All Schools Should Implement Bullying Awareness Programs In Schools 2018
Programs that appear to inflate bullying statistics, use fear messages to sell their product and make exaggerated claims of successfulness should particularly raise alarm bells for schools. Programs that attempt to understand the motives behind bullying, focus on reinforcing positive behavior among students while also training staff to address all aggression, not just bullying, may have the best promise for success.
(Photo:Wikimedia Commons)PACER’s National Center for Bullying Prevention has once again as Bullying Prevention Awareness Month in an effort to raise awareness of the physical, mental and emotional effects of bullying that millions of adolescents experience. Various American Counseling Association members recently shared their thoughts on common bullying trends and how they believe schools can confront this rising problem.Melissa Luke, an assistant professor and coordinator of school counseling at Syracuse University, says that by recently passing the, her state of New York has made positive strides in the battle against bullying. The law states that “all children have the right to attend school in a safe, welcoming and caring environment” and prohibits the harassment and discrimination of students.“As such,” Luke says, “many local school districts are more proactively addressing issues of bullying.
Thus, this is a topic that is covered in our school counseling courses, and one that almost always arises within the school field experiences.”She suggests that schools utilize Comprehensive, Developmental School Counseling (CDSC) programs, which are considered best practice when it comes to combating bullying. These programs include both preventative and responsive interventions designed to reduce bullying. The interventions are delivered individually, in groups and through schoolwide programming.“Although there are many prepared psychoeducational lessons that focus on bullying prevention, I believe that it is extremely important to distinguish between the often fluid role of perpetrator, target, and bystander,” she says. “Because the vast majority of students fall into the latter category, it is important that they are able to recognize their part in the perpetuation, as well as the prevention, of bullying.