"If we live in a culture of bullying, we have to be so much more diligent about making sure it doesn’t go down to the classroom.”

As a parent or a teacher, it would be extremely heart-wrenching to learn that your sweet angels got bullied in schools. School bullying can derail a child’s life in many ways, so it’s a big must to stop bullying in schools. It’s a staggering statistic; especially considering the many ways bullying can affect students’ wellbeing. Targeted children often suffer from poor performance in school, sleep issues, anxiety, and depression. And let’s not forget the students doing the bullying—they’re at a much higher risk for a whole host of issues that could extend into adulthood, ranging from violent behavior to substance abuse.

IAs an educator, what can do you to make an impact? How can you create a classroom climate that prevents bullying, but also put interventions in place that stop the behavior in its beginning stages? We talked to experts in education and mental health counseling to come up with these six strategies.

1. Teach kindness and empathy.

When students are able to approach ideas and problems from multiple perspectives, they’re less likely to bully others.

From the earliest ages, students should participate in activities that boost social-emotional learning. As a teacher, find ways to help children understand and appreciate their identity as well as others’. To do this requires empathy and kindness, two skills that educators like Susan Patterson, who leads a cyberbullying course at Lesley University, believe can be taught.

“Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, and teachers need to embed this skill into their curriculum,” says Patterson. “We need to do identity work with children early on so that kids know who they are and who everybody else is and what their place is in the world.”

One way to do this is to have kids get together and talk about their differences. Allow them to practice conflict resolution, work through problems, and build their understanding of those around them.

2. Create opportunities for connection.

Fostering a sense of community in your classroom can lower bullying incidents and facilitate healing for targeted students.

Research shows that when targeted students feel connected to peers, they’re better able to cope with being bullied. Studies also indicate that teaching students to speak up when they witness bullying behavior, and to take a stand against it, can reduce future bullying situations by more than 50 percent.

“It’s all about connection,” says Nancy Beardall, who created and implemented a bullying prevention curriculum in Newton Public Schools. “When students feel connected to their peers, their school, and their community, they do better.”

In the classroom, start by creating a safe place for students to express themselves and feel heard. Cultivate students’ abilities to advocate on behalf of themselves as well as others. Outside of the classroom, facilitate opportunities for positive reinforcement by helping students get involved in afterschool activities that align with their hobbies and interests.

3. Identify ‘gateway behaviors.'

Researchers have found that small behaviors can often signal the beginning patterns of bullying. Often missed by educators who already have so much on their plates, these indicators, called “gateway behaviors,” can be difficult to detect. But, if you can recognize them early on, there’s a chance you could prevent bullying behavior from developing down the road. As an educator, here are some of the key behaviors you should take notice of:

• Eye rolling
• Prolonged staring
• Back turning
• Laughing cruelly/encouraging others to laugh
• Name calling
• Ignoring or excluding
• Causing physical harm
• Spying
• Stalking

While these behaviors may not be classified as bullying, putting interventions in place now could mitigate the likelihood of them growing into something more problematic. “The research would imply that [these behaviors] lead to bullying, and that if we can stop kids here, then we’re going to go a long way to stopping the problem,” says Patterson.

4. Use the arts to create context.

The arts can be a powerful tool for helping young people see situations from different perspectives. Using drama, literature, and the visual arts as a vehicle for conversation, educators can help students understand the negative impact of bullying. Erika Dawes, early childhood literacy professor at Lesley, does this using the storybook Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson.

“Each Kindness is the story of a young girl who engages in bullying behavior toward a classmate,” says Dawes. “It’s not a typical story in that there’s not a happy ending. This means students are left with conflicting emotions. And this ambiguity is perfect place to enter into conversation.”

After reading to students, Dawes holds an open circle conversation. Drawing attention to issues raised in the story, she creates a safe and open atmosphere for students to talk about bullying. In this way, she’s able to contextualize bullying behavior that happens in the classroom without highlighting specific events.

5. Minimize ‘concentric circles’ in schools.

It’s a truth that most teachers don’t like to talk about: Educators can be bullies, too. And when teachers feel bullied by colleagues, their students can also become negatively impacted.

“There are schools where there is bullying within the adult culture,” reflects Patterson. “In the courses I teach, my students tell me that they feel bullied by other teachers, assistant principals, and department heads. If we live in a culture of bullying, we have to be so much more diligent about making sure it doesn’t go down to the classroom.”

