Bullying Prevention Strategies for School and Home

Most people look fondly, back at the memories they created while they were in school. Things like the friendships they formed, the mischief they got into, and just generally, the fun that they had with their friends are positive memories. However, there is a significant number of people whose chances of enjoying their schooling experiences are ruined due to bullying experiences.

Statistics shared by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics reveal that almost a third of young teens worldwide experience bullying in schools. In the United States of America, PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center reports that one in one in every five students reports being bullied. These statistics are quite alarming which is why bullying prevention efforts need to be scaled up in schools, within families, and in communities.

What is bullying?

Because many children of school-going age are still in the process of developing their social skills, conflicts among peers are quite

common and many of these interactions can be quite unpleasant. However, just because someone is being unpleasant or mean does not automatically make them a bully.

Bullying and normal conflicts or disagreements are quite distinct and it is important to be aware of this distinction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines bullying as “any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths, who are not siblings or current dating partners, that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance, and is repeated multiple times or is likely to be repeated.”

For behavior to be considered bullying therefore it must include the following characteristics:

Aggressive behavior– Aggressive behaviors can be both physical (hitting, shoving/pushing, kicking, forcefully taking or breaking another person’s property, etc.) and verbal (verbal threats to inflict harm, shaming, name-calling, repeated teasing, etc.) These aggressive behaviors can be actuated face-to-face or through online interactions and they normally result in physical or psychological harm to the person being bullied.

Real or perceived power imbalance

Most bullies tend to draw their power from one or all of the following sources:

• physical strength which they use against a person or people of a lesser physical stature.
• economic status which is used against underprivileged students.
• popularity amongst peers which is used against the less popular students.
• knowing or having control over sensitive or embarrassing information about the bullied person.

Repeated and targeted behavior

Bullies normally target the same person or the same people toward whom they repeatedly direct their aggressive behavior. A once-off aggressive incident does not therefore necessarily constitute bullying.

Signs that someone is being bullied

Bullies can be cunning in that they target their victims during those times and places when people in authority like teachers are not in the vicinity. Bullies are also often feared by a majority of students therefore no one is quick to want to report them. This is why many bullying incidents remain unreported and undetected by teachers and other school authorities.

Victims of bullying are usually reluctant to report because they fear the aggressive behavior(s) might get worse or that the bully may carry through some of the threats for example sharing embarrassing or sensitive information with the whole school or on the internet.

Victims of bullying may also be too embarrassed to reveal that they are being bullied and would rather suffer in silence hoping the bullying will eventually stop. However, bullying thrives in silence. This is why parents, guardians, or teachers need to be aware of some common signs of bullying. The most common signs and symptoms to look out for include the following:

• Unexplained bruises or other injuries.
• Unexplained torn clothes or uniforms.
• Frequently “losing” or breaking property- a bully may just be taking their property or intentionally damaging it.
• Reluctance to go to school.
• Sudden avoidance of school social events or gatherings.
• Abrupt and unexplained ending of known friendships.
• Unexplained behavior or personality changes.
• Change in eating habits and patterns (This would require you to observe your child over time to establish a changed pattern. Sometimes bullies eat their victim’s food which would make the victim hungry and immediately want to eat the minute they get home. A victim may also eat for comfort or lose their appetite due to anxiety.)
• Insisting that nothing is wrong even when you can see that they have been crying.
• Frequent and recurrent nightmares.

Bullying prevention strategies

Bullying is more than just a school problem because its effects have far-reaching mental and physical health consequences. While some people recover on their own from the effects of bullying, a significant number must deal with the consequences into their adulthood and some recover only through therapy. For bullying prevention strategies to be effective, it requires concerted efforts by school authorities, the whole student body, parents, and communities.

In schools

• Schools must have clear and comprehensive anti-bullying policies which well and repeatedly communicated to authorities, students, and their parents and guardians.
• Teachers and other school staff members must be trained on bullying to increase their awareness and strengthen their responses to issues of bullying.
• Schools must make efforts to increase the visibility of teachers in isolated areas of the school during break times.
• Where bullying incidences have been reported, schools must not take these lightly but rather investigate them and take appropriate actions.
• Students must be encouraged to adopt a “see something, say something” approach to bullying so that even when a victim himself/herself does not make a report, someone else who might be aware of the situation can make a report on their behalf.
• Reporting channels must be as safe as possible to ensure that nothing “backfires” on the person making the report.
• Bullies are often victims of other social events/circumstances and instead of resorting to just punitive solutions, schools must adopt rehabilitative solutions each according to the particular circumstances of the case to try and assist the bullies.
• As far as practically possible, schools must be equipped to offer victims of bullying the psychosocial support that they require.

At home

• Parents need to create a safe environment for their children so that they feel free to report anything that may be happening to them.
• Parents and guardians need to be aware of the common signs and symptoms of bullying so that they may be able to tell if their child is being bullied in school.
• Bullying can have far-reaching negative consequences so as parents or guardians, it is important to get your child the psychosocial help that they may require to recover from bullying incidences.
• Sometimes bullies copy the aggressive behaviors they are constantly exposed to in their homes, so families need to avoid exposing their children to violence and aggressive behaviors.
• Parents and guardians need to be aware of their children’s online presence and must set the necessary boundaries for such online presence to avoid cases of cyberbullying.
• Young teens must be made aware of the dangers of sharing sensitive information online including nude pictures which may be used to bully them.
• Parents and guardians must constantly speak to their children about the negative consequences of bullying for both the bullies and the victims of bullying.
• Parents must also encourage their children to safely report any incidents they may be aware of.
• If your child confides in you that they are being bullied, do not trivialize it, assure them you will give them the support they need, and immediately bring the matter to the attention of the school and insist they investigate it.
• No parent wants to believe their child is a bully, however, if you are made aware that your child is bullying others, instead of being defensive, do everything you can to cooperate with the school and to get your child the help they need.

Need to talk?

Bullying is an intense topic even for adults. This is true whether you are a parent or guardian of someone being bullied or someone who is bullying others. If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone on this heavy topic, contact California Christian Counseling today and we would be happy to assist you.