School bullying can happen in every grade in the US, Australia, Canada, Cape Town, UK, Asia etc. — and it’s getting worse.
School teachers and principals need to take a large role in stopping and dealing with bullying in the middle, high, elementary, secondary, primary, public, or private schools.
“Stop bullying in schools” programs and campaigns are urgent to be launched. School principals and teachers can consider the below ways to stop or reduce bullying in schools or other educational settings.
1. Have a clear definition of bullying
Bullying occurs at all grade levels. An entire school district needs to have the same language within all its schools in order to reduce bullying. To start, schools need to have a common definition of bullying. Bullying is characterized by intentionally aggressive behavior that involves an imbalance of power and strength. It can be exemplified through physical, verbal/nonverbal, and/or relational means. It is a repeated offense, even when teachers observe it for the first time. Talking to the victim about what happened and whether there have been past occurrences is very important.
Staff should be able to distinguish between teasing and bullying. Teasing is reported more frequently than bullying because teasing is done to irritate or provoke another with persistent distractions or other annoyances. Bullying, on the other hand, is an imbalance of power. This is key. Bullied students are unable or viewed as unlikely to defend themselves, which is what causes the imbalance of power. Bullying occurs in different forms such as threats, teasing, name-calling, excluding, preventing others from going where they want or doing what they want, pushing, hitting, and all forms of physical violence. The severity of bullying varies from case to case.
Cyberbullying is becoming more of a problem. Cyberbullying is using any electronic device to harass, intimidate, or bully another. This includes texts, emails, videos, and posts and messages on social media. Schools need to ensure that bullying prevention efforts are stressed when it comes to cyberbullying.
All school staff need to be trained on what bullying is, what the school’s policies and rules are, and how to enforce the rules.
2. Set clear and enforceable rules and expectations
Age-appropriate rules allow a student to know what behavior is expected. When kids are younger, keep rules simple. When kids are older, shape the rules to help them meet their maturity level.
- State rules in positive terms,
- Keep the number of rules to a minimum (3 – 5 depending upon age),
- Set rules that cover multiple situations,
- Make sure rules are age appropriate,
- Teach your students the rules,
- Set an example for rule-following behavior, and
- Be consistent in enforcing the rules.
These guidelines for rules set a tone for the classroom. They can help the teacher have a well-managed classroom that is less prone to bullying behaviors.
The rules and the consequences for breaking the rules should be clearly stated. Students need to know what will happen if they engage in certain behavior. This provides clear expectations.
Rules need to enforce respect, responsibility, and safety to apply them to every situation every day to everyone. Remember, rules are there to keep students and staff safe.
3. Have open communication
Communication is key to building rapport. When teachers have open communication with their students, their students will feel more open to talking to them about their problems—including bullying.
Empathic Listening is key. Students want to know that they’re truly being listened to. They need to feel welcome to talk to their teachers one-on-one, especially if they feel they’ve been bullied. Keep in mind that a student who’s being bullied might not want to say something in front of the whole class or if the student who’s doing the bullying is in the classroom meeting.
It is also necessary to have an established system for a child to report being bullied (anonymously, if needed) and get immediate help.
Schools need to have adequate reporting systems as well. They need to encourage teachers and staff to report the incidents that occur. This way the school can provide a way to protect students and prevent these circumstances from occurring again. Reporting also helps track the individual incidents and responses so you can see if there’s a trend. By using this system, possible future incidents can be prevented. Make the reporting system easy to use and confidential, and encourage staff and kids to use it.
Communication is not just verbal. A school can also provide nonverbal cues.These can include interior decorations like signs, it can be anti-bullying posters, pictures, images or slogans in the campus to arouse students’ stop-bullying awareness
4. Take It Seriously
School teachers and principals need to transfer the message to every student: Zero tolerance for school bullying.
As an educator, you should pay attention to the warning signs of school bullying, including unexplained physical injuries, anxiety, fear of attending school, etc. However, students tend to hide the facts if they are bullied. So as a teacher, you should engage students on a daily base and encourage open conversations.
Schools should have strong repercussions for bullying. Bullying is now an illegal offense and there should be zero tolerance for this behavior. At the same time, a real effort to get to the bottom of the cause—by discussions with the child’s family and the child—is essential. Families need to examine their family relationships and make sure there is no bullying going on at home.
5. Building a positive school climate
School climate can be difficult to define, though possible to measure. It is the “felt sense” of being in a school, which can arise from a greeting, the way a problem is resolved, or how people work together; it is a school’s “heart and soul,” its “quality and character.” Schools with a positive climate foster healthy development, while a negative school climate is associated with higher rates of student bullying, aggression, victimization, and feeling unsafe.
Bullying has been a part of society since its inception, and will not easily disappear. But with the joint effort of the schools, the parents and the children, going to school can become a healthier, safer experience.