Procedure to manage and prevent bullying

 

In the event of a bullying or perceived bullying incident, the following steps will take place:

 

Step 1 (Verbal)

When the 1^st bullying incident occurs, a staff member will issue the learner (the offender) with a verbal warning

This verbal warning will be recorded in the Incident logbook with the date, time, incident and names of involved parties

 

Step 2 (Written)

When a learner who has already received a verbal warning, is involved again in a bullying incident, the 2^nd incident, the learner will be issued with a ‘written’ warning

The issuance of this warning will be recorded in the Incident logbook

The learner will be required to document the incident in detail in a Behaviour Report

This report must be signed by the Parents and returned to the staff member who issued this warning

The staff member must record the return of the report against the relevant warning for tracking purposes

Furthermore, the Behaviour Report will go on the offending learner’s file

 

Step 3 (Meeting with Head of Department or Principal)

The 3^rd instance of a bullying incident by the same offending learner, will now be escalated to the relevant Head of Department (HoD) for minor issues, and for major issues, the Principal and HoD

This meeting with the offending learner must be documented

The HoD or Principal will issue a written warning to the offender and decide if the parents need to be called in

This warning must be recorded in the Incident logbook

The formal written warning must be signed by the Parents and returned to the office

The office will record the return of the signed warning and place the report on the learner’s file

 

Step 4 (Meeting with Principal, 4a, or disciplinary hearing, 4b)

When the 4^th bullying incident by the same offending learner occurs, the learner will be taken to the Principal

Step 4a - If the learner dealt with the HoD in step 3:

• The Principal will issue a final written warning to the offender and call in the parents
• This warning must be recorded in the Incident logbook
• Each meeting must be documented
• The final written warning must be signed off by the Parents and returned to the office
• The office will record the return of the signed warning and place the report on the learner’s file

Step 4b - If the learner dealt with the Principal in step3 or 4a:

• The Principal will issue a final written warning to the offender and call in the parents
• This warning must be recorded in the Incident logbook
• Each meeting must be documented
• The final written warning must be signed off by the Parents and returned to the office
• The office will record the return of the signed warning and place the report on the learner’s file
• This step will culminate with a disciplinary hearing (the outcome of which may be a suspension)
• The learner can be suspended at the 1^st or 2^nd disciplinary hearings, based on the disciplinary panel’s decisions, but will definitely be suspended after the 3^rd disciplinary hearing