Memorandum submitted by Luke Roberts,
Lambeth Children and Young Peoples' Service
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This submission focus on the use of restorative
approaches, as a way of reducing bullying in schools. The submission
includes both some of the philosophy of restorative Justice and
how it has adapted in the education context, as well as the specific
models used called restorative approaches. The submission used
evidence gathered from the Youth Justice Board evaluation of restorative
justice in schools (2004).
INFORMATION ABOUT
THE SUBMITTER
Luke Roberts is the Restorative Approaches Co-ordinator
(RAC) for Lambeth Children and Young Peoples' Service.
The role of the RAC is to implement the philosophy
of restorative justice within the context of the primary, secondary,
special schools and Pupil Referral Units. The main aim of restorative
approaches is to develop systems that focus on the inter-personal
and social network damage that occurs when bullying takes place.
This has meant facilitating a number of meetings in a restorative
way to support pupils, parents and staff when in conflict.
The role has meant working with Police, Youth
Offending Team's Educational psychologists, Education consultants
and advisors, voluntary organisations and Health specialists.
Luke has also set-up a London borough forum
for Local Authorities wishing to implement restorative approaches.
Luke has a post-graduate diploma in Legal Practice.
EXTENT AND
NATURE OF
THE PROBLEM
1. How bullying should be defined
1.1 Bullying is often defined as having
a repetitive element based on aggressive and coercive behaviour.
I would like to offer an alternative definition:
Bullying is behaviour that causes harm and has
an effect on the injured party by reducing their self-esteem.
1.2 This definition also includes types
of bullying that are more strategically used by girls such as
gossip and social isolation techniques. (Boys are twice as likely
to use physical violence than girls however girls three times
more likely to use gossip and social isolation YJB 2004). Any
definition should also include group bullying, which is often
between friendship groups as they collapse. In addition bullying
may not be intentional if the perpetrator does not perceive as
harmful to the victim.
1.3 In addition bullying can be a one-off
incident if it causes in the fear of repercussion in the injured
party, this may either be by the perpetrator or group/friends.
In essence this means that once a primary incident has happened
low level intimidating behaviour maybe enough to keep the fear
of re-occurrence alive in the victimised party.
2. The extent and nature of the problem of
bullying in schools
2.1 The level of bullying statistically
has remained one in four pupils over the last few years. However
bullying in schools is not as clear cut as in other setting eg
victim/offender criminal behaviour or in the workplace. The role
of victim and perpetrator are not static roles in low-level bullying
incidents, where the young people can move between role over a
period of time. Each person may have harmed the other and although
brought to the schools attention this is only a snapshot of the
entire conflict between the two parties.
2.2 The introduction of the mobile-phone
has created a dimension to bullying, focus in recent years was
on happy-slapping i.e random acts of violence record on mobile-phones
to be relived after the initial incident and shared later with
the group. The use of mobile-phone videoing means that bullying
can move from the private sphere between the parties involved
to the public sphere as the speed of information means that other
pupils may view the incident which compounds the victimisation.
2.3 A key challenge is for schools to move
away from only the punitive process of punishment and exclusion
as this only replaces individual aggression with institutional
aggression. Often school will deny bullying happens to protect
school reputation, or will refer only to the behaviour policy.
Often the exclusion process merely displaces the problem rather
resolves it.
3. The extent of homophobic and racist bullying
3.1 The extent of homophobic bullying is
systemic with homophobic language part of common usage. Regardless
of the actual sexuality of the injured party the level of tolerance
shown by pupils and more importantly staff allows this type of
low-level bullying to persist.
3.2 Homophobic bullying is not so easily
identifiable unless there are clear access points for further
support, many young may be having an internal struggle with their
sexual identity and may not have told their parents, this means
that there are less social support structures unlike racist bullying.
3.3 The nature of racist bullying has moved
on from white to black bullying as was prevalent with the influx
of Caribbean's, it is worth mentioning at this point that a lot
of parents in Lambeth still carry the scares of racist bullying
from their own time in school and schools that do not recognise
this can inflame a already volatile situation.
3.4 Racist bullying in a diverse borough
such as Lambeth, often falls on the latest emigrant group such
as Eastern Europeans, or groups that have remained closed for
example the Somali groups in Lambeth are often seen as distinct
from other African groups.
4. Why some people become bullies and why
some people are bullied
4.1 Restorative Approaches focuses on the
harm caused by bullying this is particularly important in the
school context where the roles of the victim and bully can be
inter-changed particularly with low-level bullying. The use of
restorative approaches is effective for young people as they listened
to impartially and are given the opportunity to tell there side
of the story, including reasons for there actions and what they
need to put the situation behind them. Also the approach emphasises
the emotional impact that the incident has on both bully and victim,
and where appropriate their parents and the school.
4.2 I am able if appropriate to take the
Committee through the harm exercise used to illustrate the commonality
between victim and bully.
4.3 From a criminological point there are
particular types of victims eg where a new technology is available
such as mobile phones this may increase young persons chances
of being a victim. Likewise there maybe a particular type of behaviour
that triggers bullies such as perceived disrespect by another
pupil.
