How to Stop Bullying in Classrooms and Schools

Using Social Architecture to Prevent, Lessen, and End Bullying

Phyllis Kaufman Goodstein

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781136224829
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Classroom Management

The premise of this guidebook for teacher educators, school professionals, and in-service and pre-service teachers is that bullying occurs because of breakdowns in relationships. The focus of the 10-point empirically researched anti-bullying program it presents is basedon building and repairing relationships. Explaining how to use social architecture to erase bullying from classrooms, this book

• translates research into easily understandable language

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• provides a step-by-step plan and the tools (classroom exercises, activities, practical strategies) to insure success in building classrooms where acceptance, inclusion, and respect reign

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• examines the teacher's role, classroom management, bystander intervention, friendship, peer support, empathy, incompatible activities, stopping incidents, and adult support from a relationship perspective

• 
  
  

If every teacher in every classroom learned to apply this book's principles and suggestions, bullying would no longer plague our schools and educators could give 100 percent of their attention to academics.

Part 1

THE 5 WS—WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, AND WHY

Chapter 1

Why Should Teachers Learn About Bullying?

Teachers should learn about bullying because it has a lengthy résumé of short and long term physical, psychological, social, and academic consequences that not only affect the bullied, but those who bully, bystanders, teachers, and society. To date, there is no vaccination against the damage caused by this form of human degradation.

Teachers should learn about bullying because young minds will not focus on schoolwork if they are afraid of being bullied. Grades increase when bullying decreases (Luiselli, Putnam, Handler, & Feinberg, 2005).

Teachers should learn about bullying because many are not aware of how much bullying occurs. In one study, 71% of teachers said 15% or less of students was frequently bullied. Students said the prevalence of bullying was 28% (Bradshaw, Sawyer, & O’Brennan, 2007). In other investigations, teachers intervened in only 4% of playground and 18% of classroom bullying incidents (Atlas & Pepler, 1998; Craig & Pepler, 1997).

Teachers should learn about bullying because they have a responsibility to stop the abuse. As many as 98% of teachers questioned in a National Education Association (NEA) survey said it was “their job” to intervene when witnessing bullying (Bradshaw, Waasdorp, O’Brennan, & Gulemetova, 2011). Yet, many do not know what to look for or what to do. Respondents said they had a need for additional training in intervening with the different forms of bullying: physical (51%), verbal (49%), relational (57%), cyberbullying (74%), and sexting (71%) (Bradshaw et al., 2011). The lack of knowledge keeps many educators at bay and they cannot be blamed. The college curriculum for education majors does not include Bullying 101, so teachers receive little or no training on this issue. Inservice courses help but are often short and sporadic. The bullying education of teachers has been called “woefully inadequate” (P.K. Smith, 2011, p. 421).

Teachers should learn about bullying because beliefs motivate behavior. Educators who believed bullying was a normal activity were less likely to intervene (Kochenderfer-Ladd & Pelletier, 2008).

Teachers should learn about bullying because “Bullies are raised in the home, but their victims are too frequently created in the classroom” (Starr, 2009, para.1) (www.educationworld.com/a_issues/issues102.shtml).

Teachers should learn about bullying because it is the most common form of school violence and an educator’s response, or lack of, facilitates or ends this dangerous activity. Ignoring or dismissing bullying may be (mis)interpreted by students as an endorsement of abuse. On the other hand, if teachers send a loud and clear message (by words, actions, and examples) that bullying will not be tolerated and enforce it, bullying will disappear. Educators have leverage and can make a difference. Teachers should not underestimate their potential to be powerful agents of change.

Teachers should learn about bullying because it can be the portal into a world of violence:

Violence does not begin with gang warfare, rape, murder, and suicide. That is when society becomes afraid of violence. Instead it begins as put downs, insults, threats, harassment, and bullying, where inappropriate lessons of how to deal with others are learned and where frustration, resentment, and anger build.

(Hazler, 2000, Violence Continuum section, para. 6)

Teachers should learn about bullying because some educators leave the profession because of the stress associated with school violence and discipline problems (Gonzalez, Brown, & Slate, 2008; Smith & Smith, 2006). A U.S. governmental report found that “34 percent of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that student misbehavior interfered with their teaching” (Dinkes, Kemp, Baum, & Synder, 2009, p. 44). Thirty percent of teachers participating in the NEA survey said they were bullied by students (Bradshaw et al., 2011). Stop bullying of students and bullying of teachers will follow suit.

Teachers should learn about bullying because they also bully. In one investigation, “45% of teachers admitted to having bullied a student” (Twemlow, Fonagy, Sacco, & Brethour, 2006, p. 194).

Teachers should learn about bullying because educators “can be sued personally for money damages if you witness instances of bullying and various types of harassment (based on race, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability) and fail to take action to address it or report it” (Simpson, 2011, p. 1).

Teachers should learn about bullying because it is a learned behavior. Babies do not come out of the uterus bullying. If children are taught how to bully they can be taught replacement behaviors.

