Abstract
This is an exploration on the topic of bullying. It focuses mostly on the research I conducted on the topic. My main interests are on what action to take in dealing with bullying behaviour and how to prevent it from happening. I look at bullying through the eyes of bullies, victims and bystanders as well as from the teacher’s perspective. I explore a list of what to do when an incident occurs and go through each step. I think back to my personal experiences with bullying and use them to help me better understand the perspective of everyone involved. I draw on prior experiences in the military as being important, as confidence is required when addressing a bullying situation. I look at different ways to use a bully box. I look at how to reduce power differentials in the classroom through building student self-esteem and using humanitarian philosophy. I think about how prior experience and new knowledge help me to improve. I reflect on how my studies on this topic have made me grow as a teacher, on how it has empowered me.
Dr. Mary Hall’s (2012) lecture was a starting point for my exploration on the topic of bullying. I found her presentation provided an overview of the topic. It covered bullies, victims, bystanders and staff. There were examples that allowed me to make an emotional connection and develop a greater understanding of what victims go through. I found her discussion on the bystander effect very interesting. I would never have thought about the importance of the bystander in these situations as people who need training to help stop bullying. I found that to be one of the most valuable pieces of information I took out of the lecture.
In thinking further on how to empower bystanders, I thought of using active classroom discussions and role-play. The discussions would help all the students in the class understand that bullying is not acceptable behaviour. Through discussion, each student’s comments on why it is wrong and how to stop it would help them to internalize or take ownership of this information as fact. The role-play would aid in building up student confidence and may speed up the bystander reaction time in a bullying situation. All of this would empower students to be more proactive in preventing bullying behaviour.
When I began researching the topic, I first looked up the anonymous bully box. I remember Dr. Hall saying that if a teacher puts out a bully box, it must be checked regularly. I saw this as a concern for any teacher who has one million other things to do in the classroom and I wanted to find an alternative way to use this. I found a site that described an anonymous bully box located in the front entrance of the school. (Broward Sheriff’s Office, 2002) The purpose of the box was for students and families to be able to anonymously report bullying incidents. They also had the option of making anonymous phone calls. In this case, the school has a responsibility to check the bully box regularly, and so administration and staff have opportunities to share in this role. This is exactly what I was looking for.
My next question was about procedure. What do I do with bullying behaviour? The most informative site on this topic was from a bullying consulter named Dr. Michael R. Carpenter. His website provided me with a plethora of information on bullying. Just as Mary mentioned, Dr. Carpenter (2011) stressed the need to intervene immediately. He also mentioned that it should be named bullying behaviour and that it is better to overreact to the situation. (p. 3) I was really floored by the importance of this statement. Children who bully do not see it as a terrible thing and the teacher’s initial reaction can set the stage for how the incident unfolds. I am so glad I came across this information. I now know to name it bullying and to be firm in my judgment that this behaviour is wrong.
This website also stressed how each student is treated. After separating the victim and the bully, the victim should be addressed first. They are given the opportunity to explain what happened and talk about their feelings. At this time, the teacher should stress that this behaviour will not be tolerated and that everything possible will be done to stop a reoccurrence. The victim is asked to make a log of any future bullying, which will help provide documentation as well as making a safety plan for the student. (Carpenter, 2011, p. 3)
In all my experiences with bullying, it seems that the bully was always the one being talked to first. Sure, the teacher would ask the victim “Are you ok? Good, now go to the office/class/back to your seat.” And then all the focus would be on the bully. The needs of the victim are not being immediately met (or perhaps not at all). Why? It is because the teacher is focusing their attention on the bully. When I was young, I was the victim of social bullying from girls. I remember being told to shrug it off. Sometimes the girls would be reprimanded for their actions in which they would then treat me worse after, as I was the cause of their problems. Surprisingly I did toughen up, but my social skills with the fairer sex is not all that great even today.
I wonder what it would have been like to have a safety plan in place, or a peer support group as the website describes. (Carpenter, 2011, p. 3) Instead, I played sports with the boys and surprisingly enough, I befriended a lot of male bullies and tried to get them to empathize with their victims. I was fascinated with understanding why they did what they did and I had a knack for getting them to talk to me. Even today, I can get teenage boys to talk to me about their feelings and insecurities and help them to think of alternatives to their behaviour. Once again, my focus has always been on the bully and not the victim. I am learning much about the priority of whom to address first.
Once the victim is reassured, they are immediately put back into the regular program and it is the bully that is removed. When confronting the bully, the teacher must impose immediate penalties on the student so he understands that what he did is unacceptable. He is removed from class, loses recess, etc. If there is more than one bully, they are separated immediately and dealt with separately. At this time, the bully will try to deny their actions or stress that it was not a big deal. Be prepared to provide specific examples of their behaviour and mention class rules and logical consequences. At this time it is important to tell the bully what behaviour you expect of them in the future. Tell them you believe they are capable of changing their attitude. (Carpenter, 2011 p. 3-4) I found this last sentence very valuable. It is important to show that you believe in the child’s ability to behave well and that you expect it of them. This affirmation shows the bully that he/she is not a bad person, but a person who did a bad thing.
This is a huge distinction in my experience. I once knew a bully whose father beat him and this was a big part of why he beat up kids at our school. Whenever he became frustrated or felt vulnerable, he would beat someone up. I was able to stop quite a few fights by anticipating his change in mood, and removing him from the situation. During these times, I would seemingly change topic and ask him about his day or what he did the night before. Before long I found out a lot about his home life and his feelings about it. I would help him to understand that his frustrations were not at the other person as he came to school upset. He came to realize his problem was not with his classmates and this knowledge helped him to control his anger.
