| |
|
Bullying - Knowledge and Prevention
Upcoming Events
August 14th - Student Picture Day
The definition indicates that bullying involves the use of one's strength or
status to intimidate, injure, or humiliate another person of lesser strength or
status, and that bullying could be physical,
verbal, or
social.
Research shows that bullying reaches its peak in both frequency and
severity during middle school and then declines in high
school. It becomes more sophisticated as adolescents' cognitive and
verbal abilities increase, leading to more indirect and group bullying, both of
which can be hard to detect and combat.
Documents for parents:
Resource:
E-ssential Guide - Parent's Guide to Problem Behaviors
(Richt Click and
select "Save Target As" to download the entire article)
There are many types of bullying (see below). It can be direct, such as
pushing or shoving, or indirect, such as rumors or graffiti, and can include
boys or girls, individuals or groups. The following characteristics define a
bullying situation:
- An imbalance of power—physical, psychological, or
intellectual—that hinders victims from defending themselves.
- Repeated negative actions that usually (not always) occur over a
period of time.
- Intentional harm. Bullies purposefully choose actions that will
hurt or intimidate the targeted victim.
- Unequal levels of affect. Victims typically display unusually
high levels of emotional distress, while the bully demonstrates little
emotion and often blames the victim for the aggressive act by saying,
"He/She deserved it."
Surprisingly, it is not being different that repeatedly
pulls a student into a victim role with a bully; it is the student's reaction to
the bullying. Bullies target those who they can upset or over whom they
can assert power.
Victims of bullying often experience physical symptoms and emotional reactions,
including nervousness, worrying, stomach-aches, headaches, and fatigue, all of
which directly interfere with a student's ability to focus on schoolwork and
contribute to poor school attendance.
It is not only the direct victims of bullying who feel unsafe. All students who
know about or witness bullying incidents are deeply affected as well. They
conclude that adults either ignore or do not notice these situations, and their
sense of security in the school environment and in their own well-being is
shaken, compromising their ability to learn.
Teachers are also affected. Often they must spend time attending to disruptive
students and interpersonal conflicts within the classroom, instead of focusing
on academics.
Types of Bullying
- Physical aggression—physical harm or destroying property.
- Social aggression—rumors, racial slurs, or exclusion from a group.
- Verbal aggression—name-calling, teasing, or threatening.
- Intimidation—phone calls, dirty tricks, or taking possessions.
- Written aggression—threatening notes or graffiti.
- Sexual harassment—comments or actions of a sexual nature, which make the
recipient uncomfortable.
- Racial and cultural (ethnic) harassment—comments or actions containing
racial or ethnic overtones (direct or indirect) which make the recipient
uncomfortable.
Battling Bullying
At Prairie Middle School, we take the bullying problem seriously. We have
adapted the Bully Proofing Your School program (Garrity et al. 1996) to
meet the unique developmental needs of middle school students, designing
interventions to develop a "caring majority." It is a comprehensive program that
includes all systems that impact the school environment—from administration to
transportation. The entire school gives a consistent message that bullying and
harassment are not tolerated.
The main focus of the program is creating a school climate that feels safe and
secure for all members of the school community. We give students practical tools
not only to avoid victimization but to stand up and help others. We developed
seven classroom lessons for each grade level, which can be facilitated by the
teacher alone or with an administrator, counselor, or mental health
professional. The lessons are meant to be fun and to foster thoughtful dialogue
among students about difficult social decisions. Topics include empathy, taking
a stand, friendly versus hurtful teasing, sexual harassment versus flirting, and
creative problem solving.
To teach specific skills to avoid victimization, we use the acronym "HA HA SO" (see
below). A common vocabulary is emphasized throughout the curriculum and used
by all members of the school community.
"HA HA SO"
The acronym "HA HA SO" provides students with strategies to avoid bully
victimization.
Help. Seek assistance from an adult, friend,
or peer when a potentially threatening situation arises
or when other strategies aren't working.
Assert Yourself. Make assertive statements
to the bully, addressing your feelings about the bully's
behavior.
Humor. Use humor to de-escalate a situation.
Avoid. Walk away or avoid certain places in
order to avoid a bullying situation.
Self-Talk. Use positive self-talk to
maintain positive self-esteem.
Own It. "Own" the put-down or belittling
comment in order to defuse it.
Empowering Bystanders
A unique component of Bully Proofing Your School—The Middle Years is that
it focuses on "bystanders," the 85 percent of students in a school who are
neither bullies nor victims. This "silent majority" is often an ignored and
underused resource in our schools.
These students generally have well-developed social skills, but are often
confused about both their responsibilities and their roles in bullying
situations. They do not get involved because they don't know what to do, fear
retaliation or making the situation worse, or worry about losing social status.
The program teaches them skills they need to become a "caring majority."
Students learn they must share with adults the responsibility for keeping our
school safe and caring. We remind them that their fears are normal and that
there is strength in numbers. We also provide methods of reporting bullying
incidents anonymously or privately.
Support for Victims
When bullying does happen, victims are vulnerable and often likely to blame
themselves. The following suggestions can empower the victim and help them avoid
repeated bullying attacks.
- Reduce fear by being empathetic and supportive.
- Reduce self-blame by identifying cruel behavior.
- Connect the victim to helpful peers.
- Teach "HA HA SO" (see box) strategies to avoid revictimization.
- Provide individual help with friendship skills.
Combating violence and bullying are difficult issues for schools. But when the
systems surrounding the students come together, and the powerful silent majority
is mobilized to take a stand for its fellow peers, a true sense of community can
develop. By learning to rely on each other, we all benefit.
Tips to Decrease Bullying Incidents
- Maintain adequate supervision of children.
- Make sure the entire school understands that bullying, teasing, and
harassing will not be tolerated.
- Train and expect teachers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers—all who
supervise children—to intervene in both direct and indirect bullying
situations.
- Communicate clear policies and consequences to staff and students for
dealing with bullying.
- Discipline bullies in a no-nonsense style.
Reference
Garrity, C.; Jens, K.; Porter, W.; Sager, N.; and Short-Camilli, C. Bully
Proofing Your School: A Comprehensive Approach for Elementary Schools.
Longmont, Colo.: Sopris West, 1996.
--------------------
Marla Bonds is a psychologist at Prairie Middle School in Aurora, Colorado
and is co- author with Sally Stoker of Bully Proofing Your School—The Middle
Years (available June 2000).
| |
