The Importance of Bullying Awareness and Prevention

With the reach of bullying being so far and wide, a person may wonder if there is anything that can be done to prevent it. Possibly the most important place to start is to implement a code of conduct in the institution. In order to be effective, there are specific measures that need to be taken: there must be a consistent, zero tolerance policy in place and it must be clearly stated what constitutes bullying and bullying behaviors. Having a zero-tolerance policy in place is important in that no incident goes unreported, or undisciplined. This is important for both the victim, and for others to see that bullying is serious.

When exploring the school structure, there are many opportunities that show themselves within the curriculum. As Lee (2004) proposed, bullying prevention measures could be taught in an History class, by exploring world and political leaders who may be abused their power in the past. It could also be taught in a Math class, by collecting data related to victims and bullies and examining the statistics to reiterate the seriousness of the issue. Drama class could help raise awareness by doing re-enactments of bullying situations. This could also help in showing students what to watch for. Music and Art are both therapeutic ways to express emotions that students may be feeling, with Art being another great way to raise awareness by creating anti-bullying posters. Moreover, including students in creating their own Charter of Rights and Freedoms can be highly beneficial. Having students contribute to the rules and rights can raise the chances that they will be abided by. Adding rights and freedoms such as “the right to feel safe, and be safe”, and “ensuring the safety of others” could greatly impact the instance of harmful behaviors. Workplace bullying can be taken much less seriously than school yard bullying simply because those involved are adults. The means of prevention of workplace bullying mirrors those of the school centered behaviors in that creating a clear code of conduct is highly beneficial. However, in a workplace it may also be productive to create a committee, with multi-disciplinary representatives, showing the same professional standard that will hold all team members accountable. Effective management is key to decreasing the instances of bullying in the workplace. Implementing a formal mechanism for reporting incidents, as well as modeling acceptable behaviors, and implementing team building exercises can be effective in curbing the issue.

In the case of online bullying, the key to prevention begins in the home. Instances of online bullying are massive, with most being left undetected and unresolved. At best, parents need to be aware of what their children are doing online, which apps they are using and learning how they work. Parents must model behaviors they wish to see and teach their children to report any instances they may see or encounter while online. With the anonymity of many social platforms it may seem impossible to tackle, but if we teach our children what is right, possibly they can make a difference in their peer groups, which may then reach even one offender and persuade them to stop.