What Can Be Done to Prevent Bullying?
Bullying is not a rite of passage.
In the past, the notion that “kids will be kids” was a commonly held belief that allowed adults to overlook or ignore instances of bullying. Educators, psychologists and medical professionals now recognize that bullying is detrimental to learning and development. Adults who work with youth have a responsibility to implement strategies to prevent bullying and ensure that children are protected from victimization. The following prevention strategies are recommended.
Strategy 1: Utilize a multi-tiered framework to integrate services and programs.
A multi-tiered approach involves the implementation of universal, whole school strategies (tier 1), as well as targeted group strategies for students at-risk of bullying involvement, and individual interventions for students who bullying and students who are bullied. A multi-tiered framework like Positive Behaviors, Interventions and Supports (PBIS) can be used to coordinate a range of evidence-based interventions.
Strategy 2: Focus on children’s developmental environments.
Bullying happens in schools, homes, neighborhoods, afterschool programs, on sports teams or anywhere youth spend time. Because peer aggression and bullying is so pervasive, it is important that communities work to implement bullying prevention and intervention strategies across children’s developmental contexts.
Strategy 3: Establish and enforce rules and policies regarding bullying.
Pennsylvania state law requires that schools have policies that address bullying. Other youth programs should voluntarily adopt anti-bullying policies and develop consistent procedures for dealing with confirmed or suspected bullying.
Strategy 4: Dedicate time to teaching adults and children about bullying and bystander roles, and developing prosocial skills.
Children and the adults who support them need to know what bullying is, why it is wrong, and what to do if they witness or suspect bullying. Parents, teachers, principals, bus drivers, coaches, childcare providers and health care providers need to be educated about the issue, as well. In addition, students benefit lessons that foster pro-social skills and competencies, effective communication, and strategies for responding to bullying.
Strategy 5: Increase adult supervision in places where bullying is known to occur.
Adults need to be vigilant in supervising students’ interactions and be prepared to intervene if they witness excessive teasing, physical aggression or relational aggression among students.
Strategy 6: Address school, class and program climate.
Children benefit when there are clearly defined expectations for positive behavior across contexts and adults are consistently engaged in prevention activities. A positive climate is supported when adults and educators implement effective group/class management strategies, dedicate time to building relationships with and among students, and provide instruction/activities that are engaging and responsive.
Strategy 7: Encourage schools, afterschool programs and extra-curricular programs to adopt bullying prevention policies and strategies.
This will ensure that staff members learn appropriate ways of preventing and responding to bullying, as well as strategies for shaping bystander responses.
Strategy 8: Engage youth in the design and implementation of prosocial strategies.
Schools should provide opportunities for students to exercise leadership in designing prosocial initiatives and clubs to support the schools’ broader anti-bullying activities. Involving students in leading prosocial initiatives can empower bystanders and contribute to a more positive overall school climate; however, it is important that adults remain in charge of any bullying interventions. Strategies like peer mediation are not appropriate in suspected bullying situations and efforts should be made to ensure that students are not tasked with resolving bully issues involving their peers.