Four Strategies for Teachers and Parents to Pass on to Kids who Witness Bullying (continued)

• Because the victim lacks power, it is often necessary to involve someone with greater power (e.g., an adult) to help balance the power and stop the bullying (4).
• If children don’t feel comfortable speaking directly with an adult, then they can try writing a letter. PREVNet, a network dedicated to addressing bullying problems in Canada, has a website, www.prevnet.ca, that contains lots of resources including letters that kids can complete to tell their principal or teacher about any bullying that is happening at school. If kids don’t want the principal or teacher to know who wrote the letter, they don’t have to sign their name. Just letting someone know what’s going on can make a big difference.

Conclusion

So to review, the following four strategies are recommended for those who witness bullying:

1. Tell the bully to stop.
2. Support the victim.
3. Reduce attention to the bully and walk away.
4. Report the bullying to a responsible adult.

Wendy Ryan is a former teacher and M.Ed. (Counselling) graduate, currently working on a PhD in Education at the University of Ottawa. Her doctoral research focuses on the effects of school climate on bullying. Mary Catherine Cappadocia is currently completing her MA degree in Clinical-Developmental Psychology at York University. Her research focuses on socio-emotional and behavioural correlates of electronic bullying and victimization.

References

1. Hawkins, D. L., Pepler, D. J., & Craig, W. M. (2001). Naturalistic observations of peer interventions in bullying. Social Development, 10, 512-527.
2. Pelligrini, A. D., Bartini, M., & Brooks, F. (1999). School bullies, victims, and aggressive victims: Factors relating to group affiliation and victimization in early adolescence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91, 216-224.
3. O’Connel, P., Pepler, D. & Craig, W. (1999). Peer involvement in bullying: Insights and challenges for intervention. Journal of Adolescence, 22, 437-452.
4. Craig, W., Pepler, D., & Blais, J. (2007). Responding to bullying: What works? School Psychology International, 28, 465–477.