Bullies in School - A Hot Issue.
Learn how to Handle It!!

The issue of bullies in school is a hot topic right now.

There is so much information written about the topic that it can boggle your mind. There are TV shows, movies, documentaries, and commercials (both TV and radio) focused on bullying in schools.

The deal is this ..... if possible, you want to nip it in the bud in elementary school before it escalates to high school and adulthood. I'm sure you can think of