Anti-Bullying Strategy
Value set
It must be safe to attend school and work at Herlufsholm: this is the foundation for students and staff to thrive and develop – both academically and socially.
- Everyone has a responsibility to show respect and communicate in a proper tone, both in and outside of classes.
- Differences and privacy must be respected.
- Offensive language, a generally harsh tone, and the use of derogatory nicknames are unacceptable – even if they occur between students who mutually accept it.
- Any form of racist, sexist, or other discriminatory remarks is unacceptable.
- Any form of harassment, deliberately exclusionary behavior, and bullying – including digital bullying – is unacceptable.
At Herlufsholm School, we work purposefully and continuously to promote student well-being and prevent bullying. We have a broad and solid framework for this work, where employees across departments share a common responsibility for student well-being; including, among others, the well-being team, the school nurse, academic counselors, youth advisors, mentoring teams, and leadership.
What is Bullying?
The Danish Center for Educational Environment (DCUM) defines bullying and bullying-like situations as follows:
Bullying consists of actions that deliberately or unconsciously exclude one or more students from the community. Bullying occurs in communities that lack something positive to unite around and involves different types of actions that indicate who is excluded. Bullying arises from insecure cultures within social contexts from which individuals cannot withdraw.
In schools or educational institutions, bullying can be the form of community that creates cohesion. We are united in excluding others from the community. The cause of bullying or bullying-like situations is typically rooted in the lack of tolerance in the community and not by focusing on what is being bullied or who is being bullied.
Understanding bullying is therefore about more than identifying a victim and a bully. It is about noticing the group’s patterns – looking at the students' interactions and positions. Bullying is a group phenomenon, and addressing bullying in schools and educational institutions involves changing collective dynamics among students. Bullying does not concern weak students, but rather students who are made weak in a community.
Action Plan
We encourage students who either feel bullied themselves or witness others being bullied to approach an adult – this could be a mentor, academic counselor, boarding teacher, or a member of the leadership team.
- The scope of the situation will be assessed, and within 10 days, a comprehensive action plan will be in place for the next steps.
- Affected students will receive support throughout the process.
- Efforts will be made to stop the bullying behavior.
- The subsequent process will be planned together with the involved students and staff members.
- Finally, the effectiveness of the actions will be evaluated.
Da sager kan være meget forskellige, vil handleplanerne udarbejdes individuelt for den enkelte elev. En handleplan i forbindelse med mobning vil kunne involvere forskellige aktører, fx klassens team eller mentorer, kostlærere, ledelsesmedlemmer, forældre eller eksterne konsulenter – alt efter behov. I en handleplan vil der desuden fremgå konkrete aktiviteter – her kan der være tale om samtaler med enkeltelever, elevgrupper, hele klasser, sociale aktiviteter med henblik på styrkelse af klasserumskultur samt mulige sanktioner, hvis det vurderes nødvendigt.
Sanctions
In cases of bullying, the general sanctions outlined in the school’s study and behavior rules apply, in accordance with Executive Order No. 1077 of September 13, 2017, regarding study and behavior rules in upper secondary education.
National Complaint Authority
The National Complaint Authority for Bullying (under the Danish Center for Educational Environment) offers guidance and advice regarding experienced bullying, and can be contacted to file a complaint if one feels their case has not been adequately addressed.