ENDERBY BOWLS CLUB

ANTI-BULLYING POLICY

Within bowls there is a commitment to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all bowlers so they can take part in a relaxed and secure atmosphere regardless of their age or background.

Quite simply, bullying of any kind is unacceptable in bowls.

If bullying does occur, all members should be able to tell and know that incidents will ne dealt with promptly and effectively.

This means that anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell the Club Welfare Officer as soon as they have concerns.

WHAT IS BULLYING?
Bullying is the use of aggression with the intention of hurting another person. Bullying results in pain and distress to the victim.
Bullying can be;
1. Emotional – being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting (e.g. threatening gestures)
2. Physical – pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence
3. Racist – racial taunts, graffiti, gestures
4. Sexual – unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments
5. Homophobic – because of, or focusing on the issue of sexuality
6. Sexist – belittling someone because of their gender
7. Verbal name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing
8. Cyber -
a) Any issues relating to the internet, such as email, social media & internet chat room misuse.
b) Mobile threats by text messaging & calls
c) Misuse of associated technology, i.e. camera & video facilities
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO RESPOND TO BULLYING?
Bullying hurts. No one deserves to be a victim of bullying. Everybody has the right to be treated with respect. The sport has a responsibility to respond promptly and effectively to issues of bullying.

Objectives of this Policy
All members, coaches, volunteers and parents should understand what bullying is.