Aranmore Catholic College's Supportive Schools Team has created a new email address to report any incidents of bullying. Students may report something that has happened to them or something they have seen happen to another student. Every report will be treated as confidential.

The email address is : nobullying@aranmore.wa.edu.au

Aranmore Catholic College has a vision statement which challenges us to create a learning community that shows a quality of relating. As a Catholic school, we must stand by the calling of Jesus to love one another.

Our multicultural population also requires us to work harmoniously to build a caring, friendly environment where the diversity of people and culture is appreciated and valued. Each of us at Aranmore is recognised as a unique individual bringing special qualities and gifts to share and so we all have a right to be respected and a responsibility to respect each other.

Therefore, Aranmore Catholic College does not tolerate bullying in any form. All members of the Aranmore community are committed to ensuring a safe and caring environment which promotes personal growth, fosters positive self esteem for all and recognises our goals as a learning community.

What is bullying?
Bullying is an act of aggression causing hurt, embarrassment, pain or discomfort to others:

it can take a number of forms -- physical, verbal, gesture, extortion and exclusion
it is an abuse of power
it may be planned and organised or it may be unintentional

Some examples of bullying include:

If we are bullied:

we may feel frightened, unsafe, embarrassed, angry or unfairly treated
our work, sleep and ability to concentrate may suffer
our relationships with our family, teachers and friends may deteriorate
we may feel confused and not know what to do about the problem

What do we do to prevent bullying at Aranmore Catholic College?
As a learning community, we will not allow cases of bullying to go unreported. We will speak up, even at risk to ourselves.

This requires staff to:

be role models at all times
be observant for signs of distress or suspected incidents of bullying
remove occasions for bullying by active supervision during yard duty
arrive at class on time
take steps to help victims and remove sources of distress without placing the victim at further risk
report suspected incidents to the appropriate staff such as Year Coordinator or the relevant Head of Section
inform parents and liaise with them to support the child

This requires students to:

If students who are bullied have the courage to speak out, they may help reduce pain for themselves and prevent others becoming potential victims.

Students who remain as observers while bullying takes place become part of the process of bullying by their presence and should be held responsible for that action.

The College recommends that parents:

watch for signs of distress in your child, e.g. unwillingness to attend school, a pattern of illness, missing equipment, requests for extra money, damaged clothing or bruising
take an active interest in your child’s social life and acquaintances
advise your child to tell a staff member about any incidence of bullying. If possible, allow your child to report and deal with the situation. Your child can gain respect and confidence through taking the initiative and dealing with the problem without direct parental involvement.
keep a written record (who, what, where, when and how)
encourage your child not to retaliate but to seek an alternative solution to the problem
be willing to attend interviews if your child is involved in an incident of bullying and work cooperatively with the College
be willing to inform the College of any cases of suspected bullying even if your child is not directly involved or affected
do not try to deal directly with the other children or their parents but work through and with the College

When the staff, students and parents of Aranmore Catholic College work together, we create a truly Christian environment.