COMMUNITY LIVING
which you would potentially be able to tell if a bullying incident occurred , bullies would be able , depending on their age , to know how to make sure that they are not in view of the cameras . So , this is why it ’ s always hard to prove ,’ says McCoubrey .
Besides having cameras up , and ensuring that all areas are well lit , McCoubrey also recommends making security staff aware of the incidence so that they can also help to be the eyes and ears on the ground and provide witness statements .
Prevention is better than cure
McCoubrey says that the best way of tackling abuse is to create an environment and culture in the estate that doesn ’ t tolerate such behaviour .
He explains : ‘ That culture normally comes from good leadership . Culture is so important . Look at countries and companies that get this right . They create the right environment and an understanding . They have leaders or executive committees that highlight what it is they stand for .
Have a complaints procedure in place
McCoubrey recommends having a good , transparent complaints procedure in place so that parents and residents can highlight their concerns and come forward to report incidences .
‘ This is the same at schools – the good ones have a policy and it shows what they stand for . If there ’ s a chink in the chain , you will have a problem because it ’ s very easy for manipulative people to find it and abuse it . You need clear guidelines and policies on the estate that highlight what the estate is willing to put up with and what it won ’ t .’
‘ You need a way to investigate and evaluate complaints – just like companies and schools do . In general , my experience of bullying is that it ’ s incredibly hard to track and prove , and as a result there are no consequences . Bullying is insidious and creeps around , and not many of us understand it .
‘ But you need to make sure that you understand the importance of mental health and being able to speak to the community about this . I understand that ’ s a big ask of estate managers . But you must ensure that residents can be a part of the solution . You will need bullying solutions . Schools attend to bullying in several ways , but ultimately the first thing to do is to prevent it , then to monitor it so that there can be evidence . If that fails , having someone come in to teach modern life skills consistently can be an important solution ,’ says McCoubrey .
Invitations to experts to speak about life skills and behaviour can be extended to include wildlife and environmental experts to discuss behaviour towards the estate ’ s wild and domestic animals .
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When to get the police involved
You need to get the police involved when it ’ s physically harmful , repeated and ongoing , says McCourbrey . ‘ But you need to have proof . When it comes to cyberbullying , it ’ s important to take screen recordings of it . Unfortunately , if you don ’ t have the proof , it ’ s going to fall on deaf ears as the very limited resources within the police will not take it seriously .’
Angelique Ruzicka