Bullying is a reality that, while not new or recent, has traditionally received little attention until relatively recently. It is a phenomenon that causes great suffering and severe repercussions to those who suffer it, both in the short and long term .

That is why it is necessary to develop and generate mechanisms to prevent, detect and eliminate it from our classrooms. In this article we are going to propose twelve solutions or strategies against bullying that could be applied at school.

Bullying

Bullying is considered to be any act or situation in which one or more subjects carry out different types of actions with the purpose of dominating and causing pain or suffering to another or other subjects, establishing a relationship of dominance or superiority between the attacked and the aggressor and carrying out these acts voluntarily and persistently over time.

The type of acts carried out can vary greatly, and can be both direct and indirect: physical aggressions, insults, humiliations, thefts, identity theft, recording and publication of some element that implies a humiliation of the affected person, creation of networks to ridicule them or even inducement to delinquency or suicide. At present, all these types of actions are punishable by law, and the aggressor or those legally responsible for him can face different types of punishment.

The consequences for the victims of this may be, as we have said before, devastating. There are usually adaptive problems, increased anxiety levels, perceived ineffectiveness or helplessness, reduced concentration, loss of interest, decreased self-esteem and social participation. Also insecurity, sudden school failure (which is itself a possible indicator), depressive disorders, less perception of social support and difficulties in relating to and trusting others.

In some cases, suicide attempts may occur. They may also learn the behavior they have had with them and later replicate it with others.

That is why it is essential to stop this type of phenomenon, as it generates suffering and hinders the development of the child or adolescent in question.

13 strategies for dealing with bullying

Preventing and solving situations of school bullying is not a simple task: it requires a systematic study of the different cases and the mechanisms through which it occurs, in order to later develop strategies that will allow the bullying not to appear or to eliminate it in those cases where it exists. It is necessary to work in depth and constantly on different aspects .

Below are thirteen useful solutions and strategies to combat the scourge of bullying.

1. Sensitizing, raising awareness and providing tools to the school institution and the teaching staff

It is necessary to raise awareness among the educational institutions themselves and among teachers , who in many cases lack sufficient knowledge about school bullying to be able to detect it. Furthermore, although fortunately it is occurring less and less, in some cases bullying situations are actively ignored allowing it to occur without repercussions (with phrases such as “it’s kid’s stuff”).

Holding training meetings for professionals at the centre, teaching them how to detect cases and signs of abuse and the importance of acting against it, and developing or following protocols in this regard is essential

2. Involve the class group

The class group is the context where acts of aggression usually occur , with a large number of witnesses to the act who witness or even participate in the aggression. In fact, often the aggressor repeats the harassment as this provides him with acceptance or attention from the rest of his peers. This is why it is extremely important to work with the whole class group to prevent bullying, making the reaction to the harassment negative and not encouraging violent and intolerant attitudes.

3. Do not make bullying a taboo

It is common to have bullying as an unpleasant phenomenon that is not usually talked about openly and that tends to be hidden, which can make the students themselves unable to recognize it. To combat this silence, it is necessary to talk openly about what bullying entails by organizing classes where we talk about it, its consequences in both the short and long term, and consider possible measures to avoid it.

4. Emotional education and education in values

One of the most direct ways of preventing acts of school bullying is through the implementation of tutorial action plans that include elements focused on the emotional education and values of the students. Working on values such as tolerance or respect is fundamental, as well as teaching how to manage and express one’s own emotions (which in turn facilitates the acquisition of empathy). An example of an activity that can favour this is through the theatrical representation of different situations, the showing of films that deal with the subject in all its harshness or the discussion of important moments or subjects for each child.

5. Carrying out cooperative activities

In order to awaken the empathy of the group and to prevent harassment from flourishing, it is very useful to carry out group activities in which the whole class has to work together, establishing relationships between them to achieve a common goal. Carrying out group games or projects in which all the components of the group have to coordinate is a good example of this.

6. Avoid mediating between bully and stalker

The idea of mediation is a very useful and very positive practice to deal with conflicts held between two parties considered equal to each other. However, it is contraindicated in cases of school bullying, since in this situation there is an unequal relationship between the aggressor and the aggressor that will not allow the correct functioning of the practice.

7. Working with the injured party

The subject who has been attacked must be attended to in such a way that he does not feel abandoned but rather supported and accompanied , making him see that things are being done to solve his situation. It is essential that he expresses his emotions, feelings, thoughts and doubts without questioning them, through methods such as the empty chair or role-playing games.

8. Families: communication and participation

The students’ families also have an important role in helping to detect and deal with cases of bullying . The existence of a fluid communication between the communicative institution and the family is essential, so that both nuclei have information regarding the situation of the minor. Likewise, advising the families and teaching them different educational guidelines that may allow them to improve the situation of the minor (whether of the aggressor or of the aggressor) is of great importance. It may also be necessary to resort to criminal proceedings to resolve the case.

9. Take the aggressor into account

One of the most common mistakes made during bullying interventions is to focus only on the bullied party. Although this is the element that should receive the most attention once the bullying is established, it is also necessary to work with the aggressor if we want to solve the case of bullying and that the aggressions stop . It is necessary to make him see the possible consequences of his actions (for example, making him understand how the victim should feel) and try to awaken in him empathy and commitment.

10. Creation of anonymous reporting methods

Often many children do not dare or do not want to report cases they have seen or experienced for fear of possible reprisals or because they do not want it to be known that they have reported. It is necessary to make it clear to the minors that those who denounce school harassment are not snitches, but that they are collaborating so that one or more people stop suffering its effects. In any case, it is very useful to create anonymous reporting methods so that anyone can report a case without being identified. An example is a virtual anonymous reporting mailbox.

11. Set protocols and procedures for evaluation and intervention and include them in the teaching plan

Although nowadays most centres already do this, it is essential to have clear and concise protocols that explain the procedures to be carried out in cases of harassment . The use of assessment tests and surveys such as the CESC (Conduct and Social Experiences in Class) is also recommended.

12. Psychological therapy

The use of psychological therapy can be crucial in overcoming the consequences of bullying, especially as it relates to the subject being bullied. By this means, several techniques can be carried out that will contribute to increase the self-esteem of the affected person, teach him/her social skills and mechanisms to face conflicts, help him/her to express him/herself and contribute to the disappearance or decrease of apathy, anxiety, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness or possible depressive or personality disorders derived from bullying.

13. Follow up

Even if a case seems to be solved, it is necessary to follow it up continuously over time in order to check that the harassment has completely ceased and does not recur , as well as possible consequences of the harassment in the medium and long term. Establishing regular meetings with the aggressor and the aggressor (separately) at least during the three months following the cessation of the harassment and maintaining communication with the families is essential.

Bibliographic references:

  • Castillero, O. (2017). Ciberbullying: Harassment on the Net. Analysis and proposal for intervention. University of Barcelona.
  • Del Rey, R., Elipe, P. & Ortega-Ruiz, R. (2012). Bullying and Cyberbullying: Overlapping and Predictive Value of the Co-occurrence. Psicothema. 24, 608-613.