Bullying
Bullying can happen at any age, any time and anywhere - at home, at school and online. We take bullying very seriously and all educational establishments have procedures in place for dealing with incidents of bullying.
Our anti-bullying guidance "Treat Me Well" has been updated to reflect the Scottish Government’s updated Respect for All Guidance (released November 2024).
The changes to our guidance include a new definition of bullying and expanded sections on:
- Online bullying
- Prejudice based bullying
- Reporting, recording and monitoring
Each school will implement their own policy.
What is bullying?
“Bullying is face-to-face and/or online behaviour which impacts on a person’s sense of physical and emotional safety, their capacity to feel in control of their life and their ability to respond effectively to the situation they are in.
“The behaviour does not need to be repeated, or intended to cause harm, for it to have an impact. Bullying behaviour can be physical, emotional or verbal and can cause people to feel hurt, threatened, frightened and left out.”
Frequently asked questions
Q - My child is being bullied but doesn’t want me to tell the school. What should I do?
A - We would always advise you tell the school who will handle the matter sensitively and discreetly.
Q - Where is the incident recorded?
A - Bullying incidents are recorded electronically on SEEMiS (the pupil information management system) in the Bullying and Equalities Module.
Q - My child has been recorded as the person displaying bullying behaviour. I think this is wrong. Can the incident be deleted?
A - No. Once an incident is opened on SEEMis it cannot be deleted.
Q - My child used a racist comment but didn’t mean to upset anyone. Why is it recorded?
A - The guidance from the Scottish Government is that all racist comments must be recorded regardless of intent.
Q - I disagree with what is written about my child. What can I do about this?
A - In the first instance you should speak with the Headteacher and try to resolve your concern. If you still disagree with what has been recorded, we will formally record your disagreement but we are unable to change what is recorded.
Resources for parents
RespectMe: Scotland’s Anti-Bullying Service - Resources to support parents, pupils and schools
Online safety:
- Keep Children Safe Online: Information, advice, support on online apps and platforms
- Safety and Security Online | SWGfL: Help to understand and report online risks
General advice:
Connect: Supporting parental engagement with education
Additional Support Needs advice:
Enquire: The Scottish advice service for additional support for learning