How Bullying is Dealt with

Nowadays most parents and teachers are aware of what can only be described as the growing problem of bullying in our schools. No one likes the idea that their child might be being bullied, or indeed might be the bully, and therefore schools have a duty of care to their students be they nursery, primary or secondary school level educated.

It is a concern among teachers and parents that the trend of bullying has taken a turn in a different direction with the advent of mobile telephones and the Internet and therefore steps have been taken to ensure that everyone’s child is given the same care and attention and guidance through what can be a very traumatic time.

Here are some of the ways in which schools are now dealing with the problem of bullying:

• Some schools in the United Kingdom now operate a ‘no mobile phone’ policy, whereby any pupil caught on school premises with a mobile telephone will have it confiscated and it will have to be collected by a parent or elected guardian. This is because of the growing problem of so-called ‘phone bullying’ where children with mobiles send messages of verbal abuse to other pupils with mobiles with the intent of frightening them.
• All schools in the United Kingdom now have strict controls over their pupils Internet usage with ICT technicians and teachers alike now responsible for the blocking and banning of inappropriate sites such as pornography, graphic violence and sites that can be used to send email.
• Teachers are being sent on courses to help identify the signs and symptoms of bullying and how to deal with both those people on the receiving end of a bullying campaign and those who are instrumental in carrying it out. They are also being shown how to spot the signs of the new wave of so-called ‘cyber bullying’, which as we have already discussed can take the form of email messages and text messages and indeed even phone calls. As ‘cyber bullying’ is something that cannot normally be seen it is important to identify the manner in which it is used and also inform children what to do should they be a victim of it. After all, ‘cyber bullying’ is not just limited to the confines of the school. It is something that has far reaching implications and can continue after school has finished.
• Well known celebrities have joined forces with Department for Children, Schools and Families and have produced a series of anti-bullying videos, which schools are now showing to their pupils as a means of emphasising the dangers and the trauma that bullying can bring about. It is hoped that by being able to associate with some of their favourite celebrities – and indeed people they admire greatly – that pupils will be able to talk openly about their experiences without feeling as though they are in the wrong.
• Schools are also actively promoting a campaign of counselling whereby sufferers of bullying can speak to a counsellor in confidence to discuss what has been – or is – happening to them and also to help deal with the problem.

It is important to remember that whilst schools do as much as they can to cut down the instances of bullying that they can not eradicate the problem and therefore much more investment in both financial and resource terms is necessary.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure that your child’s school is as safe and secure as possible there are instances when the bullying goes unnoticed. Therefore schools are also trying to educate parents on the subject of bullying and indeed trying to show them how to spot the signs of bullying in their own children, something which no parents wants to have to do, but which every parent should be able to if the need arises.