TEACHER PROGRAM 3 (of 4)
Dr Carr-Gregg: This is the third in a series of four short videos to help teachers respond effectively to student bullying.
TITLE: Talking to students who are bystanders
Dr Carr-Gregg: Students who bully others often take delight in the presence of an audience, be it in the playground or in online environments. The bystanders either enjoy the spectacle or watch in a curious but disengaged manner. For example, bystanders may cheer the person physically bullying, join in with flaming or harassment on a social networking site, silently watch verbal taunting, or notice but then just walk away. Many who watch are distressed by what they see.
A minority of students do speak up and object. And here is a remarkable fact. When a bystander does object to the bullying, there is a very good chance that the bullying will stop.Research tells us that in bullying situations:
- bystanders are present 87 percent of the time, whereas adults are rarely present
- bullying behaviour is reinforced where others watch but do nothing
- when bystanders do intervene, the bullying is more likely to stop quickly most of the time.
Teacher: What do I say to students who are bystanders to bullying?
Dr Carr-Gregg:Bystanders far outnumber those who are bullying. Talk to these students about what happened as part of following up the issue, and take the opportunity to ask them if they know what to do when they witness bullying. Most young people feel uncomfortable watching bullying, but few know what to do to stop it.
Talk in your class about how it feels to be bullied. Encourage students to offer comfort and support, or ask others to help them say 'stop', or report it to a teacher.You can teach students how to intervene appropriately so that they don't put themselves or anyone else in danger.
Only the student can decide if they feel safe to speak up or to intervene in any particular situation.
If the school only uses punitive approaches to bullying, bystanders may feel it is too risky to 'dob' on a bully. If students know the school will take a positive approach to dealing with bullying, then they are much more likely to feel that reporting is appropriate and won't create more problems.
Teacher: How can I help students to speak up against bullying?
Dr Carr-Gregg: There are a few ways you can encourage your students to respond to bullying (including cyberbullying).
For example, they can:
- Speak up and let the person know that what they are doingis bullying
- Refuse to join in with bullying and walk away, or go off line
- Support the student who is being bullied to report it and ask for help
- And finally, ask a teacher or support person for help and report what happened.
Role play and rehearsal are great strategies to learn to intervene safely. Practice using phrases like:
- "That's bullying, that's not what we do in this school"
- "We don't have to put up with bullying; come with me!" (and remove the student being bullied)
- "Have you got nothing better to do than be a bully?"
Use some of the excellent online material to help all students understand the role they can play in reducing bullying at their school.
Involve your students in developing school rules that build a positive school culture and positive relationships like:
- Be safe
- Respect everyone, and
- Be friendly.
The behaviour of the individuals involved in bullying must be dealt with by schools. However time invested in developing a positive school culture which does not accept bullying will minimise the time you spend on incidents in the future.
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Teacher program 3: Talking to students who are bystanders