Steps+to+Stop+Bullying

Featured Author:
Julia G. Thompson

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Step 1
Make sure your school’s policy is clear and up-to-date on this issue. Every staff member should have a copy of the policy. Students should also be aware of the school’s policy and the consequences involved. If your school does not have a well-defined policy, it is important that you raise the issue with colleagues.

Step 2
A very positive step you can take with your students is to discuss the issue and allow them to talk about their fears and beliefs on the topic of bullying. They can work together to establish peer group support and to help each other see how wrong this type of abuse is. You do not have to give up hours of instructional time to accomplish this. Even a few minutes can start positive change in your school.

Step 3
Be alert for the early signs of bullying. Often teachers only see the tip of the iceberg because bullies prefer to target victims in unsupervised areas. If, for example, you notice that several students have targeted one of their classmates for disrespect or that a student is having trouble making adjustments to your class at the beginning of the term, be aware that more may be going on than you see. When students say they are “just joking,” don’t be naive. Speak privately to the offending students to make sure they know than what they are doing is in violation of the school’s policy on bullying and that you disapprove of what they are doing.

Step 4
Make a special effort to patrol the areas in your school where bullying is likely to occur. Involve other teachers and administrators in this endeavor if a routine duty assignment schedule is not already in place.

Step 5
Continue to listen carefully and document all incidents that you observe. Report your findings to an administrator or counselor. Be a loud voice against any bullying at your school.

Step 6
Put the school procedures into action when you speak to an administrator or counselor so that no time can be wasted in waiting for a response. Waiting for a response could allow the situation to escalate to more violence.

Step 7
Meet with the victim to discuss the incident and have that student write out a report of what happened. Just being able to talk about it with a concerned adult will help many victims.

Step 8
Lend your support to the victim. If an incident of physical abuse has occurred, act at once. Make sure victims are aware that you are working on their behalf.

Step 9
Meet with the bully and have that student also talk about what happened. Be firm, but don’t lecture. Have that student also put the events of the incident in writing.

Step 10
Speak to the bully and his or her parents or guardians to let them know what you have witnessed or what has been reported. They should have a clear understanding that not only is the action not acceptable, but that there is a school policy against bullying and that the incident has been reported to an administrator.

Step 11
Involve both sets of parents or guardians. Either have them come to school for separate conferences or send them copies of the written statements made by both students. Parents or guardians can be valuable resources in stopping this problem.

To learn more about the problem of bullies and the best ways to help your students with the problem, go to this site: Stomp Out Bullying. You will find lots of useful information that you can use right away.

Cyber Bullying
Cyber bullying is a relatively new harassment phenomenon that continues to spread as more and more students have access to social networking sites, cell phones, and other forms of electronic communication. Cyber bullying is just what its name implies—the harassment of one person by another through electronic means. For the classroom teacher, catching a cyber bully is a difficult task because our students’ school computer time, if used productively, is spent in academic pursuits. Cyber bullying is often more insidious than other types because it does not occur in just one place. Victims are never free of the threat as long as they carry a cell phone, check email, or belong to social networking sites. Cyber bullies, too, are often more abusive and aggressive because they are not face to face with their victims. While the general advice about bullying offered above can make it easier for students to cope with physical and verbal abuse, it can also apply to cyber bullies. While it is not our responsibility to police the way that our students use their personal electronic media to communicate with each other when not in class, teachers do have a privileged position in the lives of our students. We can offer aid and support when our students are the victims of cyber bullies. Here are the steps to follow with this kind of bullying.

Step 1
If a student confides to you that he or she is the victim of a cyber bully, the first step you should take is to take the student’s distress seriously. Talk with the student to learn the details of the harassment.

Step 2
Involve other professionals who can help your student at once. Contact your school’s technology support personnel and the administrator whose responsibility it is to cope with your school’s fair use of the Internet policy to enlist their assistance.

Step 3
At this point, other personnel should assume the primary role in helping your student with the issue. You should, however, continue to offer your support and encouragement to help the victim.

To learn more about what you can do to prevent and deal with digital harassment, there are several national organizations that can offer you and your students advice and support. One of the foremost of these organizations is Wired Kids. This group maintains an informative and helpful site at StopCyberBullying.org. Another group is the Cyber Bullying Research Center. Their site at CyberBullying.us offers constructive prevention and response tips for victims, parents, and educators.