Bullying in schools is still misunderstood by many. Despite years of work identifying and trying to find solutions to the problem, bullying and aggressive behavior continues to challenge young people in schools of all grade levels. One big stumbling block to the issue is education. Only by getting kids, parents, and educators all on the same page can we hope to eliminate this problem.
I’m school assembly performer Ken Scott. After performing fun and educational school assembly programs in Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, and other parts of the United States, I have seen ways some schools have successfully reduced bullying and aggressive behavior. I’m writing this article and others like it to help schools like yours stay safe for children.
This article will cover several parts of the topic of bullying. First, I’ll provide a loose definition of bullying. I say “loose” because the definition shifts depending on who is giving it. Then I’ll cover who is most likely to be bullies and how it affects them, both short-term and long-term. Finally, I’ll outline some ways to reduce bullying in your school. Let’s dive in.
What is Bullying Behavior?
We can look at bullying as any aggressive behavior that is targeted, repeated, and intentional. Bullying includes an imbalance of power and can happen at any grade level. Bullies give a hard time to children smaller or younger than them. And sometimes bullies travel in packs, giving them a numbers advantage.
This means a lot of behavior labeled as bullying really isn’t. Think about it. When we teach our kids to report bullying behavior, sometimes they get a little overzealous. When one kindergarten student tells a teacher that she was called a “doo-doo head,” is that bullying or just a disagreement between two children?
That’s what makes ferreting out bullying so challenging. Add to that the sneaky nature of some bullying behavior. Spreading rumors, threatening or obscene gestures, and other covert kinds of bullying are often harder to prove.
Who Are Victims of Bullying?
When you think about it, nearly anyone can be the target of bullying. Maybe it’s a student at a new school. Or someone smaller in stature than most of the other kids. It could be the “different kid,” the one who has unusual interests. The child who has trouble making a true friend. A student with special needs may be a target.
But the most common victims of bullying are the kids who have trouble making friends. They’re the ones most likely to be the target of a bully’s wrath. They’re the ones we need to watch out for.
How Bullying Affects the Victims
For decades, society viewed bullying as “no big deal” or “boys just being boys.” In recent years, psychologists and educators are realizing just how devastating bullying can be. Bullying severely damages kids both short-term and well into adulthood.
The immediate aftermath of bullying is brutal. Kids have trouble concentrating in school. Often, their test grades drop. They may experience severe anxiety. And if they were already a shy kid, they may have even more difficulty making new friends. They may become withdrawn and suffer depression.
Long-term, the outlook is even more troubling. The psychological damage stemming from childhood bullying can affect their ability to interact with people even as adults. Their depression can affect their job search. In short, bullying can damage someone for life.
The Right Mindset to Reduce Bullying
No matter what useful tools you try, one thing is crucial. Everyone needs to be on board. Parents, educators, and school faculty need to be supportive of one another. Each has to acknowledge it’s happening. Each must be willing to accept some responsibility to help the problem.
I know another assembly presenter in another part of the country. He was performing a school once where the principal told the kids to behave while in school. He then added, “Outside of school, we don’t care what you do.” Wow!
5 Strategies to Handle Bullying in Your School
There are several ways to handle bullying. Below are just a few of the most common and effective solutions caring adults at schools have used.
Start a Bully Prevention Program
Everyone in your school must be made aware of what constitutes bullying. Young children have to know what the behavior is so they can define it and report it. Rather than just hanging up posters from the U.S. Department of Health or other organization, or playing a short film, a great way is getting the kids actively involved in different ways.
Have younger students draw pictures. Give writing assignments to older grades. Have contests for classes. Frame your contest around ‘kindness points.’ Focus on the positive ways kids treat each other.
Getting kids involved is an important and fun way to raise awareness. By taking part in something, they’ll feel more of a sense of ownership. And they’ll even start ‘policing’ each other. And this helps take the pressure off of your busy and overwhelmed faculty!
Start a ‘Buddy Bench’
Ostracized kids often feel as though they have no one to turn to. They feel lonely and targeted. Many schools have created a Buddy Bench to give these children an outlet or a way to reach out. As the name implies, a Buddy Bench is simply a special bench on the playground. It’s there for kids who need help joining a group of friends. Everyone in school is told what the bench is and how to use it.
In any group, there will always be compassionate children. When they see a child on the bench, they are encouraged to go to them, reach out, and be a friend. They can lend an ear to the lonely child. This is a very effective strategy. Children may have trouble opening up to a trusted adult. But talking to older students, even if they are not best friends, may be easier for them.
Anonymous Bully Box
Most schools that are proactive in bully prevention tell the children to see a trusted adult if they have bully problems. But some victims of bullying feel intimidated by the idea of reaching out. They worry that if they report what happened, the bully could retaliate.
Schools with successful anti-bullying programs have started anonymous boxes for reporting bullying behavior. Think of it as a ballot box. Kids can drop in an unsigned note explaining the bullying behavior, who did it, and where it happened.
This is also useful for kids who are direct victims of bullying but saw it happen to someone else. Many bystanders seeing bullying want to help but are afraid to get directly involved. With the bully box, they have a way to help the problem safely and discreetly.
Add Bully Prevention Lesson Plans to Your Curriculum
Fold anti-bullying education into your classroom lesson plans. One reason why bullying ran rampant for so long is a lack of awareness or involvement. It felt like no one (except maybe the school counselor) took it seriously because it was rarely talked about. As mentioned earlier in this article, the more education and awareness, the more we can get everyone on the same page.
Include Social Media Education
The most attractive features of social media platforms are also their biggest flaws. Social media’s far-reaching abilities make it so easy to bully others from afar. And another problem? It’s there forever. Despite what many people think, it’s very hard to truly scrub something off the Internet. The results? Insensitive and hurtful content on the web can cause problems or embarrassment for the victim for a very long time.
And because people constantly carry their cell phones, they are always at risk everywhere they go.
Include a cyberbullying module in your bully prevention program lesson plan. Let kids know that just because it’s not face-to-face, cyberbullying is still bullying. This applies to middle school and high school students, too. Include it for all grade levels. Even a first grader can be the victim of online harassment.
The Perfect Launch for a School-Wide Anti-Bullying Campaign
Want to make a big splash when launching your school’s anti-bullying plan? I have a fun, magical, and educational program for elementary school children. It’s called “The Magic in You,” and it’s filled with powerful messages of respect, tolerance, and encouragement.
Best of all, each lesson or message is illustrated by amazing magic! Your students get directly involved with the program, too. I get the entire audience involved and have several students help out onstage. You can use this show during National Bullying Prevention Month or anytime during the school year. “The Magic in You” is also perfect for a character education campaign, too. To get your free, no-obligation information, contact me today.