This document discusses methods for preventing bullying in schools. It defines bullying and outlines some key strategies recommended by experts, including implementing comprehensive anti-bullying programs, intervening with frequent bullies and victims, teaching social-emotional skills, and creating a positive school climate and culture where bullying is not tolerated. The document also reviews some state laws aimed at preventing bullying and argues that stricter policies are needed to help eliminate bullying over time.

1. METHODS OF PREVENTING BULLYING IN SCHOOLS
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METHODS OF PREVENTING BULLYING IN SCHOOLS
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Methods of Preventing Bullying In Schools
Kaplan University
David Bumford
11/21/13
Methods of Preventing Bullying In Schools
Bullying is a grave social problem in our communities, schools,
and homes. In most cases bullying is dismissed a ‘rite of
passage’ that affects the adolescent. However, research findings
are in contrary
to this assertion because they have proven beyond reasonable
doubt that bullying is an acquired behavior that is learned and
can be detrimental to the physical, academic, emotional, and
social development of all parties involved in the act. It is
important to note that bullying affects the targets, bullies, and
witnesses of the act. Bullying does not affect the youth only but
it is a problem at all ages (Goryl, Neilsen-Hewett, & Sweller,
2013). Countless volumes of research have come up with “anti-
bullying” programs, and despite increased media scrutiny of the
vice
and campaigns against the act, the vice remains a thorn in the
sole that has to be removed and eradicated from the social
platform. Bullying is a social issue that is complex and requires
a lot of determination, courage, and leadership to address. With
an increase in technology that has provided rapid and impulsive
communication, it has only opened up channels and an increase
in bullying degrees than never experienced before.
This has called for immediate response than never ever before
in addressing the social menace

2. . It is in line with this that this paper acknowledges the fact
that, to promote the prevention of bullying school
administrators, educators, and socially dominant figures need to
work together. The paper will look at ways of preventing
bullying at both the school and community level.
Before this paper ventures further in describing some of the
possible solutions that can be implemented to prevent bullying,
it is important to state what bullying is and what it is not.
Bullying is defined as any form of severe physical or pervasive
act that includes communication in writing, electronically that
is aimed at a student, or a group of student and it could have the
following effects on the target:
· Placing the target in reasonable fear of harm either in person
or their property
· Negatively affecting the students’ mental or physical health
· Substantially negatively affecting the students’ performance
academically or
· Interfering with the ability to engage and benefit from
activities, services, and privileges provided by the school
On the other hand, some conduct although closely related to
bullying are not classified as bullying and these conducts
include:
· Mere teasing
· Talking trash
· Trading of insults
· The expression of beliefs and ideas, as long as the expression
is not profane, lewd, or in any way intended to harass or
intimidate another
.
In an effort to prevent bullying which is very prevalent in our
schools, some states such as the State of Illinois have come up

3. with legislative measures that require schools to grow and
implement substantial policies that would help in preventing
and intervening in student bullying. In a more advanced effort
to prevent bullying, the Illinois State has stated under its laws
some statutes that are aimed at preventing bullying schools.
For example The School Code: 105 ILCS 5/10-20.14. This law
requires the district to develop and sustain a parent-teacher
advisory committee that together with the school board should
develop policy guidelines on pupil discipline, to furnish a copy
of the policy to parents and inform its pupils of the contents of
the policy (Berlin & Dalen, 2011).
The Illinois Criminal Code; Harassing and Obscene
Communication Act, 710ILCS135/1 clearly prohibits comments
that are intended or lewd to offend either via electronic
communication or via telephone. It also prohibits
communicating to a minor under 13years with the aim of
harassing or threatening them as it terms such an act bullying
(Berlin & Dalen, 2011).
Putting into consideration that nearly all students could be
perpetrators, witnesses or targets of bullying, and knowing the
fact that bullying could negatively affect the school climate and
students’ welfare it
calls for immediate action. The inclusion of multifaceted
approaches in an effort to reduce bullying in schools has been
dimed to possess a higher chance of success in reduction of
bullying. Inclusion of joint programs that could register success
includes:
· School-wide component, which are focused on creating
awareness, monitoring, training, and assessment of bullying in
our institutions (Bender& Lösel, 2011)
· Intervention programs for students who most often have been
perpetrators or targets of bullying.
· Classroom learning that is aimed building skills such as
empathy and problem solving in an effort to curb bullying.
Social and emotional learning is a bullying prevention
mechanism aimed at ensuring that students do not fall victim to

