Bullying

At Glenbrook School, we have zero tolerance for bullying. All incidents of verbal, physical, social, or online bullying are taken seriously and responded to in line with our Behaviour Management expectations and the Ministry of Education’s Bullying-Free NZ guidance.

The Ministry of Education defines bullying as behaviour that is:

• Deliberate: Intended to cause harm, distress, or fear.
• Involving a power imbalance:  Where the person bullying has more social, emotional, or physical power than the target.
• Repetitive, or has the potential to be repeated:  Occurring more than once or having the potential to escalate.
• Harmful: Causing physical, social, emotional, or psychological harm.

Bullying behaviours may be physical, verbal, social, or digital, and can take place in person or online.

Bullying is not a single action. It typically involves three groups:

• Initiators: Those engaging in the bullying behaviour
  
• Targets: Those experiencing the behaviour
  
• Bystanders: Those who witness the behaviour and whose actions can help prevent or interrupt it

Bullying behaviour is complex and damaging. Verbal and social bullying can be just as harmful as physical bullying. Our school is committed to creating a safe, inclusive environment where all aakonga feel valued and protected.