Board of Ed. pushes to redefine ‘bullying’
“He got hold of my daughter and pulled her hair out. … She was bleeding. The next day he gave her an arm burn,” Antoinette Humes said, describing the experiences of her 9-year-old daughter being abused by a school bully.
Incidents such as this one compelled parents and community groups to present a new proposal to counteract bullying to the city’s Board of Education last month. The resolution, requested by the State Department of Education, would redefine the term “bullying” and instate more elaborate follow-up procedures once an incident had been reported.
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Bullying is an ongoing concern for students, with as many as half reporting that they have faced aggression or harassment at some point. School personnel needs to be aware of this and maintain a safe school environment. Since bullying tends to happen in less structured areas I teach students a “Bully Proofing Plan of Action.” It includes the following strategies when confronted by a bully(ies): Ignore, Walk Away, Assertively Say “Stop” and Walk Away, Go to a Trusted Adult. I detail all these skills in my book, How to Stop Bullying And Social Aggression: Elementary Grade Lessons and Activities That Teach Empathy, Friendship, And Respect (Corwin Press). These strategies empower targets to stop direct and indirect bullying, including cyber bullying.
Each individual suggestion HAS to be accompanied with details and practice. For instance, ignoring means to continue to do what you were doing without commenting back, making faces or any response that could reinforce the bully. When choosing to walk away, it should be with head up, back straight, and a normal walking pace.
When telling the bully to “Stop,” the victim has to express confidence through body language, eye contact, tone of voice and what (few) words to say. Chronic victims of bullying don’t usually have an assertive style of communication and therefore it needs to be practiced.
For more bully prevention resources, got to http://www.balanceeducationalservices.com/resources.html