Position Paper on Bullying
Students, parents, teachers, and administrators need to be mindful of bullying and its effects on the target, the
perpetrator, and the climate of the learning community. Prevention initiatives need input from all stakeholders, so that
policies which address bullying can be easily adopted and implemented. Continued research in this social phenomenon
is a key component to helping communities change behavioral patterns and instill civility.
Sensitivity awareness to aspects of bullying is the starting point for all stakeholders – students, parents, and school
officials. Schools are uniquely qualified to provide educational training in this area by hosting conferences, workshops,
and extracurricular activities devoted to bully/victim problems and advocacy. Conferences should be open to the public,
with advance notice going out to all parents and guardians. The objective of this training would be to disseminate that
bullying is never acceptable, that there are consequences to hurting others, and there exist extracurricular activities
within the school system to develop positive peer relations and team building.
Schools can improve communication among school administrators, teachers, parents and students. Disciplinary
action can be consistent with immediate consequences for aggressive behaviors. Adult supervision can be increased in
the school, particularly in areas where bullying is known to take place – PE classes, recess, hallways, bathrooms, and in
the lunchroom. Using parent volunteers and other adult community groups to assist with this supervision in the school
would be ideal way to involve the community. Another area which could be pursued by students, teachers, and
administrators, would be to form an Anti-Bullying Club in the school (Craig, 1999). The club could hold monthly meeting,
and invite experts from the community to conduct workshops/lectures.
Causes of bullying are varied as the individuals who engage in it. Some of the reasons include: trying to get
things (property) for themselves; being impulsive and active in temperament; impressing others; needing social
influences; getting attention; needing power over other people; experiencing lack of warmth and attention at home;
modeling aggressive behavior form home; having poor supervision at home; and, viewing violence as a way to settle
problems.
Victims of bullying tend to be quiet, shy, lack friends and social support, lack confidence, feel isolated and helpless,
and are reluctant to report offenses because they think it will get worse. N.M. Floyd, in his article, Pick on somebody
your own size, summarizes the bullying cycle in a succinct manner:
“Bullying tends to start off in a tentative way, with some trial and error as the bullying settles on a victim. At first, the
incidents may be playful consisting of pranks, jokes, and some rough and tumble. As victims succumb to this treatment
and prove submissive, the incidents be come more hurtful, escalating from criticizing the victim, to name-calling and
taunting, then to personal attacks and public humiliation. In response to this increasingly hostile treatment, the victims
change and become more accepting and submissive. The rough and tumble plays give way to slapping, punching,
kicking, and beatings. The attacks become more systematized as victims are scapegoated.”
Possible actions for the victims of bullying are: stay calm without looking like a victim; ignore the bully by keeping
quiet and walk away; if the aforementioned are not possible, maintain good eye contact and use a calm voice, and try to
get help. It goes without saying that school staff should intervene in bullying episodes immediately. Officials should talk
to the bully and the victim separately. Involve the administration so that a wider reading on the problem can be
obtained, and school polices are followed.
