Strategies for Educators

School personnel can take specific action to control and eliminate the problem of bullying.

Research shows that when schools pay attention to students’ social and emotional development, students do better academically.

• Create a climate of respect and acceptance in the classroom and the school.
• Teach children appropriate social skills, including how to build and maintain friendships.
• Help children enhance their skills in problem solving, conflict resolution, negotiation strategies, and common courtesy.
• Demonstrate reasonable, cooperative, non-aggressive approaches to conflict.
• Discuss and demonstrate alternative problem solving methods at times when conflict is not occurring.
• Teach and encourage the use of assertiveness skills.
• Welcome new students and have a process in place to orient them to the routines and policies of the classroom.
• Closely monitor student activity and be visible around the campus.
• Assess the scope of the bullying problem through a questionnaire or survey directed towards students, teachers, and parents.
• Communicate clear and consistently enforced standards of behavior particularly related to incidents of bullying behavior.
• Increase awareness and knowledge of bullying situations.
• Provide students with the opportunity to talk about bullying and enlist their support in defining bullying as unacceptable.
• Establish a comprehensive reporting system.
• Never overlook bullying situations.