Let's Talk About Bullying

What is Bullying? 

Do you know? 

Do you find yourself calling mean behavior and conflicts bullying? 

Do you know the difference?

In order to help our students understand we need to understand bullying.

Over the years I have found that adults mislabel mean behavior as bullying. I have even dug deeper into an issue and learned that an underlying conflict was never addressed and only one side was being seen by adults. If we want our students to do better, we need to do better.

Below is a definition taken from stopbullying.gov

Bullying is a serious problem. 1 out of every 5 students report being bullied in school, according to the National Center of Education Statistics, 2024. 

The most common place for a student to be bullied is in the classroom. 

A student with a disability is at a greater risk for being bullied than a student without a disability.

Children are most often bullied for their appearance. 

44.2% of students who are bullied report the incidents to a trusted adult.

9 out of 10 tweens use social media or a gaming app. 58.2% report being cyber bullied. 33% report that it has occurred in the last 30 days. 

Talking about bullying can seem like a difficult task. It doesn't have to be. We as adults need to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. We need to be open to hearing the details. We need to be a trusted and supportive adult.

The ability to talk through a situation and evaluate the likelihood of bullying is a skill we should all be equipped with as adults working with school aged children.

If a student reports bullying to you, stay calm, listen with an open mind, and validate feelings.

Students need a nonjudgmental listening ear. Find your best poker face and be ready to hear anything and everything.

Do not be afraid to talk early and often about bullying. Talking about it does not create ideas on how to do it, but rather shows your knowledge of the topic and lets students know you know what signs to look for from behavior. 

When talking with a student be sure to assess their needs, safety, and readiness to take appropriate action. Make sure that you are presenting the best, safest, and most age appropriate suggestions regarding handling bullying.

Reassure the student that it not their fault.

Do not wait to address the topic. Remind students that informing an adult about bullying is not tattling or snitching, it is keeping someone safe.