CONFIDENTIALITY

The whole idea of the Box is to allow the fact of bullying to come to the attention of an Anti-Bullying Co-ordinator within the Staff in a manner that does nothing to jeopardise the welfare of the person who is being bullied. Therefore the manner in which the alleged bullying is dealt with thereafter is of the greatest importance. Above all, the confidential nature of the information must be maintained and, under no circumstances should the name of the informant be revealed to unauthorised persons, especially to the persons alleged to have been engaged in the bullying, without his or her agreement.

Interviews should be held in private, well away from prying eyes or ears. (Two teachers may now have to attend). These interviews should not be very long, and a large number of students should be interviewed during a given class period.

(Information will, no doubt, be forthcoming in certain cases from other sources too, and these should be dealt with in a similar manner, and with total confidentiality also.)

Confidentiality, however, does not mean that people in authority will not be informed by the ABC when necessary and at the appropriate time as outlined within the Method.