriate
- If someone is spreading rumours online about your child or other children in their school or club
- If your child has been threatened
- If your child is being blackmailed
- If someone posts a picture of your child without their permission
- If someone of an inappropriate ages messages your child who is a stranger
Within the school, club and sporting environment it’s key to reducing the threat of a bullying incident if both the children and adults are aware of what is deemed inappropriate and threatening behaviour. Making sure there is the opportunity for young people to feel safe and secure enough to also report any incidents will help the trust within any club or group or school.
Active Essex have created two worksheets for children to fill out which can be used in school, sports club and group settings. The first worksheet allows the children to map out which different behaviours would be classified as bullying and this can be followed up by a discussion using the CPSU bullying in sport information (listed below)
The second worksheet is an Anti-Bullying Pledge sheet where young people can write their own pledge which helps them action which behaviours they will look out for and also adopt that makes peers feel safe and secure. The other box is a creative opportunity for them to design an anti-bullying badge!
Types of Bullying Worksheet
Anti – Bullying Pledge Sheet
Links and Support
CPSU – Bullying in Sport
Childline – Bounce Back from Bullying (support for children who have been bullied)
