Anti-Bullying Policy In Schools: Strategies

Written by: Rujusmita Selvan – M.Sc
(Clinical Neuropsychology)

Last updated date : March 11, 2022

Table of Contents

Anti-Bullying Policy In Schools: Strategies

  1. What is Anti-Bullying
  2. Why is Anti-Bullying policies needed in Schools?
  3. How do we suspect if child is being bullied?
  4. How the schools help in Anti-Bullying policy?
  5. What are the Anti-bullying policies used in schools?
  6. Other strategies: Anti-bullying policy in schools
  7. How Can Parents Help with Anti-Bullying policies in Secondary Schools?
  8. Conclusion

Over the past few years, bullying has been a national problem. Many people continuously experience the dramatic impacts and aftereffects of bullying. People have taken their own lives, viewing this final act as the only way to escape their bullies. For these reasons, an anti-bullying policy in school is very important to know how to stop bullying in secondary schools. We will also look at ways on why anti-bullying policies are important in schools? How Anti-bullying policy in schools can change the environment that a student studies in. Let’s see how you can tell if your child is being bullied at school? How can one come with Anti- bullying policy in schools?

Chapter 1:

What is Anti-Bullying

Anti-bullying refers to laws, policies, organizations, and movements aimed at stopping or preventing bullying, where a person, called a bully, verbally or physically threatens or assaults a person, causing the person to feel a real or perceived power imbalance. Bullying affects the ability of the child to study effectively. As a result, students feel safe and secure physically, emotionally, and socially in school. Therefore, schools must implement schools implement a comprehensive anti-bullying policy that is effective.

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Chapter 2:

Why is Anti-Bullying policies needed in Schools?

Believe it or not, bullying is more of name-calling, hitting, pushing, and kicking. Those who bully may encourage those around them to avoid someone or ignore them. Of course, this type of bullying involves the participation of other individuals while bullying occurs. A lot of bullying happens in school, for example, a young boy is teased at school by his senior who is bigger and taller than him. The bully might even threaten him against telling anyone. So, the young boy does not speak up. He suffers the bullying because he is scared of the older boy and what he would do if this younger boy talks about the bullying.

Coping with bullying at school is not easy for such kids. They have a tough time at school. These kids do not talk to parents and teachers about the bullying since it scares them. They feel that the bully will harm them more if they speak up. These kids need a lot of support and help to deal with bullying at school. . 

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Chapter 3:

How do we suspect if child is being bullied?

You need to be alert and attentive to your child. They may not come to you and tell you what is happening at school. Sometimes, kids try to deal with the bullying at school on their own. But here are some signs that you as a parent should watch out for. Even teachers and other caregivers who interact with the child should know about these signs.
  • Look out for any signs of sudden changes – You will see some signs in your child. First, they will try coping with bullying at school on their own. So, there may be several changes in his/her mood, behaviour, attitude, etc. For example, your daughter who is very lively and who generally talks all the time has become quiet. Do not ignore these changes. You have to take efforts to notice these changes.
  • Note how your child looks after coming home from school – You will know how your child’s day at school has gone only if you are actively trying to talk about it when they come home. For example, your son comes home with his clothes all untidy or bruises on his body. This is a clear sign that he has been in a physical fight at school.
  • They struggle to control their emotions or unintentionally prompt the child to bully them again.
  • The child likes being assertive, avoiding people and places.
  • Finds it hard to control feelings of anger and frustration
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Chapter 4:

How the schools help in Anti-Bullying policy?

The school believes have that it is important to provide a supportive, caring and safe environment without fear of being bullied. A well organized and disciplined school would develop better anti-bullying policies. It is important that anti-bullying policies are developed where the parents are aware that the child is in a safe environment. The school aims to provide the following to the students:
  • Maintain a community where every student feels valued and safe and individual differences are appreciated
  • Praise and reward the positive behavior of the students
  • Teach the students to respect themselves and the others
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Chapter 5:

What are the Anti-bullying policies used in schools?

The school should motivate the community to focus on the reality and spread on how to develop anti-bullying policy in schools.
  • Using specific information or incidents
National newspapers, television, and media can show communities how bullying ruins the lives of the victims. This would make it more easier and effective to think of their own experiences of bullying. When you open a discussion forum in school, it will make people feel free to contribute reasonably.
  • Teach kindness and Empathy
School should teach the students about the importance of kindness and encourage them to participate in activities that boost social-emotional learning. As a teacher, find ways to help students identify their strengths and help them grow. One way to do this is to have kids gather together and talk about their differences.
  • Create connections
Developing a sense of community can help lower bullying and develop more positive connections with their classmates. Using peer mentoring programs will increase student’s ability to cope. This will make students feel more connected by having their school’s community involvement. In the classroom, encourage expression and the ability for students to voice their opinions. Encourage students to advocate for themselves and others on campus. Outside the class, be intentional about praising your students for good behavior.
  • Identify “gateway behaviors”
When a child engages in certain behaviors, they are often the first signs of bullying. School staffs miss these signs and ignore them. If we can stop people from doing these two behaviors, it can prevent bullying later on. As an educator, here are some of the key behaviors you should take notice of:
  • Eye rolling
  • Prolonged staring
  • Back turning
  • Laughing cruelly/encouraging others to laugh
  • Name-calling
  • Ignoring or excluding
  • Causing physical harm
  • Spying
  • Stalking
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Chapter 6:

Other strategies: Anti-bullying policy in schools

To have a school wide programme that helps them strategies to deal with situations they might encounter:
  • To help the students to seek counselling, to make the right choices and not be influenced to peer pressure
  • Reassure students that the school will do all in its power to protect and support
  • Access all the bullying cases as fully as possible
  • Use a range of strategies which challenge bullying behavior
  • Provide opportunities to discuss and consider bullying
These will help students know how to stop bulling in secondary schools.
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Chapter 7:

How Can Parents Help with Anti-Bullying policies in Secondary Schools?

Sometimes parents can give their input on how to stop bullying in secondary schools and help develop Anti-bullying policy in schools.
  • Start an open discussion about what is bullying. Use stories, examples, and even videos to inform your child what bullying is and what to do if they face such a situation.
  • Encourage them to speak up. Give them the needed courage and assurance that you will take care of them. Let them tell their story about what happens at school.
  • Listen carefully without trying to point out what your child has done wrong. But do not get angry about such things. Your child has come to you now so focus on that.
  • Talk to his/her teachers and parents of the bully. Everyone involved needs to work together. So talk to all the players involved and try to find a solution.
  • Empower your child. Coping with bullying at school is hard. Try to give them tips and strategies that can help them. Also, try to boost their confidence and self-esteem.
  • Look for unusual behavior in your children. They may suddenly not wish to attend school, feel ill regularly.
  • Ask about how their day was and with whom did they spend time with
  • Advise your child not to fight back, it makes things worse
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Chapter 8:

Conclusion

It is the goal of the schools and the community to develop programs on how to stop bullying in secondary schools. The creation and implementation of a good strategy does not guarantee success. There is a need to evaluate whether a policy is achieving the desired results or not. A school that is using the whole-school anti-bullying approach needs to evaluate its success. Bullying needs to decrease in all areas of the school be it in the classroom, the corridors, the playground or the toilets.

Ultimately, we need a substantial shift in our mindsets about the importance of children and their feelings. Children are more likely to thrive when we nurture their humanity, and offer them language and strategies and values to help them identify, express, and, thus, regulate their feelings. When parents, teachers, and administrators gain new awareness into the complex roots of bullying and adopt new strategies for addressing it, schools can lead the way. The kids are counting on us.