Students who are bullied need support. Victims must be able to trust their teachers and other adults.
Facilitate a private meeting between the student and teacher to talk about bullying. Try not to have the meeting in front of the bully because victims often fear retaliation.
Use the guided fantasy lesson to have students imagine what a school free of name-calling would look like. Group them for this part of the lesson if it helps them to work together.
- Establish a Code of Conduct
Developing a code of conduct is an important first step in creating a positive school culture and environment. It’s important that all stakeholders — students, parents, teachers, and school leaders — be involved in this process to ensure buy-in and that the code reflects the ethics and values of your organization.
The code outlines the personal, social, and academic behaviors that are expected of students while on school property or at a school-sponsored activity. A school code of conduct also stipulates disciplinary procedures for violations. These are typically handled by the school’s designated official, who may include members of the faculty or administration trained in addressing student discipline issues.
It’s important that your school system’s code of conduct clearly states that all behavior involving physical, emotional, or sexual abuse or harassment is unacceptable. It should also stipulate that the safety of students and staff must be considered at all times. A code of conduct should also cover bullying and hazing, which include any behavior that causes the victim to fear for their safety or well-being. A school’s code of conduct should also address unauthorized off-campus activities, such as field trips or internships, and state that students are subject to the same code of conduct when they attend those events.
Another key part of a school’s code of conduct is that it should provide a clear definition of acceptable and unacceptable behavior and list consequences for each behavior, from minor to severe. This helps students understand the rulesbeing enforced and enables them to make good choices about their behavior.
Lastly, your school’s code of conduct should address how to report misconduct and the mechanisms in place for handling those reports. It should also stipulate that all disciplinary actions, including suspensions and expulsions, are administered fairly and in accordance with the law.
Once your school has established a code of conduct, it should be distributed to all students, parents, and guardians in plain language. It’s also a good idea to review the code of conduct regularly to ensure that it remains current and reflects the ethics and values of your school.
- Educate Students About Bullying
Students are an invaluable resource in helping to prevent bullying. Enlist them to help develop a school-wide code of conduct and a plan for reporting bullying behavior. Bullying often happens when adults are not present, so it’s important to have visible and vigilant supervision in hallways, stairwells, cafeterias, and locker rooms (for students who ride buses or walk to and from school) and during lunch and recess (for those who aren’t in classrooms). In addition to teaching the school’s anti-bullying policies, teachers and staff should encourage kids to speak up for themselves and others when they witness biased speech.
Educate students about all forms of bullying, including emotional hurt, harassment, and cyberbullying, to avoid misinterpreting these actions as “kids being kids.” Teach them that bullying is never acceptable, even when the victim does something to provoke the bully. They should also be aware of possible school-based and legal penalties and the reputational, physical, and emotional harm that can result.
It’s also important to educate students about what it means to be a bystander and how they can help if someone is being bullied. Many students think of reporting bullying as tattling, so it’s important to teach them that it is brave and heroic to stand up for their peers in these situations. It’s also important to provide a clear path for reporting bullying and make it easy to do so, including respecting the anonymity of students who report.
Meet with both the bully and the victim separately to talk about their experiences and get their side of the story. Both may need help overcoming their feelings of guilt or shame, and both may benefit from seeing a guidance counselor for additional support and advice.
Bullying is often fueled by the negative messages and environments that children experience at home, so it’s important to work with parents and other caregivers to create positive learning and social skills at home. Encourage them to spend time with their children every day, listening and asking questions about their school day experiences — at recess, on the bus, or in the hallways.
- Encourage Reporting
A successful bullying prevention strategy includes a plan to help victims, bullies, and bystanders. This should be clearly defined and implemented within the school environment, including classrooms and lunchrooms. It should also include a school-wide code of conduct and training for staff, students, and families on the definitions of unacceptable behavior and how to respond. It should also include an anonymous reporting tool to document and report all incidents.
Encourage students to stand up for what is right and not allow others to do things they don’t approve of. Educate them about how and why bullying occurs and help them develop skills for resolving conflicts without resorting to aggression. It is important that they understand that their actions can have a negative impact on the entire learning community.
Identify and support classroom leaders who will be your eyes and ears when you can’t be there. They should be able to report bullying behaviors to you or another teacher. This will give you an early warning and will allow you to take quick action when an incident occurs. Bullies are opportunistic and will often target students who are alone or have little support around them.
Many bullying incidents are not reported because students do not know who to turn to or fear retaliation. Providing safe and confidential ways for students to report bullying will decrease incidents and improve the learning climate in schools. Schools that promote a healthy culture of respect and tolerance have fewer bullying problems and perform better on standardized tests than those with more severe bullying environments.
Creating a bully-free learning environment requires commitment and persistence from educators, parents, and students. It is crucial to involve everyone in the prevention effort and provide them with tools and resources they can use daily to reinforce positive social interactions and build a sense of belonging. It’s also essential to maintain smaller class sizes so that teachers can offer more individual attention to students and promote a positive learning environment. Bullied students are more likely to have anxiety and depression, be at higher risk for substance abuse, experience physical injuries and health problems, and are less proficient academically than those in schools with a low-bully environment.
- Encourage Students to Talk About Bullying
Educators and other school officials can lead the way on this issue, but parents, children’s peers, and the community must also play a role. For example, parents can set an appropriate tone in their homes by talking openly about bullying and its effects on children. Parents can also encourage their children to report bullying and ensure they know it will be taken seriously. They can also help their children avoid being bullied by encouraging them to befriend students who are different and by making sure they’re visible in areas where bullying may occur, such as near the bathrooms or cafeteria.
Schools should also host school-wide assemblies to educate students on the effects of bullying. This can be particularly effective in teaching kids that bullying is not okay and can cause real harm to the victim. Schools can also invite guest speakers to help explain the impact of bullying. These can include successful people from the local community who have overcome their own experiences of bullying and can teach kids about the importance of standing up for oneself.
Teachers should ensure that they’re visible in areas where bullying is more likely to happen and that their classrooms are always safe for all students. They should make sure to provide clear and consistent messaging that bullying is not tolerated and bystanders will be punished for their inaction. They should also ensure that bullying is addressed regularly by addressing it in the classroom and by making it an integral part of the curriculum.
In addition, teachers should meet with students who bully to talk about how their actions have affected others and why they believe they need to change. These meetings should be private and not in front of the rest of the class so that kids who have been bullied can feel safe to come forward and speak about their experiences. Teachers should also provide the bully with tools for being a better person and help them change their behavior.
Finally, it’s important to remember that while schools can create positive and welcoming environments, the biggest difference is made when everyone involved in a student’s life works together. Teachers, parents, school staff, and the community all have a responsibility to ensure students receive the most positive educational experience possible.
