Prevention in School

Let’s face it, school can be rigorous. You have to worry about tests, homework, quizzes, extracurricular activities, and much more. It can feel overwhelming even on a good day, but when you add bullying to the mix it can feel impossible. School is meant to be a healthy environment where students can grow both academically and socially. Bullying hinders that process. Students who have suffered from bullying can begin to have a difficult time with every other aspect of school. So, what can we do to help?

Ways to help at school:

• Build a positive school climate
  • For a positive climate reports of bullying should be taken seriously and schools should put into place a proper response to bullying incidents. Empathy is essential in creating a positive school climate.
• Advancing social and emotional learning
  • Social and emotional learning (SEL) is well known, and involves teaching skills of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision making, and relationships management. Reports of great success for both students and teachers.
• Bullying at different ages
  • SEL approaches should be developmentally wise, since what is salient and possible for children changes at different ages.
• Schools can’t do this alone!
  • Families matter, too. Bullying in schools sometimes arises from harsh parenting practices or sibling bullying at home. Children are more likely to thrive when we nurture their humanity, and offer them language and strategies and values to help them identify, express, and, thus, regulate their feelings.

Prevention at Home

Our homes are a great starting point for prevention. Creating safe and nonjudgmental conversations with children at home about bullying is critical. Bullying is a difficult topic to speak about, but having those tough conversations can truly help a child understand not only what bullying is and what to look out for, but hopefully they understand through conversations that kindness is invaluable. 

Ways to help at home:

1. Educate your children about bullying
   Once they know what bullying is, your children will be able to identify it more easily, whether it is happening to them or someone else.
2. Talk openly and frequently to your children
   The more you talk to your children about bullying, the more comfortable they will be telling you if they see or experience it. Check in with your children daily and ask about their time at school and their activities online, inquiring not only about their classes and activities, but also about their feelings.
3. Help your child be a positive role model
   There are three parties to bullying: the victim, the perpetrator, and the bystander. Even if children are not victims of bullying, they can prevent bullying by being inclusive, respectful and kind to their peers. If they witness bullying, they can stick up for the victim, offer support, and/or question bullying behaviors.
4. Help build your child’s self-confidence
   Encourage your child to enroll in classes or join activities they love in your community. This will also help build confidence as well as a group of friends with shared interests.
5. Be a role model
   Show your child how to treat other children and adults with kindness and respect by doing the same to the people around you, including speaking up when others are being mistreated. Children look to their parents as examples of how to behave, including what to post online. 
6. Be part of their online experience
   Familiarize yourself with the platforms your child uses, explain to your child how the online and the offline world are connected, and warn them about the different risks they’ll face online.