Supportive School Environment

Our focus of this article is on how schools can provide a supportive school environment for all who come to the school.

The experts tell us that schools that take the matter seriously are the schools where it occurs the least.

For this to occur, it is essential that teachers undertake lessons across all classes on dealing with conflict in peaceful ways and put in place programs that will provide support to all students and which help to develop respect for others in the school.

There are a number of ways students can deal more effectively when confronted with bullying.

Bullying is a secretive practice. Bullies usually cover their tracks with threats. When children are constantly bullied they feel insecure and lose hope. This is why they are often difficult to talk to about the issue. Unless we encourage children to report it the figures will terribly low. Some researchers have found that as few as 10% of children tell their teacher and only 20% tell their parents.

As caregivers we need to give the message that feeling threatened or suffering from insults is NOT ALL RIGHT, being left out, excluded or isolated is NOT OKAY, and that being pushed, punched or kicked is WRONG. There is no excuse for abuse or violence. If our children start to believe this they become stronger and they can start to effectively use various strategies to cope. Sue Berne (in a book called Bully Proof Your Child), suggested a few:

Don’t Provoke The Bully
Just Walk Away
Order Them to stop
Tell Someone
Grow Invisible Armour
Stay in Sight of an Adult.
Children who are bullied are usually reluctant to report it. They often suffer in silence. As a parent you may notice a number of signs that could indicate your child is having problems.

Some of these signs include:

Few or no friends
In need of constant reassurance
Altered sleeping patterns
Bed-wetting
Crying easily
Deterioration in school work
Reluctance to go to school
Changes in relationships with brothers and sisters.
If your child has some of these signs you need to check whether they are from bullying or from something else because they are all serious. If you notice any of these signs, you need to investigate. Children who bully maintain their dominance through threats and fear.

The ideas and strategies considered so far are all about dealing with unwanted aggression or harassment. One of the things that make children most vulnerable to being “picked on” is when they look vulnerable. When children feel more confident, they look more confident and they are less likely to stand out. Confidence comes from knowing that you have some strategies and that when necessary there is back-up support. If our children can manage a situation themselves this is terrific but if not they need to know that there is support available until such time that they can manage the situation.

John Madden