At PEPS, every child has the right to an educational environment free from harassment and bullying — in person, on school premises, or online. This page sets out how we prevent, identify and respond to bullying, from FS2 through to Year 13.
1. Aims & Objectives
At Providence English Private School (PEPS), we believe that all children and young people have the right to an educational environment where they feel safe and which is free from harassment and bullying, whether that behaviour occurs in person, on school premises, or online.
This policy is implemented in partnership with the school's Behaviour & Discipline Policy, Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy and Wellbeing Policy, and serves the entire school from FS2 to Year 13.
- To inform students and parents of our expectations in order to ensure a productive partnership, where everyone has a role to play in eradicating bullying;
- To maintain a community in which everyone feels valued and safe and where individual differences are appreciated, understood and accepted;
- To promote a secure, happy and caring environment where kindness and helpfulness are expected and respected;
- To praise and reward positive behaviour which benefits others and the community as a whole;
- To teach students to respect themselves and others, promoting healthy self-esteem;
- To reduce the emotional and mental distress caused by bullying, upholding every student's right to enjoy their time at school;
- To meet the requirements of the UAE National Policy for the Prevention of Bullying in Educational Institutions and the National Policy for Child Protection in Educational Institutions.
2. Legal & Regulatory Framework
This policy is written to align with the following UAE federal, local and regulatory requirements:
- Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA): safeguarding, wellbeing and behaviour standards, including transparent recording and review of bullying incidents and student/parent voice in the process;
- UAE National Policy for the Prevention of Bullying in Educational Institutions: sets out the school's responsibility to prevent, identify and respond to bullying, and to appoint a designated Child Protection Coordinator;
- UAE National Policy for Child Protection in Educational Institutions: requires schools to maintain a safe learning environment, appoint a Child Protection Coordinator, and establish clear reporting mechanisms;
- Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 on Child Rights (Wadeema's Law): guarantees every child's right to protection from all forms of abuse, including online harm;
- Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 (Cybercrime Law): addresses online harassment, impersonation, defamation and the non-consensual sharing of images, and carries significant legal penalties for offenders;
- Ministry of Education national anti-bullying initiatives: school participation in national awareness campaigns and reporting channels, including MOE and Ministry of Interior hotlines.
3. Scope & Applicability
This policy applies to all students, staff, volunteers, contractors, parents and visitors connected with PEPS. It covers behaviour:
- On school premises during the school day;
- On school transport, and before and after school on school grounds;
- During school trips, fixtures, events and any school-organised activity off-site;
- In digital spaces, including social media, messaging apps and online learning platforms, at any time where the conduct affects a member of the PEPS community.
4. Bullying: Definition & Forms
Bullying is any behaviour which is deliberately intended to hurt, threaten, frighten or discriminate against another individual or group. It is usually unprovoked, happens repeatedly as part of a pattern of behaviour, and can continue over a long period of time. A single unkind incident is treated seriously but is addressed under the Behaviour & Discipline Policy unless it forms part of a repeated pattern.
Bullying can take a number of forms:
- Physical: pushing, kicking, hitting, pinching, hair-pulling and other forms of violence or threats of violence;
- Verbal: name-calling, sarcasm and insults;
- Innuendo: spreading rumours and persistent teasing;
- Emotional/Social: excluding, ridicule, humiliation and deliberate isolation from peer groups;
- Discriminatory: targeting a student's race, religion, nationality, gender, disability, culture or appearance;
- Sexual: unwanted physical contact or abusive comments of a sexual nature;
- Cyberbullying/Digital: harassing messages or posts; exclusion from group chats; image or video-based abuse; impersonation or fake accounts; doxxing; and persistent contact through social media, messaging apps or online games designed to upset or abuse a student.
5. Roles & Responsibilities
- Child Protection Coordinator: named lead responsible for overseeing all bullying and child protection concerns, liaising with SPEA/MOE, and ensuring cases are recorded and followed up.
- Anti-Bullying Committee: comprising the Child Protection Coordinator, school social worker, school nurse and a member of the Senior Leadership Team, meeting regularly to review incidents and prevention strategies.
- Teachers & Staff: responsible for modelling respectful behaviour, remaining alert to signs of bullying, and reporting concerns promptly.
