Putting the brakes on bullying
Putting the brakes on schoolyard aggression is all about understanding: Understanding the steps to prevention; understanding the early signs; understanding each person’s role; understanding differences in behaviour, says Sandy Palombo, head of school at Delano Academy in Vaughan, Ont.
Delano Academy is a small school (140 students) that is able to spend a lot of time talking about and managing these kinds of issues, notes Palombo. “We look for any conflicts, self-alienation such as a student sitting or wandering alone, and pay close attention to relationships both inside and outside of the classroom,” she says.
The school has an established policy regarding bullying. “The parent/student handbook distributed at the beginning of every year has about 20 pages dedicated to dealing with conflicts and behaviours. We also cover the subject in depth at orientation and throughout the year,” she says.
Role play is used to enhance understanding so that it is meaningful and based on interactions a child may actually have with others. Students at various grade levels are empowered to develop scenarios that are then demonstrated during morning assemblies. “These are visible definitions of what bullying can look like in the classroom, during recess, in the washroom and during class transition, which is often where conflicts happen,” she says.
“By explaining differences in behaviour we help students understand if an event is accidental, rude or mean, or if it is intentional and repetitive, which may indicate bullying,” says Palombo. “We also talk about the internal conflict, mental wellness and self-esteem that may lead to aggression. How that behaviour is subsequently dealt with affects whether or not it continues.”
The school also delves into the role each student plays during bullying.
“They may be the recipient, the bully or the bystander. Each must be accountable for one of those roles,” she says. “Once students have an idea of what bullying looks like, their role, and why people bully, we are then able to address self- health. This includes helping the aggressor to overcome esteem and confidence issues so that behaviours do not escalate, and giving victims the tools they need to handle any rude, mean or bullying situation that may arise.”
Oftentimes, if a child is being bullied the tactic of parents is escape — to withdraw them from school, notes Palombo. “That is only teaching them to run away,” she says. “Bullying can happen anywhere — at school, in the workplace and in social situations. Children need to develop the strategies of reliance that will benefit them throughout life.”
Tony Volk is a professor in the department of child and youth studies at Brock University and a researcher with PREVNET, a non- governmental organization that identifies problems and solutions related to bullying and other forms of aggression.
“Bullying remains a significant issue in Canadian schools. It typically peaks during early adolescence ( age 13-15). In part that is due to changes of school and reshuffling of hierarchies. The onset of puberty brings dynamic change that presents a new arena of competition that can lead to bullying. For boys, bullying is more physical and serves an adaptive purpose; girls lean more to the verbal — gossipping behind another’s back to win favour, typically with boys,” he says.
The effect of bullying can negatively affect both victim and perpetrator. “Bullying can cause changes in physical and mental responses to stress, including how some genes are expressed. If someone is chased once, having a stress response is a good thing. If that stress response is triggered repeatedly it impacts long- term health. Victims are more likely to be depressed, avoid school, lose friends and tend to be less successful,” explains Volk. Conversely, “evidence suggests that pure bullies will engage in other antisocial behaviours, such as criminal activity and drug or alcohol abuse. Relationships are also not as supportive or high- quality going forward. Bullying is a shortterm strategy that burns long-term social bridges.”
It is important for schools to educate about what is and what is not bullying; take reported incidents seriously and act quickly; address any power imbalances that may exist; and involve parents and children as part of the solution, says Volk.
“From our work at PREVNET, we know individuals who bully are noticed in the playground only a quarter of the time, and an intervention takes place only an eighth of the time. Ensuring a child has a least one close friend of the same age reduces negative outcomes by 50 percent.”
Once students have an idea of what bullying loo ks like, their role, and why people bully, we are then able to address self-health. — Sandy Palombo, head of school, Delano academy
that is only teaching them to run away