Since we as future educators will have to deal with bullying, I decided to post a short essay I wrote on the topic.
Bullying is direct behaviors such as teasing, taunting, threatening, hitting, and stealing that are initiated by one or more students against a victim. Bullying in schools has become a worldwide problem. Students are entitled to learn in school without the fear of being victimized. Bullying creates an unsafe school environment for students and faculty members. The act of bullying not only has negative consequences for the victims; it also affects the bullies as well. Children who are bullies in school often grow up to be criminals and low achievers. Victims of bullies grow up to be antisocial and angry individuals. They also become violent. In the past few years there have been several incidents of victimized students coming to school to attack the person or persons who are responsible for the bullying. In addition to direct bullying there is indirect bullying. Indirect bullying involves causing a student to be socially isolated through intentional exclusion. Girls usually participate in this form of bullying. An example of indirect bullying is the spreading of rumors to force social isolation. Whether the bullying is direct or indirect, any form of repeated intimidation is wrong.
In my classroom, I plan to deal with every incident of bullying that I am aware of. I will have to pay close attentions to the students and be able to pick up any characteristics of bullying. Some characteristics of bullies are the need to feel in control of others and the little to no empathy bullies express for their victims. The victimized students display characteristics such as anxiety, low self-esteem, and antisocial behavior. I would have conflict resolution workshops and peer counseling for the students involved. Having other students cooperate in developing classroom rules against bullying can be effective. I would also increase the parental awareness and involvement. The parents will be asked to participate in the prevention of bullying done to their child or by their child. The school as a whole should be involved in the intervention of bullying. There should be non-bullying policies implemented to deter the victimization of students.
As a teacher it is difficult being aware of everything that goes on in the classroom. To help victimized students I will promote social skills that allow them to improve on their self-esteem. From my personal experience I have seen students be harassed and abused while the teacher is oblivious to the situation. I want my students to feel safe when they come to class. Hopefully my means of intervention will help defuse the situation or appoint someone to the victims or bullies that will be of better help to them.
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3 comments:
Great post, Alisha.
Isn't this a great way to get your writing out there?
Bullying is definitely a huge issue in the educational arena. And yes, teachers are often oblivious.
What can we do?
Talking and listening to students can help. Being there to just listen is probably one of the most important (and difficult) skills a teacher can have. We are so trained to try to "fix" problems that we often jump to act before we know the whole story. Listening to students can help.
Great job!
Bullying is obviously a problem, probably at it's very worst in middle and high schools. The only thing that a teacher can offer is someone to talk to. Making yourself available I believe is more important than anything. If a student feels they can trust you, they will talk to you.
On another note, with Illinois and Columbine and Virgina Tech in recent memory, sometimes teachers can be the first ones to see something wrong, whether it's in their writing, their behavior or something else. Often times, students will present the signs that they have been bullied, and it is up to the teacher to acknowledge the signs.
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