- Students: expected to treat one another with respect and to report bullying they experience or witness.
- Parents: expected to work in partnership with the school, report concerns promptly, and support the school's response.
6. Prevention Strategies
- Run a school-wide programme on anti-bullying, including assemblies and presentations, that informs and educates students and gives them strategies to deal with situations they may encounter;
- Support students through advice and counselling to make positive choices and resist peer pressure;
- Listen to all parties involved in incidents and take allegations from victims seriously;
- Reassure students that the school will do all in its power to protect and support everyone involved while issues are resolved;
- Model, as a school community, the values in which we believe;
- Investigate all incidents as fully as possible;
- Use a range of strategies to challenge bullying behaviour, including restorative approaches;
- Include opportunities within the curriculum to discuss bullying and other forms of anti-social behaviour, including online safety;
- Identify bullying behaviour at an early stage and work towards behaviour modification before it becomes more serious;
- Implement peer mentoring or student ambassador programmes;
- Mark national initiatives such as UAE Bullying Prevention campaigns to reinforce positive messaging;
- Promote inclusive classroom environments that value diversity.
7. Reporting Bullying
PEPS encourages a culture where victims and witnesses feel safe to speak up. All reports, however trivial they may seem at first, are treated seriously.
7.1 Reporting Channels
- Students or parents may report a concern to any teacher, the school counsellor, the school social worker, or the Child Protection Coordinator;
- An anonymous reporting option (social.worker@pepsschool.ae) is available for students or parents who prefer not to report in person;
- All staff must remain alert to changes in a student's behaviour, attitude and wellbeing, and report concerns immediately to the Child Protection Coordinator;
- Suspected cyberbullying must be reported promptly and, where it may constitute a criminal offence under the UAE Cybercrime Law, escalated to the Principal and, where appropriate, the relevant authorities.
8. Responding to Bullying
As a school, we will:
- Take all bullying concerns seriously and assess the needs of each student individually;
- Regard all incidents as potentially serious and investigate them thoroughly, normally beginning within two school days of a report;
- Interview those alleged to be bullying and those affected separately, and gather witness information;
- Keep a written record of the incident, investigation and outcome, recorded on the school's incident system (e1) and shared with relevant staff and the Child Protection Coordinator;
- Take action to prevent further incidents, which may include:
- Imposition of sanctions such as detention or removal of privileges;
- Requiring a sincere apology;
- Informing the parents of both the student affected and the student responsible;
- Providing ongoing support for both the student affected and the student responsible, including counselling where appropriate.
Where an incident may also constitute a safeguarding concern or a criminal offence, this policy operates alongside, and does not replace, the school's Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy and applicable UAE law.
9. Policy Links
- Behaviour & Discipline Policy
- Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy
- Wellbeing Policy
- E-Safety / Acceptable Use Policy
10. Monitoring & Evaluation
The Child Protection Coordinator, in partnership with the Safeguarding & Child Protection lead, is responsible for monitoring and evaluating this policy on an ongoing basis. This policy will be reviewed annually by the Senior Leadership Team and Wellness Team, or sooner if required by changes in SPEA/MOE regulation.
| Policy Reviewed By | Social Worker & Senior Leadership Team |
| Policy Reviewed Date | August 2026 |
| Policy Approved By | School Principal |
| Next Review Date | September 2027 |
Appendices / Annexures
The following supporting documents accompany this policy. Printable, fillable copies are available from the School Office or Child Protection Coordinator; a preview of each is below.
- Incident Reporting Form
- Conflict Resolution Procedure
- Behaviour Memo
Appendix 1 · PEPS Anti-Bullying Policy
Incident Reporting Form
To be completed by the member of staff receiving the report, in partnership with the Child Protection Coordinator. This form should be completed as soon as possible after a concern is raised and filed on the school's incident system (e1).
