What strategies will we have in our school for reporting, investigating, recording and resolving incidents? Who will be involved and how?

From time to time staff, students, parents or community members may have complaints about school incidents or practices that are believed to represent discrimination or harassment. The Department of Education is committed to fair and speedy resolution of all such complaints, wherever possible, at the school level. Schools and colleges are required to establish procedures for resolution of complaints.

Sample procedures that have been developed and used in schools and colleges are included in this section. Any procedure must be workable, understood and accessible to all.

While these internal procedures will resolve most complaints, those involved retain their right to seek the intervention of the General Manager Learning Services, Human Resource Management Branch, or external bodies such as the Ombudsman, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commissioner and the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner.

Sample One: Preventive approach

This is an example of a preventive approach to discrimination and harassment. The teacher works with all students to explore problem solving and to model assertive responses. (For example: try to stay cool; explain that you do not wish to be harassed; don't argue with the perpetrator ...)

If an incident of low-level playground harassment occurs the offended student may address it alone, reporting back to the teacher on how it went, or with support. The teacher should check to see that the child feels safe and that the problem is resolved. The details are entered in the 'playground monitoring book'. This process enables the school to monitor the situation. In a case of continued harassment consider these strategies: time out, completing a Thinking About My Behaviour sheet; involving the child's parent; setting up an Individual Behaviour Plan for the perpetrator, or playground withdrawal.

Sample Two: A conflict resolution model

In resolving an incident both the victim and perpetrator should be involved, with a staff member or trained senior student providing mediation. Describe the alleged incident and the feelings it produced. Consider the point of view and intentions of the perpetrator. Discuss any reasons for the perpetrator's behaviour. Suggest solutions. Try to decide on the most workable of these solutions. Confirm that an agreement has been reached and that both students will play a part in its implementation.

Negotiator seeks follow up reports from both parties.

Sample Three: A no-blame approach to bullying

Bullying comprises the systematic, repeated and deliberate abuse of power. It is inflicted on a less powerful person by a more powerful person or group of people.

This approach could be used when incidents such as these occur:

• physical aggression;
• the use of put-downs and insults;
• name calling;
• setting up of humiliating experiences;
• damage to a person's property;
• deliberate exclusion from activities.

Step 1 -Interview with the victim
When the teacher finds out that bullying has happened she/he starts by talking to the victim about his/her feelings. The teacher does not question him/her about the incidents but does need to know who was involved. The teacher asks the victim to do a pictorial or written description about the bullying incidents.

Step 2 -Convene a meeting with the people involved
The teacher arranges to meet with the group of students who have been involved. This might include some bystanders or colluders who joined in but did not initiate any bullying. A group of six or eight young people works well. Note - the victim does not come to the meeting. Including friends of the victim in the group can be beneficial.

Step 3 -Explain the problem
The teacher tells them about the way the victim is feeling and might use a poem, piece of writing or a drawing to emphasise his/her distress. At no time does the teacher discuss the details of the incidents or allocate blame to the group.

Step 4 -Share responsibility
The teacher does not attribute blame but states that she/he knows that the group is responsible and can do something about it. (If friends of the victim are included state that the teacher is sure the group can do something about the problem.)

Step 5 -Ask the group for their ideas
Each member of the group is encouraged to suggest a way in which the victim could be helped to feel happier. The teacher gives some positive responses but does not go on to extract a promise of improved behaviour. The suggestions are recorded by the teacher and the notes are filed. It is beneficial to record the student's name next to their suggestion. It is expected that all group members will make a suggestion.

Step 6 -Leave it up to them
The teacher ends the meeting by passing over responsibility to the group to solve the problem. She/he arranges to meet with them again to see how things are going. The teacher keeps in casual contact with the group and the victim to ensure that things are going to plan. Staff are kept up to date and the issue may be discussed at staff meetings.

Step 7 -Meet them again
About a week later the teacher reconvenes the group to discuss how things have been going. This allows the teacher to monitor the bullying and keeps the young people involved in the process. Continued contact with the group and the victim helps to maintain the original commitments.

Note More extreme cases are referred for counselling to a guidance officer or social worker.

From Maines and Robertson (1992), The "No-Blame" Approach, Modified by S. S. E. C. Sprent Primary School (1997)

Sample Four: A formal process for more serious incidents Making a complaint

A student or staff member with a complaint should seek assistance from the school's nominated contact officer. (The contact officer may be the principal or another nominated and trained staff member). The person making the complaint should have either directly experienced or observed the alleged incident or practice.

The contact officer obtains details of the complaint and tells the complainant about the investigation process.

Investigating the complaint
The contact officer interviews the complainant and any other person who may be able to assist the investigation.

The contact officer interviews the person or group against whom the complaint is made and informs them of the investigation process and their rights. Resolution of the issue is sought by conciliation to the satisfaction of all parties. A written report is prepared for the principal. If resolution through conciliation has not been possible, the report will include a clear recommendation on what action is to be taken.

Making a decision
The principal decides on appropriate action. This may include a further attempt to resolve by conciliation.

All parties are advised of the action and the reasons for it. The action could include:

• provision of a support program;
• discipline within the context of the school's disciplinary policy;
• dismissal of the complaint as groundless.

Note: Part 11.5 of the Department of Education's Human Resources Handbook provides information concerning workplace discrimination and harassment. Policy Statement and Guidelines for Dealing with Sex-Based Harassment in Schools and Colleges (1993) provides guidelines for dealing with incidents of sex-based harassment, whether employee to employee, employee to student, student to employee or student to student.