Research Paper Draft
Bullying can lead to depression and in many cases has led to suicide. Bullying is no longer viewed as an interaction between a perpetrator and a victim, it is situated within larger social systems like peer groups, families, and schools. There is a variety of roles that peers can play in bullying situations. Assistants, who help the bully commit the behavior, reinforces who provide cheering or provide verbal encouragement, and onlookers who know the bullying is occurring and does nothing to intervene (Smith et al).
The implementation of effective anti-bullying measures used through teacher interaction will help alleviate or even eradicate bullying in the school system. Coming up with a workable plan to stop bullying has proven difficult. The approaches are all over the map. According to an article written by Maggie Clark, Illinois requires schools to do social-emotional learning exercises to prevent bullying. During the exercises, students describe their emotions during a stressful event or recognize the emotional reactions to stress.
On the punishment side, five states don’t have any sanctions for bullying in their anti- bullying laws, while 12 states include a criminal sanction for bullies, ranging room school suspension to jail time, according to an analysis of state bullying laws from the Accessibility Research Center (Clark). There are some that will argue and claim that anti-bullying programs are too costly for the schools. To train our teachers on how to handle bullying situations is something that our schools cannot afford.
According to an article written by Rick Phillips a study was done in 2009 that proves how the school systems lose money when dealing with students being bullied. 25% of students skipped classes or went home sick to avoid being bullied. There is a uncial consequence associated with absenteeism. The average daily attendance rate when a student is truant is $40. 00 a day. The average loss due to truancy in each school would amount to $21 ,600 a year. The cost for suspensions averages $290 per three day suspension. If the offense leads to expulsion and the average of 2% expulsion rate the average cost would amount to $17,400 per year.
With the amount of students that fit all the categories an average school could lose more than $70,000 due to absenteeism and truancy. This does not include the students who drop out of school (average $40 a day lost) or the cost that could be accrued with medical and vandalism costs. Taking all these costs into consideration for a sample high school with 1000 students the annual loss could reach up to 2 million dollars, per school, which could easily cover the cost of training programs for the teachers. Reducing bullying in school is a major concern of parents and educators.
The need to implement anti-bullying programs in schools by training the teachers on how to acknowledge and intercede in bullying is being introduced to schools around the globe. In a nationwide study of 1 5,686 students in grade 6 through 10, 29% of the students reported having been involved in some aspect of bullying, either as a bully, a victim, or both (Meyers, et al). This high percentage rate proves that bullying needs to be addressed. Different types of anti-bullying programs have been implemented throughout schools. The schools that are without programs are in the process of adding programs into their schools.
A psychologist name John Dominique implemented his own program in a school where he worked. He began by doing a hypothesis on the bully and a operate hypothesis on the victim. Through this study he came to one conclusion: bullying is not the problem but a sign of a larger issue. From there he changed his entire approach on bullying. Dominique trained the teachers to help him as he worked with the students directly. He addressed the bullies by focusing on the social system, and what their own personal issues were. His approach with the victims also changed, by helping them see their experience differently than being bullied.
Bullying does not disappear on the days the victims are absent from school. Bullying has to do with bullies. Visualization is a matter of just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He did work with the victims to let them know that their pain is validated. Dominique also provided a program for peers to defend and console the victims for social support. He also held bystanders accountable. And last, he focused on parents and school personnel. This approach continues to be evolved and refined. His goal is to witness students lead and define a classroom culture in which providing support for a student in need is most admirable.
Peers are encouraged to support fellow students and help find ways to be more kind (Dominique). The question regarding the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs has beer addressed in many studies. Experts say it is important to identify programs that have been sufficiently tested and have shown meaningful results (Cooper, et al). In a sustained effort to change school norms-?like the renowned Losses Bullying Prevention Program using the whole school approach has proven results of 20% reduction, which is not as high as first anticipated but still an improvement (Cooper, et al).
The most successful programs are those that the entire staff is involved in, addressing and correcting the situations through teacher intervention. Further research recognizes the importance of student bystander and adult educator shared responsibility for successful bully prevention. The role of teacher observations versus student reports of bullying, as well as staff preparedness, as predictors of teacher involvement was investigated in 115 middle school teachers.
Being told by students about bullying incidents was he strongest predictor of teacher involvement. However, the relation between being told about bullying, or observing it, and coaching students on how to manage bullying was most evident when teachers felt highly prepared to handle bullying situations. Results from this study point to the pivotal role that both teacher preparedness and student reporting play in teacher responsiveness to bullying. Implications for training school professionals and bully prevention programs are discussed (Novak and Isaacs).
Because bullying is one of the most pervasive forms of violence in schools wrought the United States and even worldwide it is critical that we take control of this situation (Whetted and Duper). The best way to do that is through teacher, parent, and society intervention. Though there is a long way to go and a lot of work to do, there has definitely been some positive correction done in our schools. What seems to make the most difference is how thoroughly the program is supported and implemented. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know that our children not only feel safe and secure while in school, but that they actually are?
