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How to Prevent Bullying in Schools

A new study identifies the most successful approaches bullying prevention methods.

All 50 U.S. states mandate schools to implement a bullying prevention policy.

But a policy, alone, is not adequate. Despite the requirement, there’s been a slight increase in all forms of bullying during the past 3 years. Bullying resembles experienced basketball players methodically intimidating novice players off the court, kids constantly denouncing immigrant classmates for their cultural differences, or a middle-school girl suddenly being insulted and excluded by her group of friends.

Bullying transpires everywhere, even in the highest-performing schools, and it is hurtful to everyone involved, from the targets of bullying to the witnesses – and even to bullies themselves. October is National Bullying Prevention Month, so it’s a good time to ask ourselves: What are the best methods for preventing bullying in schools?

Not all approaches to bullying prevention are adequate deterrents. Most bullying prevention programs concentrate on increasing awareness of the problem and administering consequences. But programs that rely on punishment and zero tolerance have not been shown to be effective in the U.S.; and they typically disproportionately target students of color. Programs like peer mediation that place responsibility on the children to work out conflicts can increase bullying. (Adult victims of abuse are never asked to “work it out” with their tormentor, and children have an additional legal right to protections due to their developmental status.) Bystander intervention, even among adults, only works for some people – extroverts, empaths, and people with higher social status and moral engagement. Numerous approaches that educators implement have not been evaluated through research; instead, educators tend to choose programs based on what their colleagues use.

2 research-tested approaches that demonstrate the most promise for decreasing bullying (in addition to other forms of aggression and conflict). They are a positive school climate, and social and emotional learning.

Fostering a Positive School Climate

School climate can be difficult to define, though possible to measure. It is the “felt sense” of being in a school, which can arise from a greeting, the way a problem is resolved, or how people work together; it is a school’s “heart and soul,” its “quality and character.” Schools with a positive climate encourage healthy development, while a negative school climate is affiliated with higher rates of student bullying, aggression, victimization, and feeling unsafe.

The elements of a positive climate may differ, but may often include norms about feelings and relationships, power and how it is expressed, and media consumption. Social norm engineering is a conscious process that builds a positive culture among student peers and school adults that becomes self-reinforcing. Similar to healthy immune system, a positive school climate promotes optimal health and reduces the chances of dysfunction or disease.

Leadership is integral to a positive climate. Is bullying minimized as a “normal rite of childhood,” or is it recognized as the harmful peer abuse that it is? Do leaders understand that uninterrupted, severe bullying can present lifelong negative consequences on targets of bullies, bullies, and witnesses? Are school leaders dedicated to promoting all children’s positive psychological health, or do they over-rely on punishing misbehavior? Can they differentiate between typical developmental processes that need guidance versus bullying that needs assertive intervention? Are educators sensitive to their students, and do they value children’s feelings?

Next, are teachers prepared to deal with bullying? Students consistently indicate that teachers miss most incidents of bullying and don’t help students when asked. Many teachers indicate that they feel unprepared to deal with classroom bullying. Some teachers bully students themselves, or show insensitivity toward children who are bullied. Teachers indicate that they receive little guidance in “classroom management,” and occasionally rely on the disciplinary strategies they learned in their own families growing up.

However, restructuring school climate should involve all participants – students and parents, as well as the administrators and teachers – so a school’s specific issues can be addressed, and the flavor of local cultures retained. School climate assessments can be completed sporadically to monitor the effect of improvements.

Developing Social and Emotional Learning

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is well known, and encompasses teaching skills of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision making, and relationships management.

Evidence-based SEL approaches have been shown to deliver cost-effective, solid results. Numerous meta-analyses, research reviews, and individual studies of hundreds of thousands of K-12 students show that SEL improves emotional well-being, self-regulation, classroom relationships, and kind and helpful behavior among students. It diminishes a range of problems like anxiety, emotional distress, and depression; decreases disruptive behaviors like conflicts, aggression, bullying, anger, and hostile attribution bias; and it enhances academic achievement, creativity, and leadership.

A study of 36 first-grade teachers demonstrated that when teachers were more emotionally supportive of students, children were less aggressive and had greater behavioral self-control, compared to the use of behavior management, which did not improve student self-control. One meta-analysis showed that developing emotional competence was protective against becoming a victim of bullying; social competence and academic performance were protective against becoming a bully; and positive peer interactions were protective against becoming a bully-victim (one who has been bullied and bullies others). A series of longitudinal studies indicated positive effects into midlife (e.g., fewer divorces, less unemployment) and even cross-generational effects of early SEL. Compared to a matched control group, the children of the adults who participated in the Perry Preschool Project had less criminal involvement and higher educational and employment achievement. A cost-benefit analysis of 6 SEL programs found them to be good investments, with $11 saved for every $1 spent.

