Creating community is one of the most successful bullying prevention strategies. When people band together, they feel a sense of belonging and obligation towards one another—this is why it’s important to know your school community goes beyond school walls. Here are our best tips for discussing bullying together, so you can equip everybody with the bullying prevention and intervention tools they need.
Give bullying a hard definition
The first step to bullying prevention is to get everyone on the same page. You can find your state’s definition of bullying in their anti-bullying laws posted on their resources site. You can visit StopBullying.gov for more information.
Get families involved
Family Tech Talk: A Free Internet Safety Event for Schools is a great way to introduce families to internet safety and good digital citizenship. Considering cyberbullying is only increasing as time goes on, it’s crucial that families understand how to navigate the digital world.
FACT: 58% of kids admit someone has said something mean to or about them online.
Stay on top of trends
Trends move faster than ever, thanks to the internet. Be sure to educate yourself regularly on what students are talking about and which platforms they’re using. For example, app extensions like NGL link to Instagram so users can send each other anonymous questions and comments. Anonymity is a potential bullying risk considering no one has to answer for what they say. Letting families in on this information allows them to look out for the app on their child’s phone or Instagram account, and act accordingly.
FACT: Students have started using generative AI to bully others, and it has had dire consequences. Keeping up with this technology and how students are using it is crucial for bullying prevention and intervention.
Be clear with communication
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to reporting incidents to your community, but the bottom line is your communication needs to be clear. Whether you’re emailing or calling home to talk with an adult about their child, or you’re making a statement on an incident that requires full community attention, your goals as a leader need to be thoroughly outlined so families, students, and educators know you are taking it seriously. We also suggest following up any incidents with the progress you’ve seen and subsequent next steps.
FACT: Many schools around the country have been sued for allegedly ignoring bullying reports. Bullying is a safety issue and must be handled with care and urgency for the well-being of students and staff.
Appoint an anti-bullying specialist
If you do not have an anti-bullying specialist on staff yet, here is your sign to start recruiting. Guidance counselors and school psychologists don’t always have the bandwidth to handle bullying reports, which can escalate the situation without meaning to. With an anti-bullying specialist, students, teachers, and families have a direct line of contact for handling bullying concerns. Be sure to empower your students and their families with the knowledge that a professional with extensive experience is there for support.
Resources:
To learn more about community-based bullying prevention, we’ve rounded up some great resources.
How this district created an anti-bullying initiative that actually works
School-Based Anti-Bullying Interventions Work!
