Being tolerant and caring for each other is what makes us human. As a part of our leadership program we teach our students that we should “Seek first to understand and then to be understood.”
By teaching tolerance, mutual respect and understanding, we allow individuality and diversity while promoting peace. Our success in the struggle of intolerance, depends on the effort we make to educate ourselves and our children.
“Intolerance can be unlearned. Tolerance and mutual respect have to be learned” (United Nations Information Service 2004).
“A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly over time, to negative actions on behalf of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself.”
The basic elements of bullying are:
- Unequal Power: One person has more power than the other person (or at least it seems that way to the people involved).
- Hurtful Actions: Physically or psychologically harmful behavior takes place.
- Direct and Indirect Actions: The behavior may be face-to-face or behind one’s back.
- Repetitive Behavior: The hurtful actions keep happening, so the person being hurt finds it more and more difficult to escape.
Teasing, rough housing or even play fighting are not considered bullying when both students are willing participants.
Bullying can take on many forms:
- Verbal bullying including derogatory comments, bad names, lies and false rumors.
- Bullying through social exclusion or isolation.
- Physical bullying such as hitting, kicking, shoving, and spitting.
- Having money or other things taken or damaged by students who bully
- Being threatened or being forced to do things by students who bully
- Cyberbully (via cell phone or Internet)
Coronado International School has developed a policy statement to help us prevent and intervene during incidents of bullying and/or cyberbullying and to guide the students, parents and teachers in the event of such occurrences.
Our policy is divided into two main sections: Prevention and Intervention
As a school we generate awareness and openness about the problem with the students through our value based curriculum, by having activities about kindness and acceptance, and promoting a peaceful coexistence amongst students with different backgrounds.
As a school we will try to solve most of the situations first through a peaceful mediation amongst the parties involved, encouraging our students to become peacemakers and practice win-win agreements.
If the mediation is not effective or produces notable positive changes, the discipline committee of the school will study each case individually and will act accordingly to the guidelines established in the CIS bullying policies.
Recognize, Refuse, Report
Students, parents/guardians, as well as staff are encouraged to report immediately all incidents of bullying or suspected bullying/cyberbullying to the appropriate department using the following Bullying Report Form.
They will take action and keep a full record of the incident and any investigations.
If you feel this is an emergency please contact the Psycho-pedagogical department at school.