Bullying & Discrimination

Bullying & Discrimination

 

Bullying is an insidious social problem found in many occupations and walks of Life. As far as is reasonably practicable, structures and procedures embedded in our club behaviour polices have been developed to prevent building ultimately, it is the responsibility of the whole club community to eradicate bullying by ensuring the development of a caring and supportive ethos.

 

Bullying can be, but is not limited to –

• Physical: pushing, kicking, hitting, pinching, any form of violence, threats;
• Verbal: name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, persistent teasing;
• Emotional: tormenting, threatening ridicule, humiliation, exclusion from groups or activities;
• Racist: racial taunts, graffiti, gestures;
• Sexual: unwanted physical contact, abusive comments.

 

The club policy dealing with bullying may be part of another policy (e.g. a general discipline policy) but these are the primary elements in our policy. We will-

• take all bullying problems seriously,
• investigate all incidents thoroughly;
• ensure that bullies and victims are interviewed separately;
• obtain witness information;
• keep a written record of the incident, investigation and outcomes;
• inform coaches about the incident where a player is involved;
• ensure that action is taken to prevent further incidents.

 

Such action may include –

• Imposition of sanctions;
• obtaining an apology;
• informing parents of both bully and bullied;
• providing appropriate training;
• providing mentor support for both victim and bully.

 

Parents should be made aware of the club complaints procedure and be assured that, should they make a complaint through that procedure, the matter would be taken very seriously and dealt with accordingly

 

If you have any questions in regard to these policies and their implications please contact your Team Manager, Coach or consult a member of the General Committee.