Putting a Stop to Bullying

 

        There needs to be an end to bullying. NO child should feel scared or uncomfortable to go to school. It is not the responsibility of the child, the parents or the teachers. It is the responsibility of everyone everywhere. Bullying comes in many different ways. For examples there's cyberbullying, teasing, physical abuse, and mental/emotional abuse. Not one of these types of bullying is worse than the other in my opinion because they all end with pain. Not only can bullying affect a child's mental and physical health but it may also effect their academics. Bullying can lead to depression, and suicide. It should never get that far. School should be a safe place. Parents are sending their children to school all day every day and they should do it knowing their child is going to be safe. 

        

    "The National Association of School Psychologists estimates that over 160,000 students miss school each day because they fear being bullied." (The Bully Project, n.d.). After watching the movie BULLY, I was really taken back and filled with sadness and anger. The description for the documentary on Netflix says "the eye opening documentary..." (Hirsch & Lowen, 2011). It really was eye-opening. Hearing the stories of these children and how they were being treated was heartbreaking. What left me angry was how it was handled pretty poorly in the schools. Poor 14 year-old Alex, got picked on and teased everyday on the bus. There was even physical abuse happening, with pencil stabbings, straggling, and slapping. Alex never really talked to anyone about what was going on because what seems like he once did and nothing ever changed. He felt his voice was never heard. "I don't really feel anything anymore", Alex said to his mother. (Hirsch & Lowen, 2011).  When bullying is being seen or spoken of, something needs to be done. It should never get to the point of a child taking their own life like Tyler Long and Ty Smalley in the film. A child should not be picked on or treated any different because of the way they look or who they are. 

    As a future teacher, I want to learn more about how to prevent bullying and ways I can help a child who may be a victim of bullying. I want to be a role model for my students. Bully Bust talks about 10 ways to be an Upstander to bullying. (OctoberCMS. n.d.). They list things like "stop untrue or harmful messages from spreading..,respect others differences and help others to respect differences." (OctoberCMS. n.d.). These are good values and lessons to teach to my students and encourage them to behave in respectful ways towards one another. Creating a positive and safe environment for all my students is the most important thing. I will ensure the students feel seen, heard, respected and safe. I will make sure to be approachable for my students to come to me with any issues they have or just to talk. "Social Emotional Learning (SEL), a promising approach to foster students' social skills, school connectedness, and academic achievement."(ASPA, 2021). With the addition to SEL workshops in schools, students will focus on their positive behaviors towards others and more. " Studies have shown that schools that implement universal prevention programs including SEL, showed decreased violence." (ASPA, 2021). This is very important to continue the end of bullying to get the voices of those who have suffered from bullying, heard.

    "It stands to reason that in order to facilitate meaningful discussion, improve school climate, and reduce bullying, we must foster the characteristics of a reflective, democratic learning community."(The Bully Project, n.d.). Creating a democratic learning environment of trust and fairness, as well as incorporating a time for reflection, and encouraging the opinions and ideas of the students will help students understand themselves and each other more. Allowing students to appreciate their differences, while also not making their differences be something that defines them. 

    An article I found from Chalkbeat Philadelphia, talks about the tragedy of Asher Brown. He was 13 years-old and was bullied and tormented for being gay until he committed suicide. "According to media reports, the teachers and administration in Asher Brown's school did nothing to help this young boy as he struggled to free himself of the torment that plagued him." (Murphy, F. 2010). Stories of kids like Asher, or Kelby from the documentary, or Matthew Shepard from Blog #1, should never have been told because they should have never happened. No child or human being of any age, should be torn down because of their gender, sexuality, or race. Putting an end to all the hate and bullying in the schools is so important. To ensure no more tragic school shootings or any other forms of school violence, a change must be made. A fight to end bullying and creating a positive safe place for all students in schools is what needs to happen. I want to make change and be able to guide my students to the best versions of themselves they can be.

References

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA). (2021, May 21). Social Emotional Learning and bullying prevention. StopBullying.gov. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/research-resources/social-emotional-learning-bullying-prevention 

 The Bully Project (n.d.). Framing bullying for educators 1. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/themes/51172dcc1ad07a63d6000002/attachments/original/1361410989/1_FramingBullyingforEducators.pdf?1361410989 

Hirsch, L., & Lowen, C. (2011). Bully. United States; Weinstein Company. 

Murphy, F. (2010). Make it better in schools right now. Chalkbeat Philadelphia. https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org/2010/10/26/22184848/make-it-better-in-schools-right-now

OctoberCMS. (n.d.). Upstander. BullyBust. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://bullybust.org/students/upstander