Anti-Bullying Policy

26th February 2024

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.
All forms of bullying will be addressed.
Everybody in Galway Lawn Tennis Club has a responsibility to work together to stop
bullying.
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 a member of the
LGBTQ+ community, or those with learning difficulties are more vulnerable to this form of
abuse and are more likely to be targeted.

Galway Lawn Tennis Club 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 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.
• 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.
• 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 involves long periods of isolation, or which
diminish and make individuals look or feel foolish in front of others, will be avoided.

Support to the parents/guardians:
• Parents/guardians should be advised on the club’s bullying policy and practice.
• Any incident of bullying will be discussed with the child’s parent(s)/carers.
• Parents will be consulted on action to be taken (for both victim and bully) and
agreements made as to what action should be taken.
• Information and advice on coping with bullying will be made available.
• Support should be offered to the parent(s) including information on other agencies or
support lines.

Useful Contacts:
Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC): www.ispcc.ie/shield
Anti-Bullying Centre DCU: www4.dcu.ie/abc/index.shtml
ISPCC Helpline: 1800 666 666
Sticks and Stones: 087 9015199 or www.sticksandstones.ie
ChildLine Republic of Ireland: 1800 66 66 66 or Text Talk to 50101, www.childline.ie