About 22% of students aged 12 to 18 in the United States have experienced some form of bullying. Any child can experience bullying. If this is a concern in your institution, there are some methods for learning how to stop bullying in schools.
Types of Bullying
To stop bullying in schools, you first have to be able to identify it. Bullying is deliberate and repetitive harm inflicted on an individual or group by another party and is characterized by an imbalance of power.
Often, when people think of bullying an image of someone getting thrown into a locker is what comes to mind. While physical bullying is a serious issue, it’s not the only type of bullying. Here are the different types of bullying:
Physical bullying can include everything from:
- Pushing
- Hitting
- Tripping
- Pinching
- Kicking
It can also involve damaging or stealing property. There can be serious short-term and long-term effects of this type of bullying, including severe injuries.
Verbal bullying is another concern. It may involve insults, name-calling, and teasing. It can also refer to saying racist or homophobic remarks or anything else that can cause harm. Verbal bullying can start as a one-off remark, but it can quickly escalate.
Social bullying is another pervasive type of bullying in schools. Unfortunately, it is one that can be harder for parents and educators to spot. Its main focus is to cause humiliation. It can involve:
- Spreading malicious rumors
- Mimicking the person behind their back
- Damaging the person’s social reputation
- Playing nasty jokes
- Menacing or contemptuous looks
- Encouraging others to exclude the person
The newest form of bullying is known as cyberbullying, which is the intentional and repeated harm caused through computers, phones, and other devices. It can be public or private and can involve social media, text messages, email, and more.
Stopping Bullying in Schools
Effective ways to stop bullying in schools are out there, but they do require systematic changes that can take time. Learn more about how to prevent bullying in schools at any age level to ensure that every child receives the same chance at a positive school experience.
Build a Positive School Environment
One of the best strategies to foster a positive school environment and prevent bullying in schools is to recognize and reward empathy and kindness above all else.
Modeling behavior is one of the best ways to prevent bullying. When adults model kindness, compassion, and empathy, it teaches young people, who may not have a model at home, what is expected of them.
Creating a sense of connection throughout the school is vital, allowing students to feel a sense of belonging with everyone else as part of a school-wide team.
It’s also important to teach students that speaking up when one of their peers is being bullied is a positive behavior. Children may feel like they’re tattling on their classmates, which could attract attention from others and harm their social reputation. Encouraging children to go to adults with their concerns, no matter how others might perceive them, can help.
In the classrooms, provide the chance for students to express themselves without fear and encourage students to engage in after-school activities that can keep them connected.
Approach Each Age Group Differently
Another important step in learning how to stop bullying in schools is to recognize that each age group will need a different focus.
High school age groups, for example, will require more of a focus on social and cyberbullying, while younger groups will benefit more from a focus on understanding why physical bullying is wrong.
Communicate Problem Behavior
In order to prevent bullying in schools, there must be two-way communication between parents and educators. Parents can be unaware that their child may be bullying others. On the other hand communication on shifts in the home can help educators look out for more nuanced behavior. It’s important to remember that the majority of children who are being bullied don’t share the problem with anyone, making it more difficult for adults to notice and address the issue.
Parents and educators both play a big role in helping children who bully others stop the problematic and harmful behavior, so building communication paths that work both ways as soon as the behavior begins is crucial.
Participate in Role-Playing Challenges
Another excellent option is to engage children in role-playing exercises that can teach them empathy. Being able to put themselves in someone else’s shoes allows them to see situations from many perspectives. That makes it less likely that they will bully others for being different.
Beginning early with young children can help encourage the right attitudes toward others. A good way to do this is to get elementary children together to speak about their differences as well as their similarities. Those types of lessons carry on as they get older.
Bring in Experts That Can Support Connection and Growth
If you’re not sure where to start when facing school bullying issues, turning to professionals who have experience helping institutions address these problems can make a difference.
Building connections with others and encouraging healthy emotional growth is complex and can require making changes to what the school focuses on and what goals it has. By turning to experts, you will be able to get the staff and even the students on the same page on what changes need to be made to foster a more positive atmosphere so that everyone can benefit from learning.
Reach Out to Rachel’s Challenge
Seeing children of any age bullying others can be frustrating and upsetting, making punishment seem like the best option. At Rachel’s Challenge, we encourage empathy on all sides of the problem, allowing children to feel heard and understood.
We offer programs live and online that can help students and administrators learn to communicate with one another in more effective ways and build connections that can prevent bullying.
Contact Rachel’s Challenge today to learn more about our services or to schedule an event.