In order to stop the spread of bullying from the leadership level down to students, start by looking within your own classroom. After a bad day or tense interaction with a colleague, try not to bring negativity into your teaching. Focus your energy on cultivating a learning environment built on positivity, openness, and support. And be sure to advocate for yourself by talking with supervisors or HR professionals about issues in your school’s culture that compromise your ability to be a fully present and effective educator.

6. Participate in simulations.

Theorizing about how to prevent and respond to bullying in schools is one thing. Witnessing it for the first time is entirely another. Without adequate pre-service training, it can be difficult for new teachers to know exactly how they’ll react when bullying situations arise. At Lesley University’s Graduate School of Education, faculty are doing something about it.

“We’re currently using technology to recreate the experience for pre-service teachers in a mixed reality lab,” says Maureen Creegan-Quinquis, who leads Lesley’s creative arts and learning department.

In the mixed reality lab, pre-service teachers are bystanders in a bullying scenario. On their feet, they’re asked to respond to the situation and facilitate a solution. According to Creegan-Quinquis, participants are often surprised by how difficult the exercise can be.

“For many of them, this is the first opportunity in their life to actually be in a room and experience [bullying], and be asked to negotiate through those feelings,” says Creegan-Quinquis. "What an electric experience it is when you’re wide awake enough to see it happening.”

WAYS OF BULLYING AND SOLUTIONS

Part 1. Shocking Facts on School Bullying

Part 2. Stop Bullying in Schools As Teachers

Part 3. Prevent Bullying in Schools As Parents

Part 4. Stop Bullying in Schools As Victims

Part 5. School Bullying Hottest Questions

Part 1. Shocking School Bullying Statistics & Facts

If you have no idea how serious the school bullying issue is, you can check the below statistics and facts on school bullying.

• 90% of students in grades 4-8 have been bullied or harassed in school.
• Over 160,000 kids refuse to go to school each day for fear of being bullied.
• Each month 282,000 students are physically assaulted in some way in secondary schools throughout the US — and the number is increasing.
• Nearly 75% of school shootings have been linked to harassment and bullying.
• About 9 out of 10 LGBT teens have reported being bullied at school within the past year because of their sexual orientation. It’s necessary to take actions to stop gay, homophobic or LGBT bullying in schools.

Bullying remains one of the largest problems in schools. Now get the list of ways below to stop bullying in schools.

Part 2. How to Stop Bullying in Schools As a Teacher or Principal

School bullying can happen in every grade in the US, Australia, Canada, Cape Town, UK, etc. — and it’s getting worse.

School teachers and principals need to take a large role in stopping and dealing with bullying in middle, high, elementary, secondary, primary, public or private schools.

“Stop bullying in schools” programs and campaigns are urgent to be launched. School principals and teachers can consider the below ways to stop or reduce bullying in schools or other educational settings.

Solution 1. Install School Security Cameras & Systems to Stop Bullying

School security cameras and systems are one of the most effective ways to stop physical or verbal bullying in schools.

Security Camera Systems

Stay Protected with Security Camera Systems; 24/7 Video Recording and Monitoring; 2 Network Solutions – with or without network.

Video recordings can prevent he-said-she-said situations when a bullying happens. Without video surveillance, the school may have to rely on student reports if there are bullying problems.

A school bullying video goes viral once published. You can watch the video below to know more details. The security camera footage is really helpful to investigate the bullying.

Bullying can happen in the classroom, school bus, school canteen, school hallways, etc. The school principals can install some easy-to-use PoE security cameras to monitor these places to combat bullying in schools.

Solution 2. How to Deal with Bullying in Schools Easily — Take It Seriously

School teachers and principals need to transfer the message to every student: Zero tolerance for school bullying.

Statistics have revealed that 38% of students believe the principal of their school, university or college doesn’t take bullying seriously.

As an educator, you should pay attention to the warning signs of school bullying, including unexplained physical injuries, anxiety, fear of attending school, etc. However, students tend to hide the facts if they are bullied. So as a teacher, you should engage students on a daily base and encourage open conversations.

Solution 3. How Teachers Can Stop Bullying in Schools Directly — See It & Stop It at Once

When you see any students who are bullied, act immediately. Don’t take the attitude “kids will be kids” or “it is not a big deal”. Bullying can affect students’ lifetime. Sadly, 1 in 4 teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will ONLY intervene 4% of the time.

When you see bullying, you should intervene at once. Most bullies will stop when someone intervenes. However, avoid dealing with bullies in violent ways. Don’t argue with your students. Be respectful and show them what proper behavior is. If physical bullying occurs, make sure no one is hurt.

