Anti-bullying/cyberbullying workshops for Secondary Schools (KS3, KS4 & KS5)

We offer face to face training in schools and other venues, as this seems to be more successful in encouraging interaction and discussion. However, we also offer the same training remotely, using Microsoft Teams or Zoom.

This training is in response to Keeping Children Safe in Education, Preventing and Tackling Bullying: Advice for School Leaders, Staff and Governing Bodies.

These workshops for students are better if they address KS3 and KS4/5 separately as the depth of engagement and the directness of guidance will differ between the age groups.

KS3 & KS4 The focus of the workshop(s) is on bullying and particularly cyber bullying (as a medium for bullying, rather than a type of bullying.) Using video, discussion and worksheet resources we explore the position of targets or victims, perpetrators, bystanders, staff and parents. We also challenge the young people to think about how they behave towards one another and explore some of the areas of difficulty in which they may find themselves, including through the justice system. We end by considering the significance of kindness and respect and the impact of our current society and the modes of communication we now employ.

This works most effectively as a half day session with KS3 (perhaps two slots of 40-50 minutes) and then a half day session with KS4/5 (again two slots of 40-50 minutes).

We encourage the engagement with parents in an evening or twilight session to follow any student workshops, but we deliver a general awareness of E-safety session (about 90 minutes). It is not appropriate for parents to be invited to the student workshops, as their presence may inhibit discussion.
Similarly the parents' session is not appropriate for students.
Whilst they could engage with a staff training session, again we feel that such training is too in depth and psychologically based. What parents need is the more general e-safety awareness as outlined below*.

Staff Training 

This is essentially a half day course, exploring the same areas as the students workshops, but with a more in depth consideration of the psychology and the impact of the internet and other electronic media, specific strategies and psychological tools for working with targets/ victims, perpetrators, bystanders and parents. We encourage discussion and the sharing of real experiences in group activities. We explore the interaction with The Law and the Justice system and the powers of schools and Headteachers under The Education Act 2011 and Section 89 of the Education & Inspections Act 2006

The specific objectives of the staff training session are:
To provide a framework to determine when the actions of children & young people constitute bullying.
To consider the changing nature of bullying (especially cyber bullying) and the additional associated risks.
To provide some tools to work with participants in bullying (victims, perpetrators & parents).
To explore understanding of roles and responsibilities in preventing bullying.
To ensure awareness of how the law impacts upon bullying, and of schools' powers to manage it.

When possible this is better delivered as a full day course.

The student sessions on anti-bullying/Cyberbullying are followed by a parents' evening session (90 minutes) raising awareness generally about keeping safe in the real and the virtual world (see below).*

Parents

OUR PROGRAMMES ARE ALWAYS MOST EFFECTIVE IF THEY INCLUDE A SESSION FOR PARENTS... (usually lasting about 90 minutes, depending upon the number of questions parents have.)

This can be arranged at morning drop off time or at a weekend (for boarding schools and other residential settings).

This presentation for adults pulls no punches setting out the dangers to which young people are exposing themselves, identifying signs of concern and aiming to provide some tools for parents. We illustrate the approach we have used with KS3, KS4 and KS5, so that parents are aware of the input their children have received, but the parents' session leaves nothing to the imagination!

The specific objectives of the parents' session are:

To raise awareness of the manner in which young people use the internet (& mobile phones)
- To consider the size of the issue now and in the future
To raise awareness of the language of textspeak
- To increase understanding of the signs of vulnerability
- To provide tools with which to safeguard children and young people in their use of the internet (& mobile phones)