Anti-bullying Policy

We are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all our members, so they can participate in football in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at HEJ Athletic Football Club. If bullying does occur, all club members and parents/carers should be able to tell the club about it and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively.

We are a TELLING club. This means that anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell the Club Welfare Officer (Tracey) or any committee member. HEJ Athletic Football Club is committed to playing its part in teaching players to treat each other with respect.

Procedures

1. Report bullying incidents to the Club Welfare Officer or a member of the club’s committee.
2. In cases of serious bullying, the incidents will be referred to the County FA Designated Safeguarding Officer for advice and possibly to The FA Case Management Team.
3. Parents/carers should be informed and will be asked to come in to a meeting to discuss the problem.
4. If necessary and appropriate, the police will be consulted.
5. The bullying behaviour or threats of bullying must be investigated and the bullying stopped quickly.
6. An attempt will be made to help the bully (bullies) change their behaviour.
7. If mediation fails and the bullying is seen to continue, the club will initiate disciplinary action under the club constitution.

What is bullying?

Bullying is the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. It can happen face-to-face or online, and comes in many different forms:

• Verbal: name calling, persistent teasing, mocking, taunting and threats.
• Physical: any form of physical violence, intimidating behaviour, theft or the intentional damage of possessions. This includes hitting, kicking and pushing.
• Emotional: excluding, tormenting, ridiculing, humiliation, setting people up and spreading rumours.
• Cyberbullying: the misuse of digital technologies or communications to bully a person or a group, typically through messages or actions that are threatening and/or intended to cause offence, anxiety or humiliation. Examples include:
  • abusive comments, rumours, gossip and threats made using digital communications and/or technologies – including internet trolling
  • sharing pictures, videos or personal information without the consent of the owner and with the intent to cause harm or humiliation
  • hacking into someone’s email, phone or online profiles to extract and share personal information, or to send hurtful content while posing as that person
  • creating dedicated websites that intend to harm, make fun of someone or spread malicious rumours
  • pressurising someone to do something they do not want to, such as sending a sexually explicit image.

HEJ Athletic FC commits to ensuring our policies are used appropriately, and any online bullying will be dealt with swiftly and appropriately in line with the procedures in this policy.

People can be targeted for any reason, but people who bully others often target ‘difference’, and bullying can be a form of wider discrimination. For example, bullying behaviour may be:

• Racist: targeted at ethnicity, skin colour, language, religious or cultural practices.
• Homophobic, biphobic and/or transphobic: targeted at actual or perceived sexuality and/or gender.
• Sexual and/or sexist: sexual and/or sexist behaviour that is intended to cause offence, humiliation or intimidation.
• Disablist: targeted at an impairment or special educational need.
• Targeting any ‘difference’: bullying behaviour can also be targeted at looks, weight and height, colour of hair, wearing glasses or braces, acne, psoriasis and eczema, scars, marks or conditions of the face or body, body odour, poverty, gifts and talents, or family situation (e.g. divorce, bereavement, homelessness).

Everybody has the right to be treated with respect and no one deserves to be a victim of bullying. Individuals who are bullying need to learn different ways of behaving. HEJ Athletic FC recognises its responsibility to respond promptly and effectively to issues of bullying.

Recommended club action

If HEJ Athletic FC decides that it is appropriate to deal with the situation in-house, we will follow the procedure below:

1. Reconciliation by getting the parties together. It may be that a genuine apology solves the problem.
2. If this fails or is not appropriate, a small panel (made up from the Chairperson, Club Welfare Officer, Secretary and committee members) will meet with the parent/carer and child alleging bullying to get details of the allegation. Minutes will be taken for clarity and agreed by all as a true account.
3. The same panel will meet with the alleged bully and their parent/carer, put the incident to them and give them the opportunity to give their view of the allegation. Minutes will again be taken and agreed.
4. If, in the panel’s view, bullying has taken place, the individual will be warned and put on notice of further action, i.e. temporary or permanent suspension if the bullying continues. Consideration will be given as to whether a reconciliation meeting between the parties is appropriate at this time.
5. In some cases the parent/carer of the bully or bullied player may be asked to attend training sessions, if they are able to and if appropriate. The club committee will monitor the situation for a set period to ensure the bullying is not repeated.
6. All coaches involved with both individuals will be made aware of the concerns and the outcome of the process, i.e. the warning.

In the case of adults reported to be bullying anyone under 18 within the club:

1. The County Designated Safeguarding Officer must be informed and will advise on action to be taken where appropriate. This may include action by The FA Safeguarding Team.
2. It is anticipated that in most cases where the allegation is made about a team manager, official or coach, The FA’s Safeguarding Children Education Programme may be recommended.
3. More serious cases may be referred to the Police and/or Children’s Social Care.

Prevention

• The club has a written constitution, which includes what is acceptable and proper behaviour for all members, of which this Anti-bullying Policy is one part.
• All club members and parents/carers will sign to accept the constitution upon joining the club.
• The Club Welfare Officer will raise awareness about bullying and why it matters and, if issues of bullying arise in the club, will consider meeting with members to discuss the issue openly and constructively.