Bullying is intentional abuse in some kind of relationship. It can be verbal, physical, or social, and it causes physical, social, and psychological trauma. Bullying can happen in person, but nowadays a lot of bullying also happens through the internet and social media. Bullying can be against only one individual, or it can also involve a group of people. Bullying usually happens repeatedly, or it has the potential to be repeated. Bullying has an immediate impact on the people involved, and it also impacts the people who are bystanders. It can also have a long-term impact. Some people who have suffered from bullying have to deal with the consequences their whole lives. Bullying ranges from indirect to direct behaviours, from ‘just having fun on someone’ or irritating them to an assault to criminal behaviour. A single incident is not considered to be bullying.
Bullying in school involves the psychological, emotional, cyber, sexual, social, or physical harassment of one person by another person at school or in the school community. School bullying doesn’t have to take place only in school. It can also happen on the way to the school, in the shops that most of the people who are involved with the school use, in sporting centres, at parties, in parks, and also on the internet. Bullying can take place in kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, colleges, and also in universities. Bullying can happen in every type of school.
The most typical is verbal bullying. It can be, most of the time, also the most painful one. It includes teasing, harassment, and name-calling. There are also threats, rumours, physical violence, and ruining someone’s property. Cyberbullying involves being traced or blocked from some groups. Cyberbullying is done with technology to harm someone else by posting harmful messages, pictures, or comments. Cyberbullying is often anonymous. Bullying is also when someone is excluded, gossiped about behind their back, or uses non-verbal body language. Statistics show that usually the ones that are bullied are students who are part of LGBT, whose parents have a lower education, are seen as provocative, vulnerable, or atypical, and are outsiders. They are at greater risk of becoming victims of bullies.
There is a sad statistic about bullying. Most of the kids have either been bullied, they have bullied others, or they have witnessed bullying. There are at least one in four children who have been bullied regularly at school. Because of bullying, many kids miss school. Also, the performance in school is low. Some students even take weapons with them to protect themselves. Bullying usually happens more at the beginning of the school year. Some students change schools because they have been bullied. Bullying can also lead to suicide. Statistics show that many suicides have happened because a person was bullied. Also, more than 50% of teachers get bullied at school.
First of all, to start the fight against bullying at school, everyone should understand the definition. That way, students, teachers, and other staff can recognize it more easily. Sometimes teachers and school personal can unknowingly judge students if they use labels like ‘bully’ and ‘victim’. It means maybe these students, who at first looked like they were causing trouble, weren’t the ones. If bullying occurs, then the staff should address the negative behaviour, for example, if someone is disturbing the lesson or harassing other students. Students should also know what happens afterwards if bullying occurs.
To avoid bullying in the first place, there should be clear rules. An important thing when it comes to setting the rules is that they have to be age-appropriate. For younger students, there are less and more simple rules. Researchers have given some suggestions on how the rules should be set. For example, they should state the rules in a positive way. The rules should cover different situations. Students have to understand the rules, and the teacher has to memorize the rules for the students from time to time.
A good way to stop bullying is to reword positive behaviour. When someone does something unappropriated, it is important to notice it and point it out. Good behaviour often goes unnoticed because we are expected to act nicely. When someone who often gets into trouble does something good, it should be noticed because it can help reinforce the positive behaviour. For example, for one critical comment, affirm at least four to five positive comments. Don’t criticize students in public, and give one-on-one feedback.
Often, when it comes to bullying, no one wants to talk about it. To avoid this, the schools should encourage open communication. Whether it is in the class or in the school territory and everyone feels that they are being listened to and the environment is safe to speak up, then it can stop bullying. And the students and staff are more likely to speak about the problems. To encourage this kind of environment, it is good to have classroom meetings and also one-on-one conversations.
To reduce bullying, the parents of the students should also be involved. Schools should let caretakers know how their children are doing in school, not just the grades. Parents, together with teachers, can have a big impact on how the students behave.
When bullying occurs, it is important to separate the students who were involved. Bullying doesn’t involve only bullies and victims. There are also bystanders. Bystanders can often encourage the bullies to act that way. When the teacher interviews the students who were involved, they should show empathy. With the interviewing process, it is best to first listen to the bystanders and then the other students. Teachers should also follow up, because this will show that you really care about the problem.
To stop bullying, the hot spots should be monitored. There are some places where bullying is more likely to happen. For example, 43% of bullying happens in hallways, 42% in classrooms, 27% in cafeterias, 22% outside the school territory, 15% online, and 12% in bathrooms. So, to avoid bullying, there should be staff in those places so that the students can feel safe.
In conclusion, everyone in the school should work together to create a better environment where there is no place for bullying.
Sources:
https://www.bullying.com.au/school-bullying/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_bullying
https://www.crisisprevention.com/blog/education/reducing-bullying-in-schools-10-effective-tips/
https://www.schoolsafety.gov/sites/default/files/2023-03/Bullying%20Prevention%20Strategies%20and%20Resources.pdf