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Adults and older children making the Pledge are given a Pin in the image of an eye, the symbol
of I’m A Friend, plus a card that reminds them of their pledge. Your child (because of their age)
will have been given a wrist-band displaying the same eye symbol instead.
Please contact xxxxxx if you wish to purchase your own Pledge card and pin
Values
There are four key values held by all who support and aim to promote I’m A Friend:-
COURAGE - The ability to stand up for what we believe in, using good behaviour and respect for
everyone else
DIGNITY - The quality of being worthy of respect, an admirable way of being that we are all
entitled to, whether it be in the home, school, workplace or sporting activity
STRENGTH - The ability to deal with problems as they may arise in a fair and effective manner
During the awareness session, these values were explained and demonstrated through
discussion and activities with your child, at a level that they can understand.
Definition of Bullying
There is no single definition of bullying. We believe that the following words describe what it is
and impact it can have
Bullying is hurtful, mean, annoying behaviour caused by another that results in fear,
loneliness and upset
Bullying vs Teasing
It can be difficult to distinguish between bullying behaviour and teasing or banter.
To be considered as bullying, the behaviour would be:-
➢ Deliberate - with intent to hurt someone, physically or emotionally
➢ Repeated - someone may be targeted again and again by the same person(s)
➢ Power Imbalanced - person targeted is considered to be vulnerable
Typically, the bully is looked upon in a very negative way. At I’m A Friend, we understand that
there can be many reasons why someone starts using bullying behaviour and that they in turn
are often a victim. We therefore look to support all people involved.
Encourage your child by saying that you are concerned and that you want to help and support
them, whatever the problem, and that you can work together to solve this problem. Don’t
promise to keep it secret, but reassure them that you will help sort out the situation.
Take whatever your child says seriously and find out exactly what has been going on. You will
then need to decide who to talk to in the first instance, e.g., teacher, school principal or
someone else who can help to solve the problem.
When talking to the school, try not to be angry or lose your temper, however upset you are. A
good working relationship between you and the school is crucial. Make a note of everything your
child tells you, note any injuries, damage or loss so you can explain clearly. This will make it
much easier for the school to help.
How can you support your child if they have been bullied
Once the immediate situation has been dealt with, you will need to help re-build their self-
esteem and confidence. You can do this through:-
o Reassuring your child often that you love them and are completely on their side
o Reassuring your child that the bullying is not their fault and can be stopped
o Explaining that reacting to bullies by becoming upset only encourages them. If bullies get
no response, they’ll get bored
o Trying to minimize opportunities e.g., stay with a group
o Looking at opportunities to widen social interaction with other children of the same age,
e.g., inviting new friends around; joining after-school activities such as Ladybirds / boy
scouts / girl guides or sports activities
www.imafriend.com Children aged 5 - 7
I’m A Friend
Once the immediate situation has been dealt with, you can support your child. Suggestions
include:-
o Talking to them about the principles of I’m A Friend
o Asking them if they understand what made them start bullying, perhaps they have been
bullied as well
o Reassure them that you still love them. Their bullying behaviour is the issue and you will
work with them to help change such behaviour
o Help them identify how to make amends to the person affected by their bullying
behaviour
o Help them identify any triggers that can set of the bullying behaviour so that alternative
responses can be developed
o Create opportunities for praising them when they do things well
www.imafriend.com
www.tacklebullying.ie
www.bully4u.ie
www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.net