It’s the start of the school year and soon there’s a school shooting – a fatal accident in Knoxville, Tennessee. And once again, people across the country are devastated, saddened, and committed to stopping the ongoing school violence.
Research indicates that in more than two-thirds of school shootings, the attackers felt intimidated, persecuted, or threatened, and were motivated by revenge. But the recent shooting in Knoxville was unique. In the Tennessee shooting, the victim, Ryan McDonald, was the person being bullied. Ryan had been suffering from alopecia, a condition that left him bald since the age of three, and was the target of endless harassment.
It is clear that bullying is a major factor in the escalation of incidents of school violence, so it is important that our teachers take proactive steps to address bullying behaviors. It is also important for educators to understand how bullying has changed in recent years. Increasing technology, combined with tech-savvy kids and teens, means that bullying is no longer limited to face-to-face social situations, as cyberbullying is becoming increasingly serious.
Today, most states have laws that address bullying in school. While implementing these laws is a great first step, schools should also pursue training for all school personnel that includes practical strategies for keeping all students safe – physically and emotionally, and maintaining an effective academic environment.
Educators must understand the effects of bullying, which include depression, anxiety, eating and sleeping disorders, self-mutilation, alcohol and drug abuse, violence, and suicide. Students who bully in the long run are also at high risk for dangerous behaviors.
All school personnel—from the principal to bus drivers—should understand how to identify, modify, and prevent bullying behaviors in classrooms, schools, and towns. Our teachers must be trained in the realities of bullying—and given conflict resolution tips—so they know how to stop bullying behaviors before they escalate into violence, as they have done in Knoxville and an alarming number of other school shootings.
It is important to educate school staff on how to address student bullying with a carefully designed four-step response. This response takes between 10 to 30 seconds and is designed to “snip bullying in the bud.” In other words, they learn how to stop bullying, social aggression, and other hurtful behaviors before the situation becomes chronic and tragedy strikes.
All employees need to know the specific behaviors they need to address, such as examples of physical and verbal bullying, cyberbullying, and social aggression.
When employees see or hear bullying and other harmful behavior, they need to:
1. Stop the bullying behavior
2. Identify the specific behavior that is harmful and unacceptable
3. Remind the student of the school’s expectations
4. Remind the student of the behavioral expectations (alternate behavior, as appropriate).
For example, if a staff member hears a student belittling another student, the staff could state, in an authoritative and respectful tone, the following:
1. Stop talking now.
2. The way you were speaking was insulting.
3. In this school, we don’t talk to people in a mean way.
4. When you are talking to someone, say positive things. “Do you understand? Good, let’s go to class.”
This strategy certainly won’t solve every problem, and staff need to know how to respond if a student continues to abuse. However, most students respond to and will comply with strong and responsible leadership by adults.
There is no single solution to stop all instances of bullying, but a consistent response from staff will create a school culture where all students know that hurtful behavior will not be tolerated.
By taking a proactive stance about reducing bullying behaviors in schools, we can help prevent future incidents of school violence and keep our children safe.
For more information on how to prevent bullying, visit the Bullying Experts at Bullying http://www.balanceeducationalservices.com/
