EDUA 5659 Bullies
BULLIES
Bullying is systemic in our schools and few, if any, are immune to its harmful effects. This phenomenon occurs across all ages, genders, ethnicities, and socioeconomic levels. Often when a student is bulled, the victim is afraid to say anything, bystanders remain silent, and parents and teachers are unaware of or unsure of how to handle the situation. Bullying takes on a multitude of forms: gossiping, teasing, verbal and physical intimidation, excluding, and physical violence. The devastating impact of bullying runs the gamut from mild psychological trauma to suicide and even homicide. Bullying has been compounded in recent years by the introduction of the internet and social media into the lives of children and teens. Cyberspace provides a new battlefield that intensifies these hostile and destructive behaviors.
As a teacher, it can be difficult to know how to intervene, but it is vital that teachers play a role in helping students understand why they bully, the impact of bullying on everyone involved, and the importance of treating each other with kindness and respect. This course provides the teacher with a deep understanding of the culture of bullying and cyberbullying. The course also provides effective and realistic strategies to address bullying as well as how to build a respectful, inclusive classroom culture in which students treat each other kindly, feel confident to speak up about bullying when it occurs, and feel empowered to spread an anti-bullying message to others.