4.4 The levels of emotional articulation
taught at schools have a clear impact on the levels of bullying
and the reporting of bullying where young people are unable to
express themselves in an emotionally healthy way there will be
a strong correlation with bullying.
SHORT AND
LONG-TERM
EFFECTS
5. The effect of bullying on academic achievement,
physical and mental health, and social and emotional wellbeing
5.1 The effect of bullying is most evident
during the transition from Year 6 to Year 7. As young people are
developing new social networks and Peer groups, the effects mean
that young people can withdraw from school or be withdrawn from
school by the parents. This type of social exclusion means pupils
are falling behind on their academic achievement with few support
mechanisms for the young person and their parents.
6. Whether and how the effects of being bullied
persist into adult life
7. The effects of bullying on those who bully
Dependent, remorse or likely to develop strategies
that become more criminal outside of education system.
TACKLING THE
PROBLEM
8. The Government policy on bullying
8.1 The Government's policy on bullying
has focused on exclusion as the means of addressing this type
of behaviour in schools. However, a number of initiatives, such
as the Healthy Schools Programme with its focus on emotional health
and well-being, the introduction of the Social and Emotional Aspects
of Learning (SEAL) and the introduction of secondary SEAL in September
2007, all support the Every Child Matters agenda. Both
local authorities and schools have consequently had to implement
a holistic approach to support both victim and bully, as well
as inquiring into the underlying causes of the situation. Unlike
the Youth Justice Board, the DfES has not formally endorsed restorative
justice as a means of supporting pupils in conflict. A document
from the DfES, offering guidance on restorative approaches (and
the models which could be implemented in schools with case studies)
is necessary to give schools support. It is important that restorative
approaches are not made compulsory as this is a process that can
take up to three or four years to become part of the school culture
and some schools may not be in a position to adopt the ethos.
9. How schools deal with bullying
9.1 (See Appendix 1 and 2)
9.2 Appendix 1 shows a model of bullying
in schools based on the Youth Justice Board's evaluation of RJ
in schools. At the bottom of the pyramid is low-level bullying
such as name-calling, hitting and gossip. At this level, behaviour
is inter-changeable with all participants capable of both inflicting
and receiving harmful behaviour. The report notes a gender difference
in the way boys and girls bully.
9.3 Where the bullying either intensifies
or increases in frequency or both, this type of behaviour moves
up the pyramid. At this point it is likely to be explicitly mentioned
in a school behaviour or anti-bullying policy with the expectation
that staff are able to intervene. Above this are major incidents
where the pupils are either facing fixed or permanent exclusion
because of the incident.
9.4 Appendix 2 shows how different restorative
approaches can be used to reduce the escalation factor with bullying.
The use of restorative approaches has been developed on a hierarchy
of models:
— Restorative Conference—used
for high level incidents, work with peer groups and parents and
pupils facing exclusion.
— Staff mediation—where staff
are able to mediate a situation between two pupils.
— Peer mediation—young people
who have been taught mediation skills and are able to use them
at lunch or play times.
— Restorative incident form—this
has been piloted at two primary schools which allow staff to use
reflective questions to find facts and feeling from pupils around
an incident and identify pupil led solutions.
9.5 The use of circle-time, the Social and
Emotional Aspects of Learning and Second Steps in primary schools
have helped to promote the development of restorative approaches
as part the overall emotional literacy ethos in schools. It is
also anticipated that the Social and Emotional Behaviour in School
for secondary schools from the DfES in 2007 will have materials
to support restorative approaches.
9.6 The use of a menu of approaches has
allowed schools to pick and choose what skills set they would
like to develop to meet the needs of their school community and
introduce conflict resolution techniques. In primary schools this
has been predominately Peer Mediation, with Staff Mediation training
to complement the skills young people will be developing. In secondary
schools emphasis has been on Staff Mediation and the development
of the language of conflict resolution to reduce teacher-pupil
conflict in the classroom.
9.7 The use of the restorative conference
model has been used successfully to support pupils where they
are facing permanent exclusion, in the most recent conference
I facilitated was between a Year 10 pupil who had been excluded
for 22 days after assaulting a head teacher. The conference involved
the pupil, his mum, the head teacher and the deputy-head. The
success of the conference at this level is based on support for
all those involved, and an impartial facilitator. The restorative
conference model is useful for in including parents in the direct
resolution as they have often also been affected by the harm caused
to their child and where their child is the perpetrator they are
able to show that they do not condone their behaviour. The conference
model also allows for new communities of support to be built around
young people, as when it is discovered that there has been a third
party stirring between the pupils involved.
9.8 The use of these restorative models
can now be taken-up by a wide variety of staff including Teaching
Assistants, Learning Mentors, Lunch Time Supervisors, Teachers,
Senior Leadership Team, Safer Schools Officers, to help create
a restorative ethos where the damage to relationships and their
repair take on a greater significance as has been implemented
in schools in the London Boroughs of Lambeth and Lewisham, as
well as other places outside London.
