Bullying in schools.
Photo by: Joe Shlabotnik
A recent report warns that incidents of bullying in UK schools are on the increase. The report, which included a questionnaire asking the opinions of over 300 children found that two-thirds of them thought that bullying is getting worse. Pupils suffering bullying are now carrying weapons, apparently in response to the increased threat. There are some people who believe in the eye-for-an-eye argument but, at the same time, two wrongs don’t make a right.
So what should be done? Firstly, a pupil who is being bullied needs to tell someone. A teacher, parent, friend, the police, etc. They need help and support to sort the problem out. If the pupils keeps it to themselves their unhappiness and anxiety will increase. This can lead to truancy, illness, under-achievement, depression and, unfortunately, sometimes suicide. Check out this story from the BBC news.
Secondly, schools need to have a zero-tolerance policy on bullying to send out a strong message that this type of behaviour is not acceptable. Exclusions should be mandatory for bullying. Parents and, sometimes, the police should also be involved in addressing this problem.
It seems that bulling occurs in and out of school including the use of social networking websites, e-mail and mobile phones. (So called cyber bullying)
Bullying can take the form of mental and physical abuse. Whether name calling or hitting, something needs to be done.
Popular advice if you are being bullied includes:
Tell someone who can help.
Ignore the bully. But tell someone.
Walk away. But tell someone.Stick with your friends.
Try to keep your emotions under control around the bully. If they see you upset, they know they are getting to you and will carry on.
Violence often breeds violence.
Get together with other pupils and go and see the Head teacher to demand something is done.
If you are a teacher you need to address the problem and not ignore it. By turning a blind eye you are letting down some of your most vulnerable pupils. You must take action. If you cannot deal with this issue effectively you must escalate and pass on up the information so that something is done. It is your duty to act. Not just for the victim but for the bully too. A bully needs help. Bullies often have been bullied themselves and often have low self- esteem. Getting bullying sorted out must be a priority for all teachers and schools.
Teachers can:
If a child tells you they are being bullied, take them seriously and do something about it.
Actively monitor bullying and challenge this behaviour.
Pass information up. It may be part of a pattern relating to certain pupils.
Encourage pupils to speak up if they witness or are involved in bullying. Anti-bullying bystander behaviour can be a positive way to combat the problem.
Make sure your school has an anti- bullying policy and that it is enforced.
Systems of peer mentoring where older pupils act as role models and provide a support system for younger pupils have worked well.
Make it clear to pupils what bullying behaviour is.
Promote an ethos that bullying is unacceptable and definitely not cool.
Teachers can get bullied too. If you are effected by workplace bullying and harassment check out my get help page and read how I was bullied by my mentor on my PGCE placement.
What do you think about bullying and what should be done to tackle this growing problem?
Post your comments and stories at the Crazy Class forum.
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