Throughout all this, I always expressed a belief in him being a good person and the behaviour itself being bad. I talked to him about what he wanted to become, and steps to achieve that future. I told him “I know you’re not like that. You are a good person. Remember how you walked your mom to the store to make sure she was safe?” Examples such as these helped him to realize the good in himself and created in him a desire to be a better person. I found these experiences help me to understand how important each step in dealing with bullies can be. In Dr. Carpenter’s instructions, he talks about letting the bully know what behaviour is expected of him/her from now on. At this time, he devotes half a sentence on confidence. He says “Remember to state the future behavior that you expect the perpetrator(s) to model and express confidence in his/her ability.” (Carpenter, 2011 p. 3-4) Without my personal experiences with bullying, I might have glazed over the importance of the second half of this statement because it was not elaborated on. What a mistake that would have been.
The last thing I will mention on Dr. Carpenter’ site (there is so much more I could talk about) is his stress on parent involvement in the action plans for the victim and the bully. Even though each student is dealt with separately, they are part of an action plan that requires the constant support and supervision of faculty, students and parents. Here, parents are a key supporter. (Carpenter, 2011 p. 4) A child cares more about what their parents think than their teachers. In addition, if a proactive solution and support system can be laid out for the child, and this can be done in all spheres of their life, they are more likely to succeed in their endeavors.
This involvement of parents I see as essential but also as tricky. I anticipate parents who will not believe their child did anything wrong, or parents who think their child should toughen up and deal with the problem themself. In looking for support, I may come across another hurdle. In an attempt to stop physical bullying, I may be confronted with an abusive parent, in which case I will have to file a report with CFS.
Let us get back to the topic of bullying. Dr. Mary Hall (2012) answered two of my questions. My first question was “What is the reason for the trend of students in grades 7 and 8 being less likely to support victims of bullying when compared to younger students?” Mary talked about a perceived power imbalance between two parties. When students move from elementary to junior high, they become the little fish in the big pond. Junior high students are trying to find out where they fit in and as a result, they are insecure. These children are going through puberty, and are emotional. They lack the courage of younger children, and have not yet matured. This is why grade seven and eight students are more likely to be bystanders.
My second question ties into the first. “Is there a specific way to decrease the risk of a perceived power differential between students in my classroom, thus reducing the likelihood of bullying?” Mary felt that teaching children to be confident was key in this solution. I thought about these questions myself and the answer lies in the problem. Where do power differentials come from? How can I reduce these factors? When I look at junior high students, I see a lot of insecurities and so the solution lies in creating security. A safe classroom is a calmer classroom. A class with clear rules and consequences is a predictable classroom. These things are essential as they provide stability in a constantly changing world.
Looking online once again, I searched for sites about fostering self-esteem as this is a big factor in building confidence. I found information on the North West Territories Teacher Induction website. This site is dedicated to beginning teachers in their journey to becoming professionals. It provides these teachers with support such as mentors and information. On one page, they provide information on ways to foster self-esteem. Among these ideas are honouring culture and language, teaching self-awareness, and providing choices to students. (Department of Education, Culture and Employment, 1999) In thinking about my future classroom, I envision a lot of collaborative work where students learn to respect each other and develop relationships based on their work together. They do not necessarily have anything in common (different interests, ethnicity, etc). In supporting each other towards a goal in their assignment, and with communication tools being provided by the teacher, they will be more likely to form bonds of friendship and respect. With this success, students will form a class community where everyone has a function, a sense of belonging. Power differentials will decrease, thus decreasing the potential for a bullying situation to occur.
I also plan to teach using a humanistic approach. I strongly believe in building strong citizens who take time to help others. Community work and problem solving ethical dilemmas are a few of the activities I will incorporate in my classrooms. Through exposure to these types of lessons, students will learn what to do in a tight situation with a moral dilemma. They will explore their opinions of what is right and wrong and they will grow with these experiences. Community service will broaden their sense of place in the community, helping students to learn more about the world and what they can do to improve it. Through proactive practice and guided problem solving, these students will be better prepared for dealing with bullying situations as they arise. They will also be less likely to engage in the bullying behaviour.
Now, I look to the future and think about bullying and how I will deal with it. With this new knowledge, along with my prior experiences, I can envision what my actions will be. Through my experience working in the military, I know that I have the confidence to command the respect needed to help the students learn the gravity of the situation. I know that small details like posture and tone and speed of voice will help me to keep control of the situation. With this new knowledge, I can now use these skills in a bullying situation. I can confidently take action and know that I have done what the professionals do. This empowers me with confidence in my abilities as a teacher, in my growth as a professional.
When a bullying incident occurs, I know that I will stop the action immediately and address it as bullying behaviour. I will separate the victim from the bully and talk to the victim first being sure to address their needs. I will then talk to the bully about his/her behaviour and if they deny the acts, I will firmly explain their actions to them in detail. I will reference the school rules and natural consequences of their behaviour. I will empower them will the knowledge of appropriate behaviour that will be expected of them. I will create an action plan with each party and check in with them daily to ensure each student is ok and that they are obeying the rules laid out for them. I will have the victim document any future bullying incidents in a logbook. I will increase teacher supervision in any areas where bullying is occurring.
Above all else, I will foster a classroom that is safe, where students help to decide the rules of the class and are responsible for upholding them. It will be a class where each student has a function and feels like they belong. If for any reason I make a mistake, or if I have a bully and/or victim in my class, I will reflect on my actions and how I can change the environment to empower these students to correct their behaviour. Through my examples and guidance, I hope to foster a bully free environment, full of learning.
References
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