10. How parents can help if their children
are being bullied or are bullying others
10.1 Teaching parents conflict-resolution-techniques
is vital, so that they can role-model different strategies for
dealing with conflict. This has happened in Lambeth by the restorative
approaches co-ordinator delivering training as part of a parenting
programme with the Behaviour and Education Support Team. Additionally,
a parents' meeting was held at a primary school to discuss between
parents and teachers the challenging behaviour in school. What
came out of both groups was that parents need clear guidance on
how to interact with the school and that they also need as many
strategies as possible for supporting their child.
10.2 Parents need to be able to access support
channels at the school. However, behaviour policies often refer
directly to the Headteacher as the first point of contact to report
bullying. To reduce conflict, guidance should also be given to
parents on contacting Learning Mentors, or class tutors as these
are the people most likely to monitor any allegations and also
to determine whether the level of escalation makes it necessary
for referral to the Senior Leadership Team.
10.3 A clear definition of what bullying
is should be made available to parents to clarify when behaviour
constitutes bullying.
11. What support and guidance the DfES provides
to schools and to those affected by bullying, and how effective
they are
11.1 The DfES guidance often tells young
people to tell someone, but this is only effective if action is
taken by the person. Guidance from the DfES must be regularly
up-dated at least quarterly with new initiatives and practical
ways to support young people such as keeping a diary, telling
someone you trust in school, with various school staff that can
support the young person such as Learning Mentors. In addition,
DfES guidance should also recommend support offered at local authority
level, for both schools and young people to support those affected
by bullying.
12. The role of other organisations, such
as non-governmental groups, in providing support
12.1 The role of non-governmental groups
in providing support is always compromised by having to find funding.
This is a major constraint on the level of support offered to
young people and the ability to find new and creative ways of
supporting both victims and perpetrators of bullying. In addition,
commercial companies offering advice about reducing bullying through
consultancy are in danger of creating unsustainable models that
use up school finances and show little long-term benefits.
12.2 Victim Support should proactively advertise
and develop its services in schools, as young people will then
feel more confident in approaching a known organization. If they
are victims of a crime, they can self-refer, rather than being
referred via the Police.
12.3 Mediation services in England and Wales
needs to be developed so that restorative approaches to support
schools and local authorities can be offered to the school community.
13. The extent to which support services
are joined up across different government departments
13.1 The knowledge that the Youth Justice
Board has on Restorative Approaches could support the DfES in
developing an educational guidance package to schools.
14. To what extent schools can be responsible
for bullying that takes place off their premises and how they
can deal with it
14.1 Schools should be placed with a greater
duty of care so that they are responsible for pupils while they
are in school uniform. If a school's duty of care extends only
to the school gate, this abrogates responsibility for issues in
school with pupils, which can then escalate outside school and
vice versa. At present it is easy for some schools to wave accountability
once pupils are off-site, thereby displacing the problem rather
than resolving it where the school has knowledge of a situation.
14.2 Also school responsibility must include
inter-school conflict which often happens at transport hubs, and
shopping centres, where the Police are often called to deal with
the situation. The lack of inter-school communication often means
pupils are able to meet out of school hours to continue either
victimising a single pupil from another school or where various
groups enter into conflict with each other.
14.3 The YJB Restorative Justice in School
evaluation (page 61) has a case study on an inter-school conflict
resolved using the restorative conference. In addition, it was
apparent that pupils had over-lapping relationships such as a
girl being bullied in one school had cousins in a girl gang in
another. The restorative conference allowed all the minor grievances
to be aired as well as the major incident.
14.4 Schools and local authorities should
work more closely with the Police, Community Safety Team and Transport
services to be able to identify pupils via uniform. They should
also create safe havens where pupils can go if they feel victimised
after of before school, such as a local shop where staff can telephone
the school.
14.5 Also the duty of care should be extended
to schools where they are clearly aware of a bullying incident
that extends into the local community but do not inform parents
or local Police officers such as Safer Neighbourhood Teams.
15. Whether particular strategies need to
be used to tackle homophobic and racist bullying
15.1 Racial incident monitoring is collected
at the local authority level, however little or no data exists
as to how these incidents are resolved. In addition, clear guidance
needs to be given to schools about racism, as abuse by, for example,
Caribbean pupils towards African pupils may not be seen as racist,
if it is seen as a Black issue.
15.2 Particularly important to racist and
homphobic bullying are three key issues:
— Is the bullying done as part of a
group?
— Are the racist views supported by
family members ?
— Has the emotional impact of the racially/homphobic
motivated behaviour on the victim been acknowledged in a supportive
way by staff dealing with it.
The use of mediation either directly (face-to-face)
or indirectly (through staff) can be beneficial in challenging
stereotypes, and fostering new awareness of the impact of racism
on the victim and family.
15.3 Staff training on homophobia is crucial
to tackling the issue, so that language can be challenged by staff
without their own sexuality being called into question.
APPENDIX 1
A MODEL OF BULLYING IN SCHOOLS
APPENDIX 2
THE USE OF RESTORATIVE APPROACHES IN TACKLING
BEHAVIOUR
October 2006
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