Teachers also benefit from SEL. Those with emotional and social skills training have higher job satisfaction and less burnout, show more positive emotions toward their students, manage their classrooms more efficiently, and use more strategies that cultivate creativity, choice, and autonomy in their students. Teachers report that they want more SEL support to promote their own emotional and social skills, and to better understand their students’ feelings. But few teacher training programs concentrate on growing the teachers’ emotion regulation skills.

Bullying at Various Ages

SEL approaches should be developmentally wise, since what is significant and possible for children changes at different ages.

For instance, preschoolers are expelled from school at the highest rates of all, but the neurological hardware for their self-control is only just developing. Only then are the connections between the emotion circuitry and the more thinking regions of the prefrontal cortex beginning to be myelinated (insulated for faster connectivity), something that will take until the mid 20s to complete. An SEL program like PATHS or RULER that teaches young children language for feelings, and strategies for thinking before acting, can create better self-regulation.

Occasionally, adults confuse normal developmental processes with bullying. For example, children begin to reorganize their friendships midway through elementary school, something that can naturally create hurt feelings and interpersonal conflict. It should not be misinterpreted as bullying, though, which involves intentional, repeated aggression within an imbalance of power. Normal development also includes experimenting with power, and these normal dynamics should be guided safely toward developing a healthy sense of agency, rather than a hurtful exertion of power over someone else.

The start of puberty marks the beginning of heightened sensitivity to social relationships, an especially important time to cultivate skills for kinder, gentler relationships. Unfortunately, this is the period when bullying is the highest. And while some strategies work well for younger children (for example, advising them to “tell a trusted adult”), this option may fail with teens, and the breakpoint seems to be around the eighth grade. Older teens require approaches that are less informative and influence their need for autonomy, while supporting their values and search for meaning. Physiologically, the brain changes during puberty confer a second chance for recalibrating their stress regulation system. That opportunity should be productively seized.

Methods should also consider individual differences between children. Even SEL programs can falter here, over-relying on just 1 or 2 emotion regulation strategies, like breathing or mindfulness. But children differ in their temperaments, sensitivities, strengths, and vulnerabilities. The best SEL approaches guide students toward discovering strategies that work best for them – strategies that are emotion- and context-specific, personalized, and culturally responsive. This approach entails progressive flexibility on the part of the educators.

Methods work best if they are not separate teachings or from kits that end up in the classroom closet at the end of the year. In order to be effective, skills should become fully entrenched across the curricula and the entire day, in all settings, and implemented by all adults – permeating the ecosystem. Only approaches used and taught as intended are successful.

Schools Need Parents’ Help

Families matter, too. Bullying in schools sometimes arises from harsh parenting practices or sibling bullying at home.

Even parents’ workplaces matter. Adults experience bullying in their workplaces at about the same rate as children in schools, and it’s even found among teachers and in senior living communities. Simply put, bullying is not just a childhood problem; it is a pervasive human problem. And children are not shielded from the wider social world – bullying of children who belong to groups targeted in the national political discourse has drastically increased on playgrounds nationwide.

Children are more apt to thrive when we encourage 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 be agents of change.

How Social Media Influences Teens

Technology is always evolving and fashioning new inventive ways for people to connect with each other. One of the most common uses of new technologies, specifically by teenagers, is social media. 

Although at first little was known about how social media impacts teens, the effects of social media on teens has become apparent. Research on social media and teens has revealed that technology may increase peer pressure and bullying while also resulting in increased substance use and mental health concerns. 

The Evolution of Technology

Since the start of Internet public use in 1991, people have found innovative ways to use this technology. As technology has evolved and become readily available, teen Internet use has risen sharply. 

With teen media consumption on the rise, companies are profiting from the media influence on teens. With industry reports deeming teens the most valued customers, targeted marketing to teens is unlikely to vanish. Today’s teens, known as Generation Z, are, as a group, constantly connected through technology than previous generations. 

To understand the increase in teen technology use, statistics can be used to paint a clear picture of the new youth culture. Some important Generation Z technology facts to be aware of:

  • Practically all teens, or 95% of them, have access to smartphones.
  • Almost half of teens (45%) report being constantly connected through technology.
  • Another 44% of teens are online at various times during the day.
  • Most teens think social media use isn’t harmful.
  • Less than one quarter (24%) of teens think social media is negative. 
Social Media and Teens

As teen social media statistics have revealed, virtually all teens use social media and most believe their social media use has either a neutral or a positive effect on them. Despite a minority reporting negative effects of social media, some teens experience negative outcomes, including:

  • 45% of teens feel overwhelmed by online drama.
  • 43% of teens feel pressured to keep up a specific outward appearance online.
  • 37% of teens feel pressured to receive virtual “likes”.

Regardless of recognizing these negative effects, teen social media use continues to increase. Although Facebook once dominated the market, teens prefer other platforms. Some of the most popular teen social media sites are:

Peer Pressure and Social Media

Teen peer pressure is an issue notwithstanding social media use; however, when combined, social media and peer pressure can be particularly harmful. With 59% of teens indicating that they have been bullied online, also referred to as cyberbullying, the ability for teens to feel pressure from social media is clear. 

