Bullying in School | How to deal with being bullied
Bullying in schools is a serious issue that affects millions of students worldwide. It results in long-lasting emotional and psychological problems.
Whether it’s verbal, physical, or online, bullying creates a toxic environment that hinders students’ ability to learn and grow. To prevent bullying, we need a collective effort from teachers, parents, and students themselves. Schools must work on proactive measures, including awareness programs, clear policies, and open communication channels to quickly address bullying.
But these traditional methods are not always enough. In this advanced age of digital communication and social interactions, schools need innovative solutions to handle this issue more effectively.
Here, Wihkum – An emergency response app steps in.
We’ve introduced this first responder app to help schools in managing and preventing different threatening situations. With our app, schools can monitor and respond to bullying incidents in real-time. We ensure that every report is taken seriously and acted upon immediately. Our goal is to provide schools with the tools that ensure a safe and growing environment for all students.
In this blog, we’ll explore everything you need to know about bulling in schools. Additionally, we’ll discuss how to prevent effectively and immediately.
So, let’s get started.
What is Bullying?
Bullying is when someone repeatedly acts aggressively toward another person, especially when there’s a power difference between them. This behavior is meant to hurt or threaten the victim, making them feel scared and helpless.
Bullying involves:
- Picking on a specific person or group.
- Happening over and over again.
- Threatening or causing harm to the person being targeted.
Types of Bullying | Where can it happen?
Bullying can take place anywhere – at school, in parks, on the way to school, or even in other areas linked to the school. It can also occur outside of school hours, such as online through social media, text messages, or emails.
There are 5 main types of bullying behaviour. Let’s review them through the table:
| Type of Bullying | Description | Examples |
| Physical Bullying (Direct) | Physically harming or threatening someone | Hitting, pushing, shoving, damaging belongings, threats of violence. |
| Verbal / Written Bullying (Indirect) | Harmful spoken or written comments. Aimed to hurt someone emotionally. | Name-calling, insults, offensive remarks about someone’s personal characteristics. |
| Social / Emotional Bullying | Actions that damage someone’s social reputation or relationships | Deliberately excluding someone, spreading rumours, sharing harmful information to hurt someone’s reputation. |
| Cyberbullying | Bullying through online platforms or mobile devices. | Sending threatening messages, sharing private photos or videos without consent, online harassment. |
| Anti-Social Behaviour | Actions that socially isolate or harm someone. | Exclusion, gossiping, spreading rumours, making offensive gestures. |
10 Common Causes of School Bullying
School bullying can happen for many reasons, and any student can become a target, no matter their gender, race, religion, or background.
1. Differences in Appearance:
Students who look different from others, whether due to their clothing, body size, complexion, or other physical traits, can be targeted by bullies.
2. Social Status:
Being perceived as either more popular or less popular than others can make a student a target. Bullies often pick on those who stand out in social circles.
3. Race or Background:
Unfortunately, differences in race or cultural background can also lead to bullying. As some students can use these differences to exclude or harm others.
4. Sexual Orientation:
Students who identify as LGBTQ+ may face bullying due to their sexual or gender identity.
5. Low Self-Esteem:
Some bullies target others because they feel insecure about themselves. Bullying can be a way for them to try and feel more powerful.
6. High Self-Confidence Without Empathy:
On the flip side, some students with high self-confidence but low empathy can bully others. Especially when they feel their status or reputation is threatened.
7. Need for Attention:
Students who crave attention can bully others to get noticed or to seem tough and brave in front of their seniors.
8. Problems at Home:
Issues like family conflict, abuse, neglect, or divorce can make a student more likely to bully others. It becomes a way to cope with their own pain, anger, or frustration.
9. Jealousy or Anger:
If a student feels jealous or angry towards someone else, they can turn to bullying as a way to express these feelings.
10. Desire for Control:
Some students bully because they want to control or dominate others. Often as a way to feel more powerful or in charge.
Effects of Bullying in Australian Schools
Bullying during school years can leave lasting scars on students mental and physical health. Not only the students, but also the teachers and parents get effected by these threatening acts. Let’s review how:
Impact on Students Being Bullied
Students who are bullied are more likely to:
- Get vulnerable and weak.
- Perform poorly in academics.
- Feel disconnected from and dislike school.
- Miss school and not getting to the intermediate or graduation level.
- Have low self-esteem.
- Have few or poor-quality friendships at school.
- Experience nightmares.
- Suffer from depression, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness and isolation.
- Be socially quiet, avoid conflict, and not be accepted by their seniors.
- Have an increased risk of depression and material abuse.
While the reasons someone can be at risk of suicide are complex. Bullying victims, including those who have bullied others, are at a higher risk of suicide.
Impact on Bullies
Students who frequently bully others are at a higher risk of:
- Facing mental health challenges later in life.
- Feeling disconnected from school.
- Disliking studies and school.
- Engaging in fights, vandalism, and leaving school early.
Bullying Impact on Families
Families of students involved in bullying can also be significantly affected. The impacts can include:
- Feeling powerless.
- Feelings of worry and concern.
- More stress for the entire family, including siblings.
- Confusion about when or how to approach the school for help.
- Uncertainty about the best way to support their child and what advice to offer.
