Ways to Prevent School Bullying

Watch for Signs

• Before bullying can be prevented, both parents and educators must first realize that it exists. The first step to realization is making yourself aware of the warning signs which accompany bullying.

  Parents: You may begin to notice your child is coming home with unexplained bruises or cuts, his clothes may be torn or dirty or perhaps he has lost items and cannot tell you why he has lost them. These may all be signs that he is being bullied. As time goes on you may notice he's taking a longer route to school; this could be an attempt to avoid his bully before school hours. He may also begin asking for money, or simply begin taking it; he could be trying to pacify his offender with hopes he will be left alone. Your child may also begin having difficulty sleeping, suffering from nightmares due to the trauma he is suffering from at the hands of his abuser.

  Educators: You may notice a bullied child missing more time from school due to a fear of his environment. You may also begin to see him withdraw from other students, have a hard time focusing in class and see a decline in his grades.

  These are all warning signs of bullying and should not be ignored.

Open Communication

• The next step in preventing bullying is to maintain open communication with all children, all the time.

  Parents: If your child begins displaying any of the above warning signs, find a way to ask her about it. Keep in mind that even if she is being bullied, she may be reluctant to tell anyone, even you. This is not to protect the bully, but to protect herself. You may need to be nonchalant when you talk to her, asking questions like what her day was like, whether or not she has any friends she would like to invite over or why she seems afraid to go to school. Show her compassion and love, and make her feel secure. Unless she feels she can trust you explicitly, she may not tell you what is happening or who is terrorizing her.

  Educators: You can communicate to all of your students by holding a school assembly to address the problem of bullying. During this meeting, help all the children understand how it would feel if they were being singled out and taunted relentlessly. You also need to make it clear what your school's policy is on bullying and the consequences which accompany it. Finally, you need to make the majority feel empowered. Bullies are typically not the majority, therefore, letting the students know that they can and should report any incidents of bullying they either experience or observe may make them feel as though they some control over a situation they thought was hopeless.

Ensure Safety

• A child will generally not tell an adult he is being bullied unless he feels safe doing so. Therefore, both parents and educators need to do their part to ensure the safety of the child to prevent and end bullying.

  Parents: If your child walks to and from school, arrange for someone to walk him to and from school. If he rides the bus and this is where the incidents are taking place, arrange for either you or another family member to take him to and from school.

  Educators: You can begin by providing an anonymous means for children to report any incidents of bullying, whether they are involved or witnessed an incident. Boxes can be set up in each classroom for the children to place notes in about the incidents. Make it clear as well that there is an open-door policy for students; the principal or vice-principal should be available at all times to listen to student concerns or problems.

Take Action

• To prevent bullying, you must first stop the bullying taking place. To do this, you must take immediate action whenever you are made aware that this situation is taking place.

  Parents: You must contact the school as soon as your child opens up and gives you the name of her bully. The school has a responsibility to your child while she is on their property to protect her from this type of harassment. Insist on setting up a meeting the next day with her principal and guidance counselor to discuss how the situation will be handled and resolved.

  Educators: You need to take each and every report of bullying seriously, investigating each one as soon as you are told about it. While doing so, you must make sure the student being bullied is protected at all times; have a teacher walk her from class to class, be sure she is monitored while eating lunch and offer her the opportunity to spend free time in a classroom with a teacher rather than outside where she can be harassed. You also need to stay in close contact with her parents, ensuring a safe form of transportation has been arranged.

Discipline

• This section pertains solely to educators and is a vital step in the process.

  Once you have determined who the offender is and that the accusations are founded, consequences are in order. Though you want him to learn a lesson, you want to avoid humiliating or embarrassing him; this will only make his behavior worse. Instead, devise a plan that will help change his aggressive behavior.

  First, if he has taken any property from the person or people he has been bullying, he needs to return it. If the property is money, he needs to repay it. Next, prohibit him from entering any areas or participating in any activities where his bullying took place. Finally, set up a meeting with his parents and request their cooperation in changing his behavior. Ask their permission to have him spend his free class with the school's guidance counselor; these meetings may help him uncover personal problems causing his aggressive behavior toward others. Also make it clear to the student that his parents support disciplinary action being taken by the school; this will help him realize he truly cannot get away with his actions.