Where does a school’s responsibility end?
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Where does a school’s responsibility end?
Bullying often happens out of school grounds, after school hours or online. But the concept of ‘outside school’ starts to become irrelevant when young people’s interactions are increasingly a blend of online and offline.
Bullying ‘outside school’ can continue inside school and vice-versa – and it can affect a student’s wellbeing no matter where it happens.
In the end, trying to pinpoint where and when the bullying took place may be less helpful than asking ‘what effect is this having on the student/s involved and how will we respond?’
If signs of bullying such as absenteeism or other worrying behaviour are noticed by school staff, or if a student reports bullying, it’s important to follow up, regardless of where and when it happened.
Read more about effective responses to bullying