Anti-Bullying Policy

Llandudno Karate is committed to providing a safe, welcoming and supportive environment in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Bullying of any participant, whether by another participant, parent/carer, coach, volunteer or other person connected with the club, will not be accepted.

This applies during training and also when members are representing or participating with Llandudno Karate at competitions, squad sessions, seminars, trips and other club-related activities.

It also applies to relevant behaviour online and through social media or electronic communication.

What Is Bullying?

Bullying is behaviour which hurts, intimidates, humiliates, threatens or deliberately excludes another person.

It may happen repeatedly or form part of a pattern of behaviour. A single serious incident may also require action under the club's safeguarding or disciplinary procedures.

Bullying can include:

  • Name-calling, insults, teasing or humiliation.

  • Threatening or intimidating behaviour.

  • Deliberately excluding someone or encouraging others to exclude them.

  • Spreading rumours or deliberately damaging someone's reputation.

  • Physical aggression or deliberately causing injury.

  • Taking, hiding or damaging another person's belongings.

  • Discriminatory comments or behaviour.

  • Targeting someone because of a personal characteristic, disability or additional need.

  • Unwanted or degrading comments about appearance, ability or performance.

  • Repeatedly undermining or belittling another participant.

  • Online bullying or harassment.

  • Sharing embarrassing or inappropriate photographs, videos, messages or information.

  • Creating or participating in online groups or conversations intended to ridicule, exclude or target another person.

Friendly disagreement, appropriate coaching feedback or reasonable competition between athletes is not automatically bullying. However, behaviour should never become degrading, intimidating or deliberately harmful.

Online and Social-Media Bullying

The same standards of behaviour expected inside the dojo apply online.

Bullying through WhatsApp, Spond, text messages, social media, gaming platforms, group chats or other digital communication is unacceptable where it involves club members or affects a participant's welfare or involvement with Llandudno Karate.

Members should not:

  • Send abusive, threatening or humiliating messages.

  • Deliberately exclude or target another participant through group chats.

  • Share photographs or videos to embarrass or ridicule someone.

  • Create posts, accounts, memes or other content intended to target another person.

  • Encourage others to participate in online bullying.

Where appropriate, evidence such as messages or screenshots should be preserved rather than deleted.

Responsibilities of Participants

Participants are expected to:

  • Treat other people with respect.

  • Avoid behaviour intended to embarrass, intimidate or exclude others.

  • Respect differences in age, ability, experience and individual needs.

  • Tell a coach, parent/carer or Club Welfare Officer if they experience or witness bullying.

  • Avoid joining in with bullying behaviour.

  • Support teammates appropriately where they are being treated unfairly.

Reporting bullying is not "telling tales". Speaking up can help prevent another person from being harmed.

Responsibilities of Coaches and Volunteers

Coaches and volunteers should:

  • Promote respectful behaviour.

  • Challenge bullying and inappropriate behaviour.

  • Take reports of bullying seriously.

  • Listen to children and young people who raise concerns.

  • Avoid dismissing behaviour as "banter" without considering its effect and context.

  • Record and report significant concerns appropriately.

  • Refer safeguarding concerns to the Club Welfare Officer.

  • Model the standards of behaviour expected from participants.

Parents and Carers

Parents and carers are encouraged to speak to the club if they believe their child, or another child, is experiencing bullying.

Parents/carers should not directly confront another child about an allegation or attempt to resolve disputes between children through threatening, abusive or confrontational communication with another family.

Concerns should instead be raised with the club so they can be considered appropriately.

Reporting Bullying

Participants, parents/carers, coaches and volunteers are encouraged to report bullying as early as possible.

Concerns can be raised with:

  • A coach.

  • The Head Coach.

  • The Club Welfare Officer.

Where bullying involves a child and raises a safeguarding concern, it will be dealt with under the club's Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy.

If a participant does not feel comfortable speaking directly to a coach, they may speak to the Club Welfare Officer.

How We Will Respond

Reports of bullying will be taken seriously and considered fairly.

Depending upon the circumstances, the club may:

  • Speak separately with those involved.

  • Speak with parents/carers where appropriate.

  • Review relevant information or communications.

  • Provide guidance and support.

  • Agree steps to prevent further incidents.

  • Monitor behaviour.

  • Issue an informal or formal warning.

  • Temporarily remove someone from a session or activity.

  • Suspend participation or membership.

  • Take disciplinary action under the club's Complaints & Disciplinary Procedure.

  • Refer safeguarding concerns to the appropriate safeguarding or statutory organisation.

The response will be proportionate to the circumstances, seriousness and impact of the behaviour.

Supporting Those Involved

The club will consider what support may be appropriate for a person who has experienced bullying.

We will also seek, where appropriate, to help a participant whose behaviour has caused harm understand the impact of their actions and improve their behaviour.

The aim is to create a safe environment and prevent the behaviour from continuing.

Retaliation

Nobody should be bullied, intimidated, excluded or otherwise disadvantaged because they have reported a genuine concern or supported another person in raising one.

Any retaliation may itself result in disciplinary action.

Confidentiality

Reports will be handled sensitively.

Information will only be shared with people who reasonably need to know in order to consider the concern, safeguard participants or take appropriate action.

Absolute confidentiality cannot be promised where a safeguarding concern exists.

Related Policies

This policy should be read alongside:

  • Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy.

  • Rules, Dojo Kun & Codes of Conduct.

  • Complaints & Disciplinary Procedure.

  • Equality and Inclusion Policy.

  • Digital Communication, Social Media, Photography & Video Policy.

Policy last reviewed: October 2026
Next scheduled review: October 2027