School Bullies

School Bullies and Actions to Address the Problem

Introduction to Effective Written Communications

School Bullies and Actions to address the Problem

An increasingly important item for children to learn is a sense of connection or belonging in their life. Families tend to help children feel connected, and another opportunity for that sense of connection is at school.

The most important things for a student to learn that encourages this connection are respect and trust from peers and adults. Although schools place most of the attention on reading, writing, and arithmetic, we cannot ignore the social or human behaviors, through thoughts, words, and actions. Some schools have introduced classes in anger management, conflict resolution, leadership training, and peer mediation. These skills introduced throughout the school age years, are the foundation for building trust and mutual respect. They are helpful, if not critical, in preventing social alienation.

Students are the most likely candidates to set the examples of peer norms, good and bad social traits. Bystanders or students that are merely watching the bullying make up most of the student body. These youngsters need to understand that they have the power to stop the bullying and create a school environment that will not tolerate hateful or cruel behavior. Students, as opposed to adults, are the most likely to succeed in any prevention or intervention programs that will fit the needs of their school.

With adults in the equation, several items contribute to antisocial behavior and the overall bully mentality in children. Creating an environment that promotes punishment, and lack of positive reinforcement is a huge factor in the equation. Also contributing to this behavior are adults that exhibit no consistency in their rules, and no consistency in the punishment for breaking them. When an adult fails to recognize the children's efforts and accomplishments, this becomes another factor in social alienation.

Teachers and school officials may not be aware that their personality, demeanor, and conduct may project a generally negative tone that creates a punitive, and oppressive environment. The atmosphere that they create may not only discourage achievement, but also increases aggression and attendance problems among the children, making it virtually impossible to create an optimal classroom environment (Mayer, 1995, p. 467-78).

Teachers have a lot of influence on whether their classroom has a positive or negative environment. The classroom attitude will be created and evolve around the training material and delivery, peer relationships, student participation and involvement, and the overall mood and tone of their interactions throughout the day

Teachers provide a healthy mood and tone in the classroom by promoting respect, and a sense of community or family. Effective instruction and positive social interaction accomplish this. It is important for the responsible teacher to be consistent in identifying undesirable behavior and praising desirable attitudes and actions without alienating the bully even more. Posting clear classroom rules, distributing responsibilities fairly among students in the classroom, and acknowledging accomplishments go far in providing the impression that the classroom is a safe place.

The California Department of Education Web site (http://www.cde.ca.gov/spbranch/ssp) references a collection of resources containing strategies believed to be effective in preventing or responding to bullying in school. One of the resources available at this site is the United States Department of Education's, Preventing Bullying: A Manual for Schools and Communities (Preventing Bullying, 1998). This manual confirms that a comprehensive approach is the best model for preventing or reducing bullying.

A way to accomplish school wide acceptance and involvement in the efforts to reduce bullying would be to conduct a survey of both the teachers and the students to see exactly what the level of bullying actually is. The next step for schools would be to establish committees consisting of teachers, administrators, counselors, parents or guardians and students. They should work together to perform the following tasks. Evaluate the survey results, and develop a coordinated system for supervising students during breaks, which is when most of bullying occurs, and develop plans for initiating programs that stop the bullying behavior at school.

In the classrooms, the teachers, and administrators should make and enforce rules against bullying. The teachers should schedule regular meetings with the students to discuss bad behavior and the rules. It is also important to involve the students in activities such as role playing that help them understand the harm that is caused by bullying. School officials should meet with families when possible to have them involved in process.

Additional important steps are to instruct all school staff to provide immediate intervention in bullying incidents. Help students form partnerships and encourage personal responsibility for students who are victims of bullying and discourage bullying in general. Older students can form partnerships with younger students, a form of the buddy system, to provide support for new students or students who find it difficult to fit in. Encourage families that are concerned to help resolve any current incidents and to discourage any future occurrences.

School administrators must act to enforce the school policy against bullying by implementing certain rules. They should schedule playground supervision and make sure to watch the children in class, hallways, restroom, the cafeteria, and other areas that are determined to be a place that bullies like to hang out. Schedule regular assemblies to raise awareness and communicate the zero tolerance for bully's policy. Schools should establish logos or catchy phrases for school wide use, for instance, "No name calling, No way." They should post the rules and the consequences if the rules are broken in conspicuous areas throughout the school, and establish a confidential reporting system for students to safely report incidents. They should also provide activities for the students that promote good self-esteem.

Teachers should react quickly and wisely, as they are the adults who interact the most with the students. They play a powerful role and can establish the tone of the classroom. Teachers could use the following ideas in helping curb the incidents of bullying. They should have opportunities to discuss bullies and enlist their support in defining what is acceptable social behavior. Students should assist in developing