Although October is bullying prevention month, sadly students are bullied year round and bullying prevention should be a priority for schools all year long.
Everyone knows what bullying is, but it’s important for teachers and school staff to have a deep understanding of the circle of bullying. Bullying involves not only the student who is doing the bullying and the student who is being bullied, but it many cases it also involves the students who witness or are aware of the bullying. These students can choose to be passive bystanders, upstanders (who take action to try to stop the bullying), or reinforcers (who encourage and reinforce the bullying behavior). Many students may want to help stop the bullying but do nothing for fear the bully will turn on them. This may, in turn, cause feelings of guilt or shame. Furthermore, bullying also affects bystanders by making them feels less safe and more anxious at school. To learn more about the circle of bullying, access a free download of chapter 2 of Ken Shore’s book The Bullying Prevention Book of Lists on the Free Resources section of our website.
School staff should especially keep an eye out for bullying of students with disabilities, who are at heightened risk. Sixty percent of students with disabilities report having been bullied. Another vulnerable population is LBGTQ students, who are 90 more likely to be bullied than their heterosexual peers. Download more about bullying of LGBTQ students on the free resources section of our website.
Educators know about cyberbullying, but may think that there is nothing they can do about something happening online. In fact, there are many steps schools can take to prevent and respond to cyberbullying. Anything that disrupts the learning environment is subject to discipline, and students must know that they can face consequences for cyberbullying at school. This should be spelled out in your school’s anti-bullying policy. Teach students what they should do when they are cyberbullied, including reporting it and keeping all evidence. And always emphasize social emotional learning to help prevent students from bullying in the first place.
