Bullying

It is no news that bullying is a huge problem. Not only does it have a very damaging effect on both the bully and the victim, it also does damage to community members around the bully and the victim. Bullying can lead to suicide...and murder.

News reports indicate that bullying is an ongoing problem in schools and yet schools do not have effective means for addressing the problem. Before we get into some of the factors that make bullying a challenge for schools to handle, let's begin with what actually works.

=Roots of Empathy= [] This is a program that reduces classroom bullying through having students interact with a baby and the baby's parent throughout a school year. The research on this program indicates that it has a significant positive effect. The pdf summarizes the results of research done on students who have experienced this program in comparison with students who have not.

It is important that we be aware that with creative thinking (using babies!! instead of punishment) we can turn a critical situation around. We are not helpless. Yet, we also need to "get real" about the nature of bullying in schools in order to be consistently effective.

=Social Psychology= The man who did the famous Stanford Prison Experiment (explained in this Prezi) describes what could be the roots of bullying as well as ways of stopping bullying. media type="custom" key="22610802"

=Writing About Bullying= Here is a sequence of writing assignments developed by Steve Schack, a teacher at Livingston Ave. Elementary School. This sequence of assignments not only prepares elementary students for the writing on the 4th grade proficiency test (and could be adapted to higher grades for the same purpose) but it also asks students to take on another person's perspective. This kind of writing can open the door to good conversations about bullying: http://literacymethods.wikispaces.com/Bully+Writing

=Pass It On= It is terrifically difficult for us to get a handle on the true scope of bullying because it does not just happen between students. Some teachers are bullied by other teachers: []

Some teachers are bullies toward students: [|http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45302947/ns/today-parenting_and_family/t/teachers-caught-tape-bullying-special-needs-girl/#.T4NUQftSRKA]

And, of course, students get bullied by each other.

The point is that a program that is designed to stop bullying is probably not going to work in a school where there are bullying problems among the adults. A program may work in a given context, but once conditions change (new personnel, new students, new stresses), that program may no longer be effective.

=Complexities= []

Most people do not go into a learning or work situation expecting to be bullied or expecting to become a bully. Instead, small, subtle things lead to larger and larger things. Neither bullies nor the bullied are open about talking about such things because of the shame involved, so these things build up to an egregious level before being discovered. The same dynamics are true in family violence--no one goes on a second date with someone who punches them in the mouth during the first date, but they may tolerate some disrespect and that disrespect builds over time to something that is potentially life threatening.

=Information and Resources About Bullying= [] []

Myths about bullying

More info

=Violence Against Teachers= []

=Empathy= From the Roots of Empathy project, we know that empathy is probably the most critical factor in preventing bullying. Fortunately, Capital University is doing some important work here: []

=Your Personal Plan= What are your ideas about stopping bullying? Given the kind of work place you intend to have or already have, what are some ways that you can help others develop empathy? What are your ideas for self help in the area of empathy development--what advice would you have for people who want to improve their own empathy? What are ways you could address a specific bullying situation that is happening right now (you don't get to create a year long prevention program--you are faced with it right now)? Who could you talk with about it? What kinds of actions need to take place? You can take a situation you already have known about or you can take something from the materials on this page (the bully movie info or the Ann Curry interview about the girl who was bullied by her teachers) in order to address this question. What would you do if you had authority (were a principal or other administrator)? What would you do if you were a fellow teacher? A concerned citizen? (e.g., much less authority in the situation)?