Page 50 - SEN115 - November/December 2021

Bullying
Bullying a barrier
to attendance
Jannine Perryman and Louise Parker Engels continue their series on the causes and remedies for school attendance difficulties by addressing the issue of bullying.
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School attendance difficulties can be hard for parents and professionals to understand and support. What used to be known as school refusal or emotionally based school avoidance is more commonly referred
to in the context of “barriers to attendance”.
Respond to all incidents of bullying
and assault
“Schools, colleges, and Local Authorities have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. Schools’ anti-bulling policies should set out the actions which will be taken to prevent or address bullying, including racial and LGBTQ+ related incidents, as well as peer sexual violence and online bullying. SEND children and young people can be at an increased risk of being bullied.”
(Define Fine Guide on School Attendance Difficulties)
Bullying can be a barrier to attending, and a very real cause for avoiding school
“Help With Bullying (kidscape.org.uk)” lists some of the common signs for parents and professionals in identifying where bullying is occurring. These include changes in behaviour and being scared to go to school or take part in usual school activities, with disturbed sleep, unexplained tummy problems and headaches.
“37% of pupils with SEND reported being bullied”
Changes in school attendance patterns can be a result of bullying. A child who does not feel safe, feeling they are constantly in a state of fight or flight will find school attendance difficult, if not impossible. They may not be able to communicate what is happening to them.
SEND pupils are vulnerable to bullying
All children have a right to an education. For that to work, SEND children need to be supported and kept safe. Sadly, there is evidence of increased bullying for these children.
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37% of pupils with SEND reported being bullied based on other pupils’ attitudes or assumptions towards their SEND at least once in the past year
SEND pupils were also more likely to say they have experienced other forms of bullying (Wave 6 Research Report Summer 2019 - SNJ).