Peer pressure to use drugs and alcohol was once thought to be only occur at high school social gatherings, but social media has created a new system that encourages teen substance abuse. Studies have found that as many as 75% of teens felt pressured to drink alcohol and use drugs after seeing their friends post about these activities online. 

Access to Drugs

Social media doesn’t just pressure teens to partake of substances, it serves as an outlet for online drug dealers. In some instances, this may mean social media drug dealing, where a person connects with someone they know, or a stranger, to set up a drug deal. In other cases, it may mean teens buying drugs online, usually through social media. 

Whether bought through social media connections or bought from the “dark web,” teen drug use has been made easier with the evolution of technology. Because of the subversive nature of online drug dealing, researchers have had a hard time determining how many drugs are sold and to whom. Regardless of this lack of data, news reports of overdose deaths caused by substances bought online indicate that this is a serious problem. 

Social Media and Mental Health

Social media subjects teens to more than drugs. The complex effects of peer pressure and unrealistic expectations of life facilitated through social media may result in increased teen mental health concerns. 

While many perpetrators have been blamed for the increase in mental health issues amid young people, social media and mental health statistics clearly indicate that technology plays a huge part. 

For instance:

  • Researchers who capped study participants’ use of social media to only 30 minutes each day discovered that after 3 weeks, participants felt less depressed and less lonely.
  • In another study, researchers discovered that young women felt worse about their appearance and were displeased with their bodies after looking at social media profiles of women they considered more attractive. 

Social media and mental health research has found a correlation between social media use and increased social anxiety, feelings of isolation and feelings of loneliness. Some have deemed that the measures of popularity created by social media such as friend counts and “likes” have contributed to a rise in depression. Others claim that seeing other people having fun and spending time with friends through social media can lead to feelings of isolation and inadequacy related to depression. 

Considering how much time teens spend online, it is especially worrisome that as little as 2 hours online has been linked to an increase in risk factors for suicide. When the time spent online rises to 5 hours or more, the increase in suicide risk factors rises to 71%. 

The Importance of Anonymous Social Media Post
Reporting

We’re familiar with the slogan, “If you see something, say something.” This is a powerful message, something to think of when you’re scrolling through posts, photos, videos and tweets on your phone and computer.

The community must be vigilant and flag content that causes discomfort. Posts from family and friends offer a glimpse into someone’s life even if they aren’t seen in person very often and sometimes; in addition, there are cries for help.

Facebook has created and made available many resources within their Facebook Safety Center.

In this section of Facebook, users can read more about policies and access tools to make their Facebook experience better. There is also a Parent’s Portal offering expert advice and guidance. Online bullying has also become more prominent and Facebook has also provided teens, parents and educators with tools to help prevent bullying via the Bullying Prevention Hub.

In addition to videos and articles that have been published in partnership with many child experts, as well as the Yale Center of Emotional Intelligence, Facebook enables users to control their Facebook experience.

Users can easily customize their news feeds to “Snooze” friends for 30-days or the ability to “Unfollow” friend’s posts,  which means posts aren’t visible in news feeds but Facebook friendship will remain intact. Posts that a user finds annoying can be easily controlled with these 2 Facebook resources.If a post, video, photo or comment is more offensive in nature, it is advised that it is reported directly to Facebook. This can be done by selecting the 3 dots on the upper right hand of the post and selecting “Give Feedback on This Post”. From there, it’s easy to select a reason and provide additional information. Alternatively, users can fill out a form here. A single report is enough for Facebook to review the content. They don’t just remove it if it was reported a certain amount of times but only if it violates Community Standards.

On Instagram, the process is also similar. Seeing a potentially threatening or suspicious photo or video should be flagged immediately. Users can click on the top right 3 dots and select “Report” which will bring the next screen to select “It’s Spam” or “It’s Inappropriate”. Additional reporting options can be found here.

The Facebook team, which also owns Instagram, has a team of experts dedicated to reviewing content. Many of their backgrounds come from enforcement areas like child and women’s safety and hate speech. The team is global and can review over 40 languages with the help of technology and human review.

Twitter also makes saying something about a tweet easy to do by enabling users to click on the top right and choosing, “Report Tweet” in addition to the other features to control tweets from users. Additional information is located here.

Vanishing content, like what is found on Snapchat, may be difficult for users to report; however Snapchat does have reporting options in place for this reason. When viewing a story, the user is encouraged to press and hold the content to which an option for reporting will show. Alternatively, a form can be filled out online.

Screenshots of any posts – vanishing or not – are always recommended even though the platforms do feature the ability to retrieve deleted posts.

It is always recommended to contact local law enforcement if there is an impending threat to an individual or a group of people. All of these social media platforms do work closely with law enforcement, including government agencies to investigate reports. A reminder that any reports filed do stay anonymous. Don’t dawdle if there is dubious content being published by a friend or family member in the news feed.