4. bullying by equipping them with social and emotional skills.
This technique is aimed at ensuring that students are equipped
with necessary life skills that will help them to effectively
handle life challenges, and help them thrive not only in their
learning environments but as well as with their social
environments. This mode of learning helps students manage and
recognize their emotions for others by caring and showing
concern and the establishment of positive relationships that will
reduce bullying in the schools (Bender& Lösel, 2011).
The school culture and climate are essential factors in the anti-
bullying writing guard
that can be considered. This is because the school climate refers
to how the students and teachers feel about their presence at
school every day. School climate is influenced by a number of
factors, such as; adult/student interaction, structure of buildings
and classroom, and the feeling of safety and trust while at
school (Goryl, Neilsen-Hewett, & Sweller, 2013). This clearly
shows that in order to prevent bullying, both the society and
school have a mandate to create a school climate that promotes
trust and safety to the students. A healthy school climate should
have the following:
· An environment that is conducive and supportive to learning
· An environment that allows room for effective interaction and
communication
· A good environment that promotes self-esteem and a sense of
belonging
The school climate goes line in line with the school culture. The
school culture should be one that does not tolerate bullying but
allows the peaceful coexistence of all students. Dr. Phillips a
research
in student bullying once said that, “If people do not improve,
programs never will. By improving the school culture, almost
any focused program of improvement will see positive results.”
On the other side, parents and social institutions such as
churches and other places of worship should be in the forefront
to instil good morals to the children. They should constantly

5. discuss with the children the negativities of bullying and why it
is a barbaric act;
giving valuable reasons as to why they should avoid the act
(Goryl, Neilsen-Hewett, & Sweller, 2013).
It should be well noted that bullying is not a problem in itself
but rather the difficulty lies with the policies that run our
institutions. Most of these policies have laxity
penalties for perpetrators of bullying and therefore creating a
haven for bullying escapades. If only the policies could be
amended and more strict
measures put against bullying, then it would be assure
bet that bullying would be extinct in the near future
.
References
Bender, D., & Lösel, F. (2011). Bullying at school as a
predictor of delinquency, violence and other anti-social
behaviour in adulthood. Criminal Behaviour And Mental Health:
CBMH,21(2), 99-106. doi:10.1002/cbm.799
Ferguson, C. J. (2013). Anti-Bullying Programs Could Be a
Waste of Time. Time.Com, 1.
Goryl, O., Neilsen-Hewett, C., & Sweller, N. (2013). Teacher
education, teaching experience and bullying policies: Links
with early childhood teachers' perceptions and attitudes to
bullying.Australasian Journal Of Early Childhood, 38(2), 32-40.
Hon. Berlin, R. States Attorney, & Hon. Darlene, J.R. Ed.D.,
Superintendent. (2011). Best Practices in Bullying Prevention
and Intervention. Retrieved from
http://www.dupage.k12.il.us/main/anti-
bullying/pdf/BestPracticesManual.pdf
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statement that describes the plan (your Big Idea). ‘School
administrators and community leaders should . . .”
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proposals you will discuss in the paper.
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needs ‘er’ only.
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�Good work on this draft, David. You include a lot of good
information, especially information that establishes what
bullying is and the suggestions from experts on how to prevent
it.
When you revise, I’d suggest including more specific examples,
perhaps a narrative example or two of kids involved and the
effects, and some additional quotes and statistics. Establish the
size of the problem, but bring it to a personal and human level
with stories and testimony.
Note my margin comments related to grammar, phrasing, and
word choice.