Anti-Bullying Essay Example

Definition of Bullying

Bullying refers to the use of any threat, force or coercion to intimidate, abuse or aggressively dominate other people. When such a habit keeps repeating itself to a person, then the person is said to be bullied (Hong & Garbarino, 2012). There are four types of bullying namely cyberbullying, emotional, verbal, and physical bullying. A recent report on bullying by Ashley Strickland was out after the tragic death of eighteen-year-old Brandy Vela as a result of bullying (Strickland, 2017).

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Bullying Prevention Techniques for Teachers and Staff

Bullying prevention techniques that teachers and staff can use to make sure that children are safe from bullies should be applicable and effective. Some of these techniques include developing a school-wide code of conduct to ensure that there is a clear definition of rules and values and any unacceptable behavior has a consequence (Bradshaw et al., 2013). Enforcing this code of conducts by the teachers and the staff also helps in identifying inappropriate behaviors that deserve punishment. Another bullying technique that the staff and teachers can apply to avoid bullying is the constant supervision of the students. Many of the bullying cases that occur in schools usually happen when the teachers and staff are not present, therefore, in order to reduce bullying in schools strict supervisions at all times should be ensured. The use of CCTV at the hallways, cafeterias, locker rooms, buses stops and stairwells should be implemented in case the staffs are not present to do the supervision.

The third technique that the staff can use is the constant practice of what has been preached (Bradshaw et al., 2013) . Teachers and staff should be the first example by practicing what they have said so that the students will be able to see the magnitude of it. Teachers should not use their status to intimidate the students and expect the students to practice what the teachers and the staffs are preaching. Another technique is the practicing bullying prevention activities such as communication campaigns in schools about the effect of bullying and its consequences, creative arts contest that are highlighting all the school values in order to bring the community together and to educate them about how bullying is wrong (Bradshaw et al., 2013). Lastly, the staff and teachers can assess the extent of the problem as a way of preventing bullying technique to the children. Finding the type of bullying that is being carried in the schools gives the teachers and the staff an easy way of tackling the problem. Again, by assessing the extent of the problem involve teachers and staff to know when and where the bullying takes place so that they can target the prevention efforts.

Cyberbullying and Its Consequences

Cyberbullying is a type of bullying where a person image is destroyed in the social media through airing false information about him or her. Cyberbullying includes sending hurtful messages, videos or images to a person through the use of social media (Sticca & Perren, 2013). The difference between the cyberbullying and the traditional bullying us that, traditional bullying involves physical beating and mistreatment while cyberbullying involves emotional torture. There are many consequences of bullying in schools. For example, when teachers or any member of staff is caught bullying a student, severe punishment like being sacked is applied. Bullying of students by any staff also causes loss of respect by the students and finally bullying of students by the teachers, or staff also affects the image of the school since the students will be sharing with the parents and the community of the things that occur in their school (Sticca & Perren, 2013). The support system that teachers or staff can offer to victims of bullying are pieces of advice so that they do not lose hope in their studies. Teachers and staff can also recommend some of the resources such as Cybermart to the students since it is a website that creates awareness concerning cybersecurity in students

I recommend that both the teachers and staff in a school be at the forefront of informing the students the effects and the consequences of bullying. Again, teachers and the staff should give the best example on how to relate with students so that they can show love to one another. Punishment for those who are found practicing bullying should not be taken lightly.

An Area for Students

Students can also play a big role in preventing bullying in school. Some of the bullying prevention techniques that students can apply are reporting the cases of bullying to the authority so that appropriate actions can be taken (Moore et al., 2017). When punishment is administered to the students who are practicing bullying in school, students who had a plan of doing it may have a second thought. Another technique that students can use to avoid bullying in school has a private life where they keep their secrets so that their secrets cannot be used against them. Cyberbullying is a kind of bullying where a person uses another person personal secret to torture them emotionally (Moore et al., 2017). Students can use also have out-of-classes discussions about the effects of bullying on victims and spreading the consequences to face when caught bullying.

Cyberbullying is repeated use of technology to threaten, harass and to intimidate somebody. This type of bullying involves the use of phones, computers, and tablets. An important difference between cyberbullying and traditional bullying is that cyberbullying can occur anytime and anywhere (Sticca & Perren, 2013). Unlike traditional bullying, which has its specific time. For example, the school hours and places where the victim and the bully are, cyberbullying can occur at any time provided the bully has the technology device and the internet. Another difference is that cyberbullying can go viral, unlike traditional bullying that happens before a few witnesses. Cyberbullying can be accessed by anybody who happens to be online. Other differences include nothing less remorse in the online world, cyberbullying protects the bullies, unlike the traditional bullying where everybody knows the oppressor (Espelage, Green & Polanin, 2012). Consequences of bullying in schools are severe. One of the consequences of bullying among the students includes expelled from school. Students who are expelled from school because of bullying find it very difficult to get admission to other schools since their recommendation letter from the last school will be indicating the offense for expulsion. Another consequence of bullying in school can be serving a severe punishment outside the classroom at the time when other fellow students are learning hence remaining behind the syllabus (Espelage, Green & Polanin, 2012). The support system that students can offer to themselves is the free talk about the effects of bullying in schools. They can also preach love among themselves as a way of reducing bullying.

References

Bradshaw, C. P., Waasdorp, T. E., O'Brennan, L. M., & Gulemetova, M. (2013). Teachers' and education support professionals' perspectives on bullying and prevention: Findings from a national education association study. School psychology review, 42(3), 280.

Espelage, D., Green, H., & Polanin, J. (2012). Willingness to intervene in bullying episodes among middle school students: Individual and peer-group influences. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 32(6), 776-801.

Hong, J. S., & Garbarino, J. (2012). Risk and protective factors for homophobic bullying in schools: An application of the social-ecological framework. Educational Psychology Review, 24(2), 271-285.

Moore, S. E., Norman, R. E., Suetani, S., Thomas, H. J., Sly, P. D., & Scott, J. G. (2017). Consequences of bullying victimization in childhood and adolescence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World Journal of Psychiatry, 7(1), 60.

Sticca, F., & Perren, S. (2013). Is cyberbullying worse than traditional bullying? Examining the differential roles of the medium, publicity, and anonymity for the perceived severity of bullying. Journal of youth and adolescence, 42(5), 739-750.

Strickland, A. (2017). Bullying is a 'serious public health problem,' experts say. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/10/health/bullying-public-health-zero-tolerance/index.html