Draft Letter to Parents re: Bullying 

Dear Parents,

{Insert name of school} takes the issues of bullying and harassment very seriously.  Recent Australian research (from RMIT) suggests that up to 50% of young people who are bullied, may not always tell adults, as they may be afraid or ashamed. This may result in a student being victimized for a prolonged period of time before it is discovered and carries the potential for serious short, medium and long-term side effects.

In order for the school to carry out its duty of providing all students with a safe environment in which to learn, grow and develop – the school seeks to enlist the support and co-operation of all parents in the school community.

In addition to the standard preventative measures endorsed and practiced by schools across the world, the school is committed to working in a proactive manner with parents.

In the light of the RMIT research, the purpose of this letter is to share with parents some of the signs that they need to be alert to. Young people who are being bullied may display one or (usually) several of the following signs:

· come home from school with torn or disordered clothing, with damaged books.

· have bruises, injuries, cuts, and scratches that cannot be given a natural explanation.

· not wanting to go to school and finding excuses to stay at home (for example, feeling sick).

· Wanting to go to school a different way to avoid the children who are bullying them.

· being very tense, tearful and unhappy after school.

· talking about hating school or not having any friends.

· refusing to tell you what happens at school.

· do not bring classmates or other peers home after school and seldom spend time in the homes of others

· may not have a single good friend to share free time with (play, shopping, sports and musical events, chatting on the phone, etc.)

· are seldom or never invited for parties and may not be interested in arranging parties themselves (because they expect nobody wants to come)

· appear afraid or reluctant to go to school in the morning, have poor appetite, repeated headaches, or stomach pains (particularly in the morning)

· choose an "illogical" route for going to and from school

· have restless sleep with bad dreams, may cry in their sleep

· lose interest in school work and get lower grades

· appear unhappy, sad, depressed, or show unexpected mood shifts with irritability and sudden outbursts of temper

· request or steal extra money from family (to accommodate the bullies)

These signs may not necessarily mean your child is being bullied, but if present, it is necessary to check out what is worrying your child and to inform a staff member as soon as possible. In the meantime, parents should be assured that the school is committed to continually reviewing it’s policies and practices in respect of bullying and harassment.

Yours sincerely

Head of School