Teachers should learn about bullying because allowing exclusion, intolerance, disrespect, and cruelty creates a cultural norm of bullying.

Teachers should learn about bullying because complacency gives bullying air to breathe. Bullying thrives in schools where adults have a “kids will be kids” attitude (Holt, Keyes, & Koenig, 2011). Youngsters are abused every school day because bullying is tolerated. Instead, bullying should be seen as smoke pouring out of a building. It means there is a problem and immediate help is needed.

Teachers should learn about bullying because this violation of human rights is like cancer; it will keep growing and spreading unless confronted with aggressive treatment. Educators can be the chemotherapy that removes the malignant, life squeezing growth from their schools.

Teachers should learn about bullying because ignorance allows abuse to control their classrooms. Awareness and education puts educators in charge. Knowledge arms teachers with the skills and resources needed to change antisocial behavior. Obtaining a bullying education should be given the same importance as teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Chapter 2

The Definition

What is Bullying?

There is no universally accepted definition of bullying but most experts agree on the following three criteria:

1. Repetition—Bullying is most often characterized by repetition. The frequency has a cumulative effect, wearing away the recipient’s sense of safety. In some instances, a single incident can be considered bullying.

2. Intentionality—Bullying is not accidental. It is done purposely with the aim of hurting, humiliating, demeaning, or intimidating the person being bullied.

3. Power imbalance—The individual who bullies possesses a real or perceived advantage that makes it difficult for the bullied person to defend him- or herself. The power differential can be age, size, social status, race, culture, finance, intelligence, numbers, strength, or verbal ability. The person bullying gains power with time, while the power of the person being bullied decreases.

These elements can be combined into a working definition of bullying:

Bullying occurs when one or more people intentionally and repeatedly try to hurt another person(s). The person or group who bullies has some type of advantage over the person who is targeted.

What Bullying is Not

Bullying is always aggressive, but not all acts of aggression are bullying.

• Two friends fighting (assuming they have equality) is not bullying because there is parity.

• Horseplay, rough play, play fights, accidents, or playful teasing lack the intent to hurt and are not usually repeated.

• Impulsive actions are instinctive, single events where the person aggressing acts without thinking, thus there is no desire to harm.

• If people do not possess the cognitive ability to realize they are hurting others it is not bullying, even if all criteria are met.

Types of Bullying

The many faces of bullying can be divided into four categories: physical, verbal, relational, and cyberbullying. Different types of bullying are found within each group, with varying levels of intensity.

Abuse can be face-to-face, private, public, or anonymous and can be done physically, verbally, with the written word or communication devices, by ignoring or excluding, through gestures, or by manipulating others. Bullying does not have to be an action. It can be the threat or fear of what might happen.

Bullying can also be classified as “direct” or “indirect.” Direct bullying is overt, obvious, and done “in a person’s face.” Physical and verbal bullying are examples. Indirect bullying is covert, inconspicuous, and done “behind a person’s back.” Relational and cyberbullying fit into this group.

Physical Bullying

Physical bullying is the most recognized form of bullying. It is the easiest type to spot and can leave visible evidence in the form of cuts and bruises. Youngsters tell us that physical bullying occurs in about one third of all bullying episodes (Coloroso, 2003). While both genders physically abuse, males use this form of bullying more often than females. It is also more common with younger children.

Box 2.1: Chip Away Bullying

The damage done during physical bullying may leave visible evidence (e.g., blood, scrapes) or can leave invisible injuries when the toll is in the form of hurt feelings that are hidden deep within the body. If children were aware of the harm, the bullying might be tempered or averted. The following activity can help students realize that the consequences of bullying are real and painful, whether seen or unseen.

1. Open a bag of potato chips.

2. Pour the contents onto a paper plate, noting that the chips are whole.

3. Tape eyes, ears, a nose, and mouth onto the bag to humanize it. Name this “person” (e.g., Joe).

4. Return the potato chips to the bag. Tape it shut.

5. The class examines Joe. Is Joe intact? (Yes.) Is Joe ripped? (No.) Are there any marks on Joe? (No.).

6. Tell students to name types of physical bullying. The teacher slaps Joe with each example.

7. Perform a visual inspection. Is Joe intact? (Yes.) Is Joe ripped? (No.) Are there any marks on Joe? (No.) Joe appears to be the same before and after bullying. Stress that there are no obvious signs of damage.

8. Open Joe and pour the contents of the bag onto the plate. Little pieces of chips will flow from Joe. The damage was not detected because Joe’s outer wrapping concealed the crushed chips, the same way human skin hides wounds beneath its surface.

Examples of physical bullying include hitting, kicking, shoving, choking, slapping, grabbing, pinching, biting, spitting, poking, touching, scratching, tripping, hair pulling, strangling, flashing private parts, forcing physical contact, sexual grabbing, knocking down books, throwing objects, restraining, blocking paths, threatening, obscene gestures, staring down, rolling eyes, putting signs on a person’s back, games of salugi, pulling up clothes, pulling down pants, putting heads in toilet bowls and flushing (swirlies), locking someone in a room or locker, stalking, stealing, or d...