Bullying in School 

Bullies are nothing new. There have always been bullies in the school yard and in the neighborhood. Bullies were often the favorite antagonists in classic movies and T.V. sitcoms. However, education social workers tell us that bullying has become a widespread problem in America’s schools.

• The Centers for Disease Control reports that 28% of students in grades 6-12 have been bullied, and an additional 30% admit they have been complicit in bullying others.
• Although there are no set risk factors, the CDC notes that students who are perceived to be different from their peers, do not fit into the school’s social structure, or display symptoms of mental illness or behavioral problems are more likely to be bullied than their peers.
• Bullying includes physical aggression, teasing, and harassment both in person and online.
• Bullying can affect students’ academic and social lives, cause long lasting mental trauma, and, in extreme cases, lead to serious violence or self-harm.

A Thorny Problem

As trained mental health professionals, school counselors are playing an integral role in recognizing the risk factors that contribute to bullying, as well as organizing bullying prevention efforts at a school-wide level. It’s critical that counselors are prepared to recognize instances of bullying and harassment, and work together with teachers, administrators, and parents to create a school environment where these behaviors are not tolerated. Although bullying is by no means an inevitable part of the school experience, outside influences such as home life, the media, and social pressures can encourage negative behaviors. To effectively combat bullying in schools, counselors must put forth the effort to inform parents and educators on how to recognize the warning signs and lasting impacts of bullying, while simultaneously working with affected students to create a safe learning environment for everyone. This is, of course, no easy task.

The School Counselors' Role

School counselors play a unique role in the educational team, and their intervention is critical in preventing and responding to bullying, as well as helping affected students cope with the side effects. Though bullying prevention in schools must be a school-wide consideration, counselors provide the expertise necessary to plan school-wide bully prevention tactics. They have evolved a three-pronged approach: 1.) Recognition, 2.) Empathy, and 3.) Treatment.

Recognition

The signs that your child is being bullied are subtle and are often attributed to other causes. Studies indicate that students turn to a trusted adult in less than 40 percent of bullying incidents, which makes recognizing the warning signs even more crucial. Social workers suggest that parents and teachers should note each of the following indicators and sound an immediate alarm when combinations of these factors manifest:

• Unexplainable injuries or damage to personal items
• Faking illness, missing class more frequently, or truancy
• Sudden change in diet and sleep patterns
• Decline in classroom performance
• Noticeable decline in self-esteem

Empathy

• Most bullying occurs out of sight of parents and school authorities and is rarely reported, therefore, simply making a rule against bullying is both an inadequate and an absurd response.
• The first step in combating bullying is learning to feel what both the perpetrator and the victim are feeling.
• Effective preventive action begins with understanding what both the bully and his/her victim are experiencing emotionally and then counseling both from that starting point. This empathic response gets at both the true cause and the damaging effect of bullying.
• Only after an empathic response can school counselors inform their fellow educators, students, and parents about the true nature of bullying, it’s prevalence and effect on the school environment and inspire an informed community response.

Treatment

• Social workers and school counselors have concluded after a long period of study that extensive treatment is needed for both perpetrators and victims of bullying.
• Making rules against bullying or disciplining offenders are inappropriate and ineffective responses to bullying.
• The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) recommends that students be completely retrained in five tiers of social and emotional skills which include: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making.
• Many students who are victimized by bullies will need extended opportunities to practice social and emotional skills. They may need additional therapeutic intervention outside school, which can include anger management or counseling.
• Counselors can help connect parents with relevant community-based resources to further help students affected by bullying.

There is no quick fix to such an embedded disorder. But social workers and school counselors are on the job trying creative ways to diminish the impulse to bully and the reactive shrinking away and hiding of the victims.