BULLYING & HARRASSMENT

DEFINITION: Bullying and/or harassment is the unwanted repeated behaviour used by one person or group over another to establish or maintain power, to make others feel uncomfortable, threatened or demeaned.
Bullying behaviours that are not acceptable in an Ozplays work space include name-calling, taunting, mocking, making offensive comments, kicking, hitting, pushing, taking belongings, inappropriate text messaging, sending offensive or degrading images by phone or Internet, producing offensive graffiti, gossiping, excluding people from groups, and spreading hurtful and untruthful rumours.
Social media sites provide an environment where content, information and photos are shared immediately, and if so desired, can be the vehicle for deliberately causing harm to others. Ozplays will enforce the range of possible disciplinary consequences to a student/participant who is found to have deliberately used social media to bully, harass or cause harm to another student or staff member. This will apply not only to it occurring within the hours of an Ozplays activity/project, but outside of those hours, where the mistreatment is affecting a student/participant or staff member of an Ozplays project/activity.
POSSIBLE RESPONSES TO BULLYING.
The general rule is TELL SOMEONE!
• In the first instance you may choose to tell the person(s) who is harassing you that you do not like the behaviour and you wish it to stop.
• You may also choose to discuss the behaviour with friends and family with a focus on finding a resolution to the situation WITHOUT ESCALATION.
• You or someone that knows about the behaviour should also tell the Ozplays work leader or facilitator. They will respect your confidentiality. They will believe you. You have a right to feel safe at your place of work.
PROCESS IN RESPONDING TO A REPORT OF BULLYING
• The Ozplays representative will take a written record of the report.
• They will offer immediate support and advice to the person being bullied.
• They will negotiate guidance and/or disciplinary action with the perpetrator.
• Where an over-arching stakeholder organisation is involved, the appropriate representative of that organisation will be informed and the appropriate procedures for dealing with bullying by that organisation will be initiated.
• Where an over-arching stakeholder organisation is not connected to the program/activity Ozplays may choose to inform relevant parents/carers of the situation as a part of the process of resolution.
OZPLAYS DOES NOT ACCEPT BULLYING OR HARRASSMENT IN THEIR WORKPLACE