Anti-bullying unit
At the start of this new year, we’d like to introduce you to a scheme that’s close to our hearts, in line with the priorities set by our supervisory ministry, and with our strategy (point 1.4 – “All students deserve to be happy and healthy”) to ensure well-being at school and support all students towards success.
The anti-bullying unit has been set up to combat such situations.
With this in mind, all members of the FIS educational team have taken part in a training course run by Jean-François Bellon, France’s leading authority on the prevention of bullying at school. Made up of adults trained in the shared concern approach, this unit is successfully working to stop bullying at the school (elementary and secondary in the French stream).
What is bullying?
It’s the repetition of words, gestures, images or behaviours that hurt, humiliate or exclude a person.
These situations arise from the problems of living in a community, in children who are still learning social codes. An educational and preventive approach is then proposed: the method of shared concern.
What is shared concern?
It’s a non-blaming, non-punitive approach that aims to get the alleged bully to become a collaborator.
The unit organises a series of individual meetings to share its concern for a student’s well-being with the alleged bully. Alleged bullies are encouraged to find out for themselves what they can do to restore their classmate’s well-being and emotional security.
The counsellor must be sympathetic, but above all persistent. Discussions continue until full cooperation is obtained.
Who’s involved in this anti-bullying unit?
All members of the educational team are likely to participate in the unit: teachers, teaching assistants, librarians, school life, health assistants…
When and how can an anti-bullying unit be set up?
A request to set up a unit can be made by the educational team or by parents. Dedicated e-mail addresses have been set up:
- caijl@g.lfis.edu.hk for Jardine’s Lookout Campus
- caitkoprim@g.lfis.edu.hk for TKO Campus
