Teachers and Other School Administrators

As a teacher, principle, or any other school administrator it is your responsibility to make sure every child is safe. You must clue in to any behavior and pay attention to indirect bullying. Watch for changes in your students. Are they isolating themselves? It's important to keep an open relationship with the students so they feel they can talk to you. Children need support. It is the most critical time in their lives, what happens now will shape them into the adults they become.

When you see or hear bullying, immediately stop the bullying Stand between the children who bullied and those who where victims. Block eye contact between them. Do not send any students away and don't immediately ask about or discuss the reason for the bullying. Take care of it in private.

Refer to bullying behavior and the school rules about bullying. Use what you saw or heard them do and let them know it is unacceptable against school rules. Inform them of the possible consequences. Include the witnesses and give guidance about how they might appropriately intervene or get help next time. Bystanders are important and have a lot of effects.

Support the victim that allows him/her to gain self control. Make it a point to speak with the child later in private. Ask questions and listen. Do they feel safe? Praise the child for their courage to talk about it with you and explain how helpful they are by providing this information not only for themselves but for other students and staff Do not tell them to ignore it this allows the situation to escalate something must be done for it to stop

Don't force meetings with the victim and bully and never force an apology Meetings only make the victim feel cornered and the harasser more angry. The situation usually will escalate. Let school officials know what is going on to provide additional support and protection. Increase supervision so it is not repeated or escalated. Create proper punishment for the bully and see that the consequence is met.

Discourage mediation for bullying incidents. Bullying is a form of victimization, not conflict. It is no more a "conflict" then child abuse or domestic violence.

Mediating a bullying incident may send inappropriate messages to students who are involved. (Such as, "You are both partly right and partly wrong." We need to work out this conflict between you.") The appropriate message to the victim should be, "No one deserves to be bullied and we are going to do everything we can to stop it. "The message for children who bully should be, "Your behavior is inappropriate and must be stopped." Meditation may further victimize a child who has been bullied. It may be very upsetting for a child who has been bullied to face his/her tormenter. There is also no evidence that shows mediation is effective to stopping bullying.

Be in touch with the bullies parents. They need to be informed what is going on and how to handle it. It's important that the bully understands that this is wrong and parents address the situation

Always follow up check on your students, the victims, and the bully to see if there has been progress.

It's time to stand up! No one should have to go through bullying!