Earlier today I was speaking with Ken about bullying and how the current ‘system’ deals with it, or more to the point, how it doesn’t deal with it. As we all know, we hear daily reports of bullying and the effect that it can have on a child or young person. It’s a social issue that needs a remedy and Ken believes that ShieldCPS can make a difference. Ken is also ‘hot’ on ‘Early Intervention’ – dealing with issues early on before they get out of hand.
Below we have shared his view of the steps that he believes should be taken that would make an impact in dealing with this problem. We have also included a screenshot to help you to visualise how this system would work. What do you think?
An example of how an RSW (Reformed Social Worker) could deal with bullying utilising Shield Child Protection System (ShildCPS). Bullying causes so many well documented issues throughout life that it needs to be addressed. We know we cannot stop all forms of bullying but we believe with an RSW, in situ at schools, you will be able to have a significant impact on those parents that do not parent their child who is bullying. But how? By initialising ShieldCPS and instigating 1 of 4 Controls:
1. Invite children and discuss remedy, explaining how bullying affects the school and the individual and send a letter to parents notifying them of the discussion and that if it continues they will be called to the school themselves.
2. If bullying continues, call parents of both children to a meeting, at the school, to discuss the children’s behaviour and notify the parents of the known Bully “…that if it continues they will have to escort their child to and from school for a set period of time…” (ie 2 weeks during a Supervision Period):
a) The rational behind this Control is that it is illegal to let a dangerous canine into the community unsupervised to cause harm, so under the same law why should a school release a known Bully into the community to cause harm?
b) Having to escort their child to and from school will start to have an impact on the parent’s routines (especially if they are employed).
c) The child cannot bully if a parent is on hand to prevent it. If they do continue to bully then the parent is liable to civil police action.
3. If bullying continues, call the parents of the known Bully into the school and issue a Supervision Period (ie 2 weeks).
a) Notify parents that failure to escort, or collect their child, will result in expulsion from the school because the school cannot be held responsible for the child’s behaviour away from the school grounds.
b) Inform parents that, by releasing a known threat into the community, the school is accountable and this is not permissible.
c) Issue a letter that, should the bullying continue, the school will extend the Supervision Period and that a Child In Need Assessment by Children’s Services will be conducted at the parent’s home to examine household conditions such as finances, parenting and behaviour.
d) The pressure, and threat, of Children’s Services calling to conduct a full assessment will get most parents to start advising, and start parenting, their children to stop.
4. If bullying continues, call the parents of the known Bully to the school and issue them with a letter notifying them that the Supervision Period has been extended and that Children’s Services will now conduct a Child In Need Assessment and they will now notify the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB).
a) This assessment will be conducted by the RSW and only monitored by the LSCB.
b) Complete Child In Need Assessment.
c) This is to ascertain if there is an underlying reason as to why the child behaves this way as bullying behaviour may be an indicator of the child being abused themselves.
We appreciate that it’s not every parents fault for the way that their child currently behaves and that some children will be behave inappropriately due to peer pressure. Each case must be dealt with on its own merits but for the majority of children who do currently behave inappropriately, we believe that these minimum controls may go some way towards arresting their behaviour.