What can a school do about bullying?

Assist the development of a positive culture within the school so that bullying is not accepted. This can be done in the following ways:

• Raise awareness of bullying within the school community - teachers, students and parents - so that everyone is clear about what constitutes bullying (physical and emotional behaviours should be outlined).

• Investigate the current situation in terms of bullying either by using a survey or by using a checklist to observe behaviours, especially on the playground.

• Develop policies which promote positive behaviours and which clearly outline the action which will be taken when unacceptable behaviours occur (people who represent different sections of the school community should be involved in this process).

• Keep a record of incidents and implement consistent and effective procedures for reporting and handling situations which arise.

• Teach communication skills which support collaborative problem solving: assertion, negotiation and conflict management.

• Provide support for those who are bullied!

• Encouraging reporting of incidents ~ not ‘dobbing’ but ‘reporting.’

• Encourage students to support the other students.

• Introduce support programs: Peer support, Peer Mediation, Peer Counselling and others.

• Change the attitudes and behaviour of the bullies.

• Help bullies to take responsibility for their behaviour and to train themselves to make different choices in ways of behaving. Assist them to understand the feelings of others and to see the consequences of their actions.

• Provide bullies with counselling which helps them identify feelings or situations which may lead to them adopting inappropriate or ‘harassing’ behaviours with others. Teach them skills in anger management and help them resist peer pressure to join with other bullies.

• Encourage other students to influence bullies positively.