Section A · Report Details
| Date of report | |
| Time of report | |
| Reported by (name & role) | |
| Report received by | |
| Method of report |
In person Verbal (relayed by staff) Anonymous reporting channel Parent email/call Other: ____________________
Section B · Students Involved
| Name(s) of student(s) affected | |
| Year & Section | |
| Name(s) of student(s) responsible | |
| Year & Section | |
| Witnesses (name & class) |
Section C · Nature of the Incident
| Date(s) of incident(s) | |
| Location(s) |
Type of bullying (tick all that apply):
Physical
Verbal
Innuendo / rumours
Emotional / Social
Discriminatory
Sexual
Cyber / digital
Other: ____________________
Section D · Escalation & Follow-Up
| Referred to Child Protection Coordinator? | |
| Date parents of affected student informed | |
| Date parents of responsible student informed | |
| Investigation start date | |
| Target date for outcome / follow-up review |
Safeguarding concern also raised (refer to Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy) Referred to relevant authorities under UAE Cybercrime Law
File this form on the incident system (e1) and retain a copy in line with the school's record-keeping requirements. This form supports, and does not replace, the Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy where a safeguarding concern is identified.
Appendix 2 · PEPS Anti-Bullying Policy
Conflict Resolution Procedure
This procedure guides staff in resolving conflict between students in a fair, restorative and consistent way. It is used both for one-off disagreements and, alongside the Incident Reporting Form, as part of the school's response to confirmed bullying.
Guiding Principles
- Every student is heard, and no assumptions are made before all parties have been spoken to;
- The process is restorative wherever possible — the goal is repaired relationships and changed behaviour, not blame alone;
- Students affected are never asked to resolve the conflict directly with the student responsible without adult support;
- Confidentiality is maintained, and information is shared only with those who need to know;
- Parents are kept informed at appropriate stages.
Step-by-Step Procedure
- Ensure immediate safety. Separate those involved if needed and make sure the student affected feels safe before anything else happens.
- Listen individually. Speak to the student affected, the student(s) responsible, and any witnesses separately and calmly. Use open questions ("What happened?", "How did that make you feel?") rather than leading questions.
- Record the facts. Complete the Incident Reporting Form (Appendix 1) with objective, factual detail.
- Assess the pattern. Determine, with the Child Protection Coordinator, whether this is an isolated conflict or part of a repeated pattern that meets the definition of bullying.
- Agree next steps with the student affected. Explain what will happen next and check they feel comfortable with the plan before proceeding.
- Hold a restorative conversation, where appropriate. Bring the parties together only when the student affected is ready and it is judged safe and constructive to do so. Focus on impact ("How did this affect you?") and repair ("What needs to happen to put this right?").
- Agree actions and sanctions. Apply consequences in line with the Behaviour & Discipline Policy, and agree any support (counselling, check-ins, peer mentoring) for both the student affected and the student responsible.
- Inform parents. Contact the parents of all students involved, explaining the outcome and any support or sanctions agreed.
- Set a follow-up review date. Check in with the student affected within an agreed period (normally one to two weeks) to confirm the situation has genuinely improved.
- Close or escalate. If resolved, record the outcome and close the case. If the behaviour continues, escalate in line with the Responding to Bullying section of the policy, involving the Senior Leadership Team and, if required, the relevant authorities.
When Not to Use Informal Restorative Conversation
A facilitated face-to-face conversation between the parties is not appropriate where:
- The incident involves a safeguarding concern, sexual harassment, or a significant power imbalance;
- The student affected does not wish to take part;
- There is a risk of further harm or intimidation.
In these cases, the matter is handled directly by the Child Protection Coordinator and Senior Leadership Team in line with the Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy.
This procedure should be read alongside the Behaviour & Discipline Policy and Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy.
Appendix 3 · PEPS Anti-Bullying Policy
Behaviour Memo
Used to formally record and communicate a behaviour incident related to bullying, and any sanction or support agreed, to the student's parent/guardian and school file.
| To (Parent/Guardian) | |
| Student name | |
| Year & Section | |
| Date | |
| Issued by | |
| Related Incident Report No. |
Purpose of this Memo
Record of first concern
Formal warning
Notification of sanction
Update following investigation
Follow-up / review
We value the partnership between home and school in addressing behaviour concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact the school counsellor or Child Protection Coordinator if you would like to discuss this further.
Retain a copy on the student's file and with the Child Protection Coordinator. A copy should be provided to the parent/guardian.