7 strategies to prevent bullying at school

Many countries have implemented strategies to prevent bullying or bullying. It is not surprising, since it is an issue that has been made visible for more than a decade and that It is noted as one of the main causes of affective and emotional disorders, even suicide.

Given this reality, it is common for families to wonder how they can participate to prevent their children from becoming involved in these dynamics. Here, therefore, this problem will be explored from an integrative point of view, where both relatives and institutions have something to contribute.

Characteristics of bullying

Many people have experienced, perpetrated or witnessed bullying at school. As the years went by, it stopped being a “kids thing” and began to emerge as the problem it is: a form of bullying with serious consequences for psychosocial development and mental health. He bullying It brings together a series of characteristics to be called as such:

Continuity: Harassing behavior persists over time and often escalates.Power Imbalance: One of the goals of bullying is to dominate and exert control over the victim.Intentionality: The stalker violates the victim on purpose, with the desire to cause harm, whether physical, social or emotional.Extensive: It develops in the school environment, but it also tends to extend to the rest of the areas of the victim’s life thanks to the cyberbullying.Helplessness: The victim cannot defend himself or has any means to escape the harassment, whether due to a literal impediment or fear of the consequences.

Definitely, The worst consequence of bullying is suicide. This is a taboo topic that has gained visibility in recent years to achieve effective prevention. Although there are often difficulties in associating young people with the desire to die, the World Health Organization reveals a chilling fact: it is the fourth cause of death in populations between 15 and 29 years old.

There are also populations at greater risk of suffering bullying, such as ethnic minorities or the LGTBIQ+ group.

Strategies to prevent bullying

Based on these data, the fear that our young people will experience such a situation is justified. However, Prevention will always be better than repairing damage already done. And this must come from all areas that affect the people involved. Here are some of them, proven to be effective.

1. Promote values ​​of respect, tolerance and peace

The family can be one of the main sources of learning violent behavior, but also the greatest tool for educating individuals in empathy and prosocial behaviors. Therefore, family members must be a source of ethics and an example to follow in pacifist attitudes.

This is a long-term job. Perhaps all of us have hated and discriminated, but it is our task to constantly review our own ideas and values ​​and, of course, adjust our behavior to these moral standards. Transmitting it to young people is one of the best strategies to prevent bullying.

2. Develop communication and problem-solving methods

Both at home and at school, learning to communicate effectively is essential. At home it is a guarantee to detect any sign of harassment. For its part, in the educational center it should be the main tool to resolve conflicts and train young people in effective and peaceful problem-solving strategies.

4. Educate about bullying

Another relevant strategy to prevent bullying It is to ensure that the young people themselves (and their families) identify it and report it. It is important to establish communication channels about bullying within the family and at school, in order to generate a collective awareness of the signs and behaviors that fall within this classification of violence.

The information about the bullying It is accessible and adapted for all ages. Some ways to promote this education are the following:

Establish information programs in classrooms. Provide prevention training for teachers. Address the debate about bullying in an open and safe way, both at home and in the classroom. Look for reliable and informative sources of information, such as official government websites and scientific studies.

5. Create safe spaces

It is crucial to encourage young people to participate in activities they enjoy and to create healthy groups of friends. As adults, it is our responsibility to provide spaces where they can develop and socialize safely.

An example of this is school clubs. A reading group is an escape route for a student who feels discriminated against, but also a place to find like-minded peers and where to promote values ​​of community and respect. Providing these spaces in the home is a good idea, as long as adult supervision is aimed at promoting prosocial norms.

6. One of the most necessary strategies to prevent bullying: intervention programs

Mobilization of observers. Supervision during playground time. Training and meetings with parents. Long duration of intervention programs. Disciplinary or punitive methods against the bully.

These programs are a direct agent of change, both about families and about coexistence in educational centers. Several of them use support groups for students and families, with the purpose of creating safe spaces and promoting a culture of prosociality.

7. Do socio-affective work on the harasser

It is often forgotten that bullies also require psychological intervention. These young people usually channel their problems through violence and domination, especially when they are victims of violence themselves.

The Educational Research Magazine He emphasizes in a publication the need to work on the socio-affective sphere of the harasser. Making them aware of their emotions and the reasons for their behaviors will be the driving force to deactivate the bullying cycle.

Strategies to prevent bullying: the systemic implication

Nobody is an island. Although tutors and teachers unite to fight against bullying, We live in a society with specific values ​​and practices from which we cannot escape. Small-scale work and the influence of the environment modify each other, so neither of them can be ignored.

A society that normalizes bullying encourages systemic violence. A small-scale collective entity has a social impact. Therefore, the last tip to fight bullying is to always try to influence the social environment, thus creating a better future for all the people who make it up.

From controlling the content consumed on social networks, to the smallest gesture of kindness towards one’s neighbor; No good deed falls in vain. He bullying It is only a small part of the violence that goes through us, so let’s work to make it all disappear.

You might be interested…