6 Ways Educators Can Prevent Bullying

in Schools
According to the National Center of Education, as of 2016
more than 20 percent of students reported being bullied.

It’s a staggering statistic; especially considering the many

ways bullying can affect students’ wellbeing. Targeted
children often suffer from poor performance in school,
sleep issues, anxiety, and depression. And let’s not forget
the students doing the bullying—they’re at a much higher
risk for a whole host of issues that could extend into
adulthood, ranging from violent behavior to substance
abuse.
As an educator, what can do you to make an impact? How
can you create a classroom climate that prevents bullying,
but also put interventions in place that stop the behavior in
its beginning stages? We talked to experts in education
and mental health counseling to come up with these six
strategies.

1. Teach kindness and empathy.

2. Create opportunities for connection.
Fostering a sense of community in your classroom can
lower bullying incidents and facilitate healing for targeted
students.

3. Identify ‘gateway behaviors.'

As an educator, here are some of the key behaviors you
should take notice of:
 Eye rolling
 Prolonged staring
 Back turning
 Laughing cruelly/encouraging others to laugh
 Name calling
 Ignoring or excluding
 Causing physical harm
 Spying
 Stalking

While these behaviors may not be classified as bullying,

putting interventions in place now could mitigate the
likelihood of them growing into something more
problematic. “The research would imply that [these
behaviors] lead to bullying, and that if we can stop kids
here, then we’re going to go a long way to stopping the
problem,” says Patterson.
"If we live in a culture of bullying, we have to be so much
more diligent about making sure it doesn’t go down to the
classroom.”
Susan Patterson, Graduate School of Education

4. Use the arts to create context.

5. Minimize ‘concentric circles’ in schools.
It’s a truth that most teachers don’t like to talk about:
Educators can be bullies, too. And when teachers feel
bullied by colleagues, their students can also become
negatively impacted.
“There are schools where there is bullying within the adult
culture,” reflects Patterson. “In the courses I teach, my
students tell me that they feel bullied by other teachers,
assistant principals, and department heads. If we live in a
culture of bullying, we have to be so much more diligent
about making sure it doesn’t go down to the classroom.”
In order to stop the spread of bullying from the leadership
level down to students, start by looking within your own
classroom. After a bad day or tense interaction with a
colleague, try not to bring negativity into your teaching.
Focus your energy on cultivating a learning environment
built on positivity, openness, and support. And be sure to
advocate for yourself by talking with supervisors or HR
professionals about issues in your school’s culture that
compromise your ability to be a fully present and effective
educator.

6. Participate in simulations.
Theorizing about how to prevent and respond to bullying in
schools is one thing. Witnessing it for the first time is
entirely another. Without adequate pre-service training, it
can be difficult for new teachers to know exactly how they’ll
react when bullying situations arise. At Lesley University’s
Graduate School of Education, faculty are doing something
about it.

“We’re currently using technology to recreate the

experience for pre-service teachers in a mixed reality lab,”
says Maureen Creegan-Quinquis, who leads Lesley’s
creative arts and learning department.

In the mixed reality lab, pre-service teachers are

bystanders in a bullying scenario. On their feet, they’re
asked to respond to the situation and facilitate a solution.
According to Creegan-Quinquis, participants are often
surprised by how difficult the exercise can be.

“For many of them, this is the first opportunity in their life

to actually be in a room and experience [bullying], and be
asked to negotiate through those feelings,” says Creegan-
Quinquis. "What an electric experience it is when you’re
wide awake enough to see it happening.”