Running Head: Ethical Issues of Bullying

Ethical Issues of School Bullying

Kimberly Lopez

Ivy Tech Community College

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Scenario

I faced one of the earliest ethical dilemma in the sixth grade. Most of the
time I felt quite happy at school; I liked my teacher and had a lot of friends from
different groups. But there was one thing I really didn’t like at all. Every day I saw
the same boy in my class tease and bully the same girl during recess. The boy
never bothered me, but was very careful to tease the girl where teachers couldn’t
see it happen, or during times adult supervision was scarce. It was the same thing
every day: the boy would approach the girl, call her names, and follow her until
she was just on the verge of crying. Then he would laugh and walk away saying,
“ I was just kidding!”
What was hardest for me to deal with was the fact that no one ever said
anything to the teachers. Sometimes I or someone else would try to stick up for the
girl, but that only stopped the teasing that day. It would just begin again the next.
And every day I struggled with the same thorny question of whether or not to tell
on the bully. I feared that if I went to a teacher it would get out that I was the one
who tattled, and I didn’t want the boy to start bullying me instead. I also knew how
most of the kids in my class felt about tattletales. There was a very strong code of
silence around teasing and bullying. Yet, I hated to watch this poor girl brace
herself every day when the recess bell rang. So, the dilemma in my sixth grade
mind was, should I tell on the boy, or should I ignore it?

Using the Code of Ethics

I think that using my sixth grade scenario was a good example, because I
had recognized that it was my first time I learned a life lesson involving intention. I
learned that when the intention is to perpetuate a problem or make it worse, telling
on someone is neither a kind or a moral act. However, when the intention is to help
solve or stop the problem, then it is the right time to tell on someone. I like talking
about this, because every person can remember playing some role in a similar
situation and that I know I am not the only one. Especially helping out families
with their children dealing with the same thing. Using the Ethical responsibilities
to families NAEYC Codes:
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P-1.5-​ ​We shall be familiar with the symptoms of child abuse, including
physical, sexual, verbal, and emotional abuse, and neglect. We shall know and
follow state laws and community procedures that protect children against
abuse and neglect.
P-2.3- We shall inform families of and, when appropriate, involve them in
policy decisions.
P-2.5- We shall inform the family of accidents involving their child, of risks
such as exposures to contagious disease that may result in infection, and of
occurrences that might result in emotional stress.
P-2.11-We shall be familiar with and appropriately use community resources
and professional services that support families. After a referral has been
made, we shall follow up to ensure that services have been appropriately
provided.
I felt like a lightning bolt of clarity for myself in what was and still is a very
confusing world of right and wrong. My scenario is also great fodder for a larger
discussion on how the intention factor plays out at different periods in our lives.
Personally, I often have to work hard to argue that the intention factor doesn’t (or
shouldn’t) change at all. With a little nudge, I also believe that you can talk about a
powerful discussion around how gender roles inform cases like mine. Do boys
have a different code than girls about when it’s appropriate to tell on someone?
Why or why not? Do boys and girls have different motivators or methods for
telling on someone? This would be a great discussion various perspectives and
possible action steps on what anyone would do.

Actions to Take

Many school counselors take on these types of situations to what actions

they need to take to resolve the problem. Due to the nature of their work, school
counselors are important in identifying students who may be bullies as well as
students who are at risk of being bullied themselves. With the perfect projection
and possible outcomes being used children today won’t have to be teased and
bullied in schools. Also if the school counselors action didn’t bring the desired
results you can always go an alternative route. Like being able to take this to a state
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board of the school and have them take it into their own hands since they are the
ones who are in higher power in schools.
Overall using my personal ethical dilemma helped me out figuring out what
NAEYC Code are used for and how they can help out communities and families all
around.