Bullying Impact on Schools
Schools must take a comprehensive approach to prevent bullying. Bullying can challenge both the classroom environment and overall school climate. It can affect:
- Parents’ confidence in the school.
- Student learning and engagement.
- Students’ perception that teachers lack control and don’t care.
- Student connection to school and peers.
- Students’ feelings of safety and security.
- Staff holding and job satisfaction.
How to Prevent Bullying in Schools | Role of Parents, Students & Teachers
Preventing bullying isn’t just about enforcing rules—it’s about making a nurturing environment where every student feels safe and valued. By working together, parents, students, and teachers can help build a school community that stands firmly against bullying.
Here are some preventive measures for bulling at school by Wihkum, let’s go through them quickly:
Role of Parents in Preventing School Bullying
For Parents of Students Being Bullied
- Keep the Conversation Open:
Regularly check in with your child about their day. Ask open-ended questions like,
- What was the best thing about your day?
- Did anything upset you today?
These questions can help you analyze if something might be wrong.
- Look for Warning Signs:
Be attentive to signs that your child might be experiencing bullying, such as:
- unwillingness to go to school
- changes in eating habits
- unusual emotional distress
If you suspect your child is being bullied, listen to them without dismissing their feelings. Avoid telling them to just suck it out; instead, discuss the issue and seek solutions together.
- Teach Your Kids Coping Skills:
Work with your child on strategies for dealing with bulling.
Role-play scenarios where they practice ignoring or forcefully responding to bullies. Help them identify safe adults and friends at school who can offer support if needed.
- Monitor their Use of Technology:
Cyberbullying is a growing concern. Educate both yourself and your child about online safety.
Keep computers in visible areas of the home and use parental controls to monitor online activity. If your child has a phone, be aware of their messages and social media interactions. Ensure that devices are stored in common areas at night to prevent late-night bullying.
For Parents of Bullies
- Create a Positive Home Environment:
Children often mimic the behaviour they see at home. Model respectful interactions and create a supportive ‘bully-free’ home to prevent aggressive behaviour.
- Discuss Consequences of Bullying with them:
Explain to your child the serious consequences of bullying. They may not fully understand how their actions affect others. Make it clear that bullying is unacceptable and can have serious repercussions.
- Address Self-Esteem Issues:
Sometimes, children bully others to boost their own self-esteem. If your child is exhibiting bullying behaviour, it can be a sign of underlying self-esteem issues.
Work with them to address these feelings and provide guidance on how to behave kindly towards others.
Role of Students in Preventing School Bullying
- Stay in Groups:
Whenever possible, stay with friends or groups. Avoid areas where you can be alone. Such as empty hallways or secluded spots. On the bus, sit near the front where there’s more supervision.
- Don’t Hesitate to Report Bullying:
Remember, reporting is not gossiping—it’s about keeping everyone safe. Your reports can help stop bullying and prevent it from happening to others.
- Avoid Aggressive Reactions:
It can be tempting to react against a bully. But this often makes the situation worse. Instead, try to remain calm and walk away. If necessary, ask an adult for help in dealing with the situation.
Role of Teachers & Administration
- Educate the Students About Bullying:
Teachers and coaches should regularly discuss what bullying is and why it’s unacceptable.
Help students understand how to recognize and report bullying. Teach them strategies to stand up to bullies safely and encourage them to seek help from trusted adults.
- Be Observant and Responsive:
Bullying often occurs in less supervised areas like bathrooms, playgrounds, and on school buses. Teachers and administrators should be vigilant and respond immediately if they observe bullying.
Additionally, avoid having the bullied student and the bully meet together, as this can be intimidating for the victim.
- Involve Parents in the Matter:
Create a team approach to solve bullying problems. Involving parents and students in safety plans and anti-bullying initiatives.
Students can also help in developing effective solutions. Parents and teachers should work together to promote positive behaviours when bullying occurs.
- Ensure a Safe Learning Environment:
Schools should be a place where students feel secure. For students who struggle to make friends or feel isolated, teachers and administrators should facilitate connections and provide support.
Activities and structured roles during lunch or recess can help prevent feelings of isolation.
- Incorporate Emergency Procedures in School:
When dealing with bullying and other critical situations, there must be quick emergency procedures to handle it.
This is where tools like the Wihkum app come in handy.
How Wihkum Helps Prevent School Bullying
- Quick Emergency Alerts:
Wihkum allows staff to secretly send alerts via their smartphones if they witness or are informed of bullying.
- Anonymous Reporting:
Victims and witnesses can report bullying anonymously through the app. It encourages more students to come forward without fear of retaliation.
- Real-Time Location Tracking:
With Wihkum’s GPS technology, school staff can locate incidents immediately, especially in places where supervision is limited, like bathrooms or playgrounds.
- Multi-Channel Communication:
The app sends alerts through various channels, such as voice calls, emails, and push notifications.
- Customizable Alerts:
Whether it’s for verbal abuse or physical altercations, our app can be customized to address the unique challenges of each school.
Ready to make your school a bully-free zone?
Create a Safer School with Wihkum
Join us in our mission to keep students safe and secure—because every child deserves to learn in a safe environment.
Read more related blog posts: