Children go to school to learn, and they need to be in a safe environment in order to do so. All kids deserve protection at school. Therefore, it is every school's responsibility to make sure that their students are safe and protected. Experts say that the best anti-bullying programs are the ones that are school-wide and involve the whole school community of staff, students, and parents. In other words, a school can't just deal with an individual bully and victim. Also, a school can't just have a one-time bullying assembly, but instead has to develop an ongoing program that starts and never ends. Research shows that bullying decreases in schools that use this kind of school-wide approach.
Many bullying prevention campaigns first conduct a student survey about bullying in order to find out about the specific bullying behaviors in their schools. It is best if the students do not have to put their names on the surveys. Results of the surveys will show what types of bullying are happening, where the bullying is happening, when the bullying is happening, how much bullying is happening, etc. This information will help the schools figure out the best way to deal with the bullying problem.
Anti-bullying Programs
There are several great anti-bullying programs that schools can use. Many of them are based on an excellent program called "The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program." This program was developed in the 1980's by a psychologist in Norway named Dan Olweus. The program tries to prevent and lessen bullying, help kids get along better, and make the school environment more positive. Over a dozen countries worldwide have used the Olweus program. Studies show that the occurrence of bullying in schools that use this program decreased by 50% within two years. Olweus developed this program due to his concern about the fact that several students committed suicide after being bullied. A main part of his program is encouraging witnesses, or the "Caring Majority" of students who are neither bullies nor victims, to speak up when they see bullying.
Another program is called "Bully Proofing Your School," and it consists of three separate parts. The first part teaches the students about what bullying is, as well as its effect on victims. It also involves developing classroom and school rules that show that bullying will not be accepted. The second part of Bully Proofing teaches students how to decrease the chances that they will become victims of bullying, and also teaches them ways to handle it if they are bullied. Finally, the last part of this program, like the Olweus program, aims to reach the "Caring Majority" in a school to teach them that they must report bullying whenever they see it happening.
"Stop Bullying Now" is another excellent resource for schools to use. It was developed by the United States Government's Department of Health and Human Services, along with 17 other organizations. It is the biggest anti-bullying effort developed by a government, and it includes information for students, parents, school staff, law enforcement, and community. A "Youth Expert Panel," made up of youth ages 9-18, also helped create this program. The program includes print materials and a DVD with "webisodes" of bullying situations, public service announcements, and video workshops for law enforcement, schools, mental health workers, etc. This program is available free of charge to schools.
What Kids Need to Know About Bullying?
As mentioned in the "Bully Proofing Program Your School" program, students need to be taught a lot about bullying in order for a program to be successful. Also, experts say that bullying education must begin at a young age, like kindergarten, in order to be most effective. Kids need to know the following:
- What bullying is?
- Different types of bullying
- How to deal with bullying if they are a victim ("HA-HA-SO")
- How to deal with bullying if they are a witness ("S.A.V.E.")
- Why they must report bullying
- Why they should include kids who are alone and more likely to be bullied
- The difference between tattling and telling
Also, kids can practice what they've learned by role playing scenes about how to deal with bullying. When everyone in a school uses the same language about bullying (i.e. ''bully," "victim," ''witness," "respect," "reporting," etc.), it is more likely that the school's bully proofing efforts will be successful.
Staff Members and Parents Need to Know About Bullying
Kids are not the only ones who need to know about bullying prevention. School staff members also need to be taught about bullying behaviors and how to deal with them. Finally, parents must be made aware of the anti-bullying program, too, so that they can support what is happening at school. They could be informed by newsletters, P.T.A. meetings, parent-teacher conferences, etc. This way parents will be able to help their kids at home, whether they are bullies, victims, or witnesses.
Create a School Bullying Prevention Policy
Also, experts suggest that schools should create a policy about bullying. According to the Scottish Council for Research in Education in Glasgow, Scotland, research proves that a bullying policy which is known and supported by everyone in the school, and that is enforced on a consistent basis, is very helpful in the fight against bullying. The policy should include:
- How the school will attempt to prevent bullying
- How the school will educate students about bullying
- How the school will supervise the areas where bullying occurs most frequently
- How the school will deal with bullying when it happens
- How students and parents will also get involved in order to prevent and deal with bullying
In summary, as mentioned earlier, programs that are school-wide and involve students, parents, and staff are most effective. Also, anti-bullying campaigns should be continuous from year to year and should be a regular part of what happens in a school. Student surveys and bullying policies are other actions that should be taken in the school's fight against bullying.
By: Nursazella
No comments:
Post a Comment