Our Commitment
Draycott & Hanbury Cricket Club is committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all of our members so they can participate in cricket in a relaxed and secure atmosphere.
Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at our club. If bullying does occur, all members should be able to tell someone and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively.
We are a "telling club" - this means that anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell a member of staff or a coach.
What is Bullying?
Bullying is the use of aggression with the intention of hurting another person. Bullying results in pain and distress to the victim. Bullying can take many forms:
- Emotional: Being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting (e.g., hiding equipment, threatening gestures)
- Physical: Pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence
- Racist: Racial taunts, graffiti, gestures
- Sexual: Unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments
- Homophobic: Comments or actions focused on someone's actual or perceived sexuality
- Verbal: Name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing
- Cyber: Misuse of email, social media, text messages, phone calls or online platforms to bully
Warning Signs
A young person may indicate by signs or behaviour that they are being bullied. Adults should be aware of these possible signs:
- Reluctance to attend training or matches
- Becoming withdrawn or anxious
- Unexplained injuries or damaged possessions
- Changes in behaviour or mood
- Loss of confidence or self-esteem
- Difficulty sleeping or nightmares
- Changes in eating habits
These signs and behaviours could indicate other problems, but bullying should be considered a possibility and should be investigated.
Our Response to Bullying
If bullying is suspected or reported, the following steps will be taken:
- Report to the Club Welfare Officer immediately
- Serious cases will be escalated to the ECB Child Protection Team
- Parents of all children involved will be notified
- Meetings will be arranged with parents and children as appropriate
- Police will be involved if there is any potential criminal activity
- The bullying behaviour will be investigated and stopped immediately
- Attempts will be made to help the bully change their behaviour
Policy Objectives
- Educate all members about what bullying is and how to recognise it
- Ensure all staff and volunteers understand and implement anti-bullying procedures
- Create an environment where bullying is not tolerated
- Support victims of bullying
- Help those who bully to change their behaviour
Report Bullying
If you witness or experience bullying, please report it immediately to:
- Club Safeguarding Officer: Julie Wells - 07484 611223
- Junior Co-ordinator: Paul Holmes - 07773 602072
- ECB Safeguarding: safeguarding@ecb.co.uk