From physical altercations to rumors and gossip, bullying can have lasting effects on an educational environment. As a result, preventing school bullying is extremely important for educators. Here are 17 ways you can create a safe and positive environment for all your students. Remember, kids who bully are opportunists. They know where the teachers are most of the time and will wait until the coast is clear to target another student. Make sure there are very few opportunities for students to bully others. Look for what is called “gateway indicators.” These are initial behaviors that students display that are often gateways for more intentional types of bullying. Some possible gateway indicators include rolling eyes, laughing under their breath, making jokes, turning their back on others, and using sarcasm. If you see these behaviors, look a little closer. There may be subtle forms of bullying taking place already. Also, be sure you make it safe for them to alert you of potential issues. No student wants to be called a snitch. So, make sure you implement ways for them to get information to you without the rest of the students knowing who it came from. When you select the group, you are ensuring that your students learn to work with those outside their circle of friends. Pre-selected groups also give students the opportunity to learn how to work with different types of people. When students feel connected to their school, their peers, and their teacher, they do better. Do what you can to create a sense of community among your students. Create a team atmosphere where everyone feels like they belong and the students learn to support one another. When you do that, kids are less likely to feel safe in school and the bullying will likely escalate. Bullies expect their victims to keep silent about their actions. Surprise them and call them out. Bullying is no longer an effective tool for them if they are disciplined when they engage in it. Also, don’t try to talk to the victim in front of the bully. The victimized student won’t be as forthcoming or truthful about what happened with the bully present. Fear of retaliation often keeps victims silent. Make sure you schedule a safe time to talk with the victim when the bully will not be aware of the meeting. Then, give them ideas for behaving differently in the future. You may even require them to research bullying and write a report about it. The key is to teach kids who bully others how harmful their behavior is to other people. Bullying is not the same as a conflict. It is an unbalanced situation where one student has more power than the other and uses that power to intimidate, humiliate, and wound the other student. Peer mediation or other types of group counseling are not effective in bullying situations. Also, don’t hold a grudge against students who bully. Give them an opportunity to put the past in the past. With the proper support and encouragement, they can learn to treat others with respect and kindness. Re-establish your classroom as a safe place. This may mean going back to what you did during the first days of school when you talked about the importance of respect and kindness. Take steps early to establish that you will not tolerate any type of bullying. You will have a greater impact on your students when you address bullying consistently and effectively. Turning a blind eye to bullying causes students to lose faith in you as an educator and as a person.
