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How To Quickly Put A Stop To
Bullying In Your Classroom!
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As an educator, you have a duty to protect your students while they are in your
care, and unfortunately, this oftentimes means protecting them from each other.
Bullying is prevalent in schools today, and many schools, in fact, have a huge
problem with it. Bullies can make other student's lives completely miserable,
causing them to dread coming to school where they are faced with jabs and taunts
that are both physical and mental or emotional in nature. Students who are
victimized by bullies often expend a great deal of their energy worrying about
being bullied and afraid of the bully than focusing on their studies. And deep
emotional scars from bullying can carry over into their adult lives, hampering
their ability to become productive, confident, and mentally-healthy individuals.
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Forms of Bullying
Bullying can take two basic forms, and often goes well beyond a simple case of
playground arguments. And although physical bullying is the most evident and
readily obvious form of bullying, emotional bullying involves taunts and teasing
that can be even more detrimental than the fear of physical harm, or the
physical harm itself. And with the new face of communication, bullying can also
be pulled off in midair via harassing and mean text messages and forwards.
Recognizing bullying is the fundamental part of stopping it.
Signs of Bullying
It is important to watch for signs of bullying in your students, especially
since many kids are apprehensive to discuss the bullying because they are
ashamed, afraid, or both. And most students won't report incidences of bullying
among their peers because of the fear of being labeled as a "snitch", or that
the bully will seek revenge against them. The three most common signs of
bullying include the unexpected and abrupt appearance of scratches, scrapes,
bruises or cuts, unexplainable and sudden reluctance to go to school, and
emotional withdrawal.
Steps to Take to Fight Bullying
If you find discover that a student in your school is being bullied, the first
step that must be taken is to notify the principle or disciplinary figure at
your school. Talk to the child who has been bullied, and assure him or her that
it is not their fault. Encourage the student that is being bullied to
cooperate with school officials, and talk to the child's parents about the
bullying incidence(s). Keeping an open dialogue is important, and it is also
important that violence is not countered by more violence, which simply
perpetuates a cycle. Hopefully, with watchful supervision, bullying can be
controlled or eliminated in our school systems, but it literally does "take a
village" to counter the problem. Toleration of bullying has gone on unchecked
for a long time in many areas of the country and in many schools, but that trend
is reversing. Many states now have legal ramifications for bullying. As an
example, the Commonwealth of Kentucky recently passed the Golden Rule Act (HB
91) that makes bullying punishable by law, with charges ranging from harassment
to harassing communication. Physical bullying can be considered as an assault.
As an educator, you can be the eyes and ears that can turn bullying around and
make schools safer for everyone in attendance.
by Jennifer Dobson
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Related Article:
The Truth About Bullies
Check out our
Classroom Management Printables for some
additional ideas!
Search the web for more information!
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