Solution 4. Make Strict Anti-Bullying Policies — An Effective Way to Prevent Bullying in Schools

Strict anti-bullying policies and laws are one of the most effective ways to stop bullying and violence in schools. With school legislation, those bullies would stop their bad behaviors in fear of being punished.

School directors can also post anti-bullying posters, pictures, images or slogans in campus to arouse students’ stop-bullying awareness.

Only depending on schools to create a zero-bullying environment for students is totally not enough — it needs parents’ involvement.

As a parent or a guardian, you also have the responsibility to help stop bullying in schools.

Part 3. How Parents Can Stop Bullying in Schools — 3 Useful Ways

My child is being bullied at school, what can I do to stop bullying at school?

You can try the 3 effective ways below to avoid your child from being a bullying victim (again) or being a bully.

Top 1. Pay Attention to Signs That Your Child Might Be Bullied

Your child may not be vocal about being bullied. You need to observe any possible signs that your child is going through the bullying of others. Signs include:

• Scratch, scar or ripped clothing
• Hesitation to go to school
• Anxiety and depression
• Nightmare and crying

If you find that your child is being bullied in schools, don’t ignore it or just say “let it go”. Instead, you should have open conversations with your child. You need to let your child know that you are on his or her side. Meanwhile, do not encourage physical retaliation.

Top 2. Contact School Officials to Address the Bullying Problems & Issues

A surefire way to fight against bullying in schools is to bring it to the school’s attention. You should contact school officials, including school principals, teachers, etc. and provide factual information that your child is bullied.

Remember to emphasize that you expect the bullying to stop immediately and work close with the school to find a solution for your child and other victims of bullying.

Top 3. Teach Your Child Moral Values and Give Love at Home to Prevent Your Child Being a Bully

My child is a bully! What should I do?

As a parent, you have a direct influence on your child’s social behavior and his or her characters. Children who bully generally come from family without warmth, supervision and parent involvement. If your child is bullying other kids in schools, you should stop his behavior at once. It’s never too late for you to teach your children moral values.

Set strict rules at home. If your child bullies others, you should take this issue very seriously and nip it in the bud before it worsens. You need to stress that bullying is NOT allowed under any circumstances.

Part 4. How to Deal with Physical & Verbal Bullying in Schools as Victims

I encounter bullying in boarding school and what to do about it?

Don’t be afraid. You can try the below ways to protect yourself from school bullying.

• Report bullying and cyberbullying (cyberharassment) to your parents and your teachers immediately. 64% of students who are bullied do not report it. If you are bullied, speak it out. You need to say “NO” to bullying in schools. Bullying in schools will thrive if you keep silent.

• Get help from bullying hotline or anti-bullying programs & organizations. If you are reluctant to tell the bullying events to your parents or teachers, you can call bullying hotline to get help. The staff will help you address the problems. At the same time, there are many successful anti-bullying programs for schools, such as No Bullying, Stop Bullying, etc.

• Avoid being alone. Go to the bathroom with a friend and have lunch with a group. When in a school bus, always sit near the front and keep away from the bully.

You can watch the video below to get more detailed ways to stop bullying.

Ending school bullying is not an easy task. It needs everyone’s involvement. No matter who you are, a teacher, a parent, a student, a bullying victim, a bystander, a school janitor, etc. you should join in the anti-bullying team.

Part 5. School Bullying Hottest Questions

You can check the below Q&A to get more insights on school bullying.

Q 1: What Is School Bullying

A 1: School bullying is a type of bullying happening in schools, including kindergarten, primary, junior, high school, college campus and other educational settings. An act that is considered as a bullying should meet the certain criteria, including hostile intents, imbalance of power, repetition, distress and provocation.

Q 2: How Many Types of Bullying in Schools

A 2: School bullying can involve physical, emotional, verbal (like teasing) and cyber bullying.

Q 3: What Are the Main Causes of Bullying in Schools

A 3: Racial discrimination, homophobic bullying, jealousy, revenge, aggressive personality, etc.

Q 4: What Are the Effects of Being Bullied in Schools

A 4: Bullying can have a wide spectrum of effects on a student, including anger, depression, stress and suicide. The person who is bullied is affected, and the bully can also grow up to develop different social disorders or have higher chances of engaging in criminal activity.

Q 5: What Are the Laws on Bullying in Schools

A 5: Currently there is no federal law specifically addressing bullying, but some laws, such as civil rights and nondiscrimination laws may require schools to intervene with certain types of bullying.