Some words become so overused that they stop being particularly helpful. In schools, bullying can sometimes be one of those words.
The challenge is that people often mean different things when they use it. Two students might describe very different situations using the same word. Two parents might hear the same story and interpret it quite differently.
At GCC we try to focus on something more specific. Rather than relying on the broad label of bullying, we encourage students to talk about unkind behaviour. In the younger years we sometimes describe it as someone being “mean on purpose.”
It may not sound quite as serious, but it is actually far more useful. When students can describe exactly what someone is doing, it becomes much easier for us to address it properly.
The reality is that situations like this are not common at GCC. With more than 1200 students from Prep to Year 12, there are thousands of interactions happening every day across classrooms, playgrounds, sporting fields and buses. When you think about it, that is easily 7000 or more student interactions in a single day. The vast majority of those interactions are positive.
However, schools are made up of people, and occasionally people get things wrong. When behaviour crosses the line, we take it seriously. Every student has the right to feel safe as part of the GCC community. That includes feeling safe from behaviour that deliberately harms them. This might include:
• Hurting someone physically
• Belittling or embarrassing someone
• Trying to turn other students against someone
• Repeated behaviour that undermines a student’s confidence
Sometimes this behaviour occurs at school. Sometimes it happens outside of school hours and sometimes it occurs online. In practice, the location matters less than the behaviour itself. If it involves GCC students, it is something we will address.
Reporting Concerns
If you believe your child is experiencing this type of behaviour, please know that we take reports seriously and will investigate them carefully.
In the Middle and Senior Schools, concerns can be raised with:
• The Year Level Coordinator
• The Head of Middle School or Head of Senior School
• Another trusted staff member
Families and students can also use the Gateway reporting system, which allows the reporter to include their details for follow up or remain anonymous.
When reporting concerns, the most helpful thing is specific information. Statements such as “(name) is bullying my child” are understandably worrying, but they can be difficult to investigate without further detail. What helps most is information such as:
• What happened
• When it occurred
• Where it occurred
• Whether other students witnessed it
Clear details make it much easier for us to investigate and respond appropriately.
In the younger years it is best to raise the matter with your child’s teacher if the bullying is happening within the class or with the Assistant Heads of Primary as appropriate.
A Common Concern
Occasionally families worry that reporting these issues might make things worse. In reality, raising concerns early usually helps us resolve situations more effectively.
Students will not be required to sit down with the person they are accusing unless they are comfortable with that happening. Our focus is always on student wellbeing.
The goal is straightforward: to make the behaviour stop. Sometimes reconciliation can be part of the process, but it is not the primary objective. A successful outcome is one where the behaviour stops and students feel safe moving forward.
If a student has engaged in unkind behaviour, they are in violation of the College Code of Conduct and the values we expect our students to uphold. Depending on the situation, there will usually be consequences alongside guidance to help the student make better choices.
The Kind of Community We Want to Be
Ultimately, we want our students to learn something deeper than simply following rules. We want them to learn how to treat people well.
One of the simplest guides for that comes from Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:12: “Do to others what you would have them do to you.”
It is a simple idea, but it still works remarkably well in playgrounds, classrooms and group chats.
And the encouraging thing is that most of the time, that is exactly what we see at GCC.
Across those 7000 daily interactions between students, the overwhelming majority are marked with, friendship, teamwork and kindness. Students helping each other with work, a quiet word of encouragement before a test, someone making space at a lunch table for a new student, or simply looking out for one another.
Those moments rarely get much attention, but they are actually the story of our school most days.
Mike Curtis, Principal