(i) Bullying What is Bullying? Bullying is defined by the Department of Education and Skills guidelines as unwanted negative behaviour, verbal, psychological or physical, conducted by an individual or group against another person (or persons) and which is repeated over time. Bullying • All forms of bullying will be addressed. • Everybody in the club/organisation has a responsibility to work together to stop bullying.
(ii) • Bullying can include online as well as offline behaviour. Bullying can include: • Physical pushing, kicking, hitting, pinching etc… • Name calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, persistent teasing and emotional torment through ridicule, humiliation or the continual ignoring of individuals. • Posting of derogatory or abusive comments, videos or images on social network sites. • Racial taunts, graffiti, gestures, sectarianism, sexual comments, suggestions or behaviour. • Unwanted physical contact. Children with a disability, from ethnic minorities, young people who are gay or lesbian, or those with learning difficulties are more vulnerable to this form of abuse and are more likely to be targeted.
(iii) The club or organisation will: • Recognise its duty of care and responsibility to safeguard all participants from harm. • Promote and implement this anti-bullying policy in addition to our safeguarding policy and procedures. • Seek to ensure that bullying behaviour is not accepted or condoned. • Require all members of the club/organisation to be given information about, and sign up to, this policy. • Take action to investigate and respond to any alleged incidents of bullying. • Encourage and facilitate children and young people to play an active part in developing and adopting a code of conduct to address bullying. • Ensure that coaches are given access to information, guidance and/or training on bullying. Each participant, coach, volunteer or official will: • Respect every child’s need for, and rights to, a play environment where safety, security, praise, recognition and opportunity for taking responsibility are available. • Respect the feelings and views of others. • Recognise that everyone is important and that our differences make each of us special and should be valued. • Show appreciation of others by acknowledging individual qualities, contributions and progress. • Be committed to the early identification of bullying, and prompt and collective action to deal with it. • Ensure safety by having rules and practices carefully explained and displayed for all to see. • Report incidents of bullying they see to the club children’s officer – by doing nothing you are condoning bullying. Support to the child: • Children should know who will listen to and support them.
(iv) Systems should be established to open the door to children wishing to talk about bullying or any other issue that affects them. • Potential barriers to talking (including those associated with a child’s disability or impairment) need to be identified and addressed at the outset to enable children to approach adults for help. • Children should have access to Helpline numbers.
(v) Anyone who reports an incident of bullying will be listened to carefully and be supported. • Any reported incident of bullying will be investigated objectively and will involve listening carefully to all those involved. • Children being bullied will be supported and assistance given to uphold their right to play and live in a safe environment which allows their healthy development. Those who bully will be supported and encouraged to stop bullying. Sanctions for those bullying others that involve long periods of isolation, or which diminish and make individuals look

Appendix 2

Overnight, Staying Away & Hosting.

Being a host family or being hosted is an integral part of many sports and, if handled appropriately, can add to a child’s enjoyment and experience at a competition. Hosting can be a challenging role but also very rewarding. Special care should be taken in the selection of homes for overnight stays. A host should be provided with as much information about the child/children staying with them and details of the competition. Where practicable more than one child should be placed with each host family. The family in turn should agree to provide references and be vetted when and if this is available. In addition clubs should follow the recruitment and selection that is also outlined in this code. When arranging for events/trips abroad, the club or National Governing Body will be dependent on the ability of the host organisation to access vetting services and obtain appropriate references.

It is the responsibility of the trip organiser to provide the hosts with the relevant information on the child and details of what is expected. Host families should: • Agree to abide by the National Governing Bodies Code of Conduct. • Consent to appropriate checks and references. • Attend host family meetings before competitions or events. • Provide a safe and supportive environment for young people. National Governing Bodies/Clubs should: • Provide a travel pack to hosting families. • Check out references with hosting families. • Provide an itinerary of the trip. • Gather information on destination and venue. Young People: • Should sign a behaviour agreement. • Should not be asked to share a bed or a room with an adult. • Should be happy with the arrangements. • Should show respect to the host families. Supervision, Ratios & Environment Ensure adequate Adult / Child Ratios: Good practice dictates that a leader should try to ensure that more than one adult is present. This will help to ensure the safety of the children as well as protect adults. Adult / Child Ratios: • Will depend on the nature of the activity, the age of the participants and any special needs of the group, a general guide might be 1:8 for under 12 years of age and 1:10 for over 12 years of age. •

There should be at least one adult of each gender with mixed parties. Environment: • Away trips will need higher rates of supervision and these should be checked out with the governing body or organiser, children and young people should be supervised at all times. • Avoid adults being left alone with young participants, if a leader needs to talk separately to a participant this should be done in an open environment, in view of others. • Respect the privacy of young people while changing, leaders may only need to enter changing rooms where the participants are very young or require special assistance. • When necessary, leaders should supervise in pairs or seek assistance, it is the safety and welfare of the participants that is of paramount importance. • Leaders should not be left alone with young people at the end of a training session. Clearly state times for start and finish of training and/or competitions. • If late collections occur leaders should remain in pairs until participants have left. • It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to make arrangements for collection of young people, it should be made clear that the club is responsible for only club activities. • If a child suffers an injury or accident the parents/guardians should be notified.