How to Effectively Deal with Bullying at School
What is bullying? Bullying is repeated interactions that cause emotional or physical distress.
This includes aggressive and intimidating behavior meant to control others. Physical, mental, verbal, cyber, or social oppression are examples of this.
Hitting, kicking, shoving, teasing, name-calling, intimidation, social exclusion, and other demeaning gestures are some of the many forms of bullying. It’s typical for bullying to occur in school environments.
In fact, one out of every five students report being bullied. Of the students who report being bullied, 13% were made fun of, called names, or insulted. Another 13% were the subject of rumors. 5% were pushed, shoved, tripped, or spat on, and another 5% were purposely excluded from activities.
Many victims of bullying report that they were targeted because of their physical appearance, race/ethnicity, gender, disability, religion, or sexual orientation. 41% of students subjected to bullying indicate that they think this torment will continue.
This is why preventing bullying must become a priority, as school settings should remain disciplined, safe, and respectful.
The rest of this blog will tell you how to prevent bullying by explaining the three R’s of dealing with bullying at school; Recognize, Respond, and Report.
First of all, you will want to recognize signs of bullying. You want to recognize who the bully is and what he/she is doing to harm others. Always be attentive in areas where bullying might occur, such as bus stops, bathrooms, playgrounds, extracurricular activities, etc. Remember that bullying creates an unsettling aura for the environment. Victims will most likely show signs that they are being bullied, such symptoms include depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, deteriorating physical health, many absences, and in some extreme cases, suicidal thoughts. Be sure to remember all these signs as you look out for the bullies and victims at school.
Once you identify the bully and his/her actions, the next step is to respond to both the bully and the victim. If you are a witness to someone being bullied, consider taking an active role in stopping bullying attempts. This could be done by telling a trusted adult, or even by going up to tell the bully to stop their behavior. It’s equally important to support and comfort the victim. Meanwhile, if you are a part of the school personnel, you will want to address the troublemaker’s actions and alert the guardians so that improvement can be made.
After you recognize and respond to the bully, the final step is to report what is happening. It depends on your school, but normally you will be asked to write a formal grievance statement. Make sure you identify all incidents and include several important details. In severe cases, the school might want to further investigate the situation. Under those circumstances, all/if any witnesses may be interviewed, and a large number of students could be surveyed.
Why is stopping bullying so important? If bullying doesn’t resolve, then conflicts can result in physical injury, social and emotional distress, self-harm, and in the worst cases, death. Furthermore, bullying also increases the risk of depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, lower academic achievement, and dropping out of school. 29.2% of the total risk of depression at 18 years old can be explained by bullying in school during adolescence. Research has also shown that people who have been bullied report more severe anxiety symptoms than others.
That is why stopping bullying is so important. If we don’t take active steps to prevent bullying, the lifelong psychological damage can be inflicted on our children. In conclusion, bullying is never justifiable. Speak up, speak out, and get help using the three R’s: recognize, respond, and report.
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Written by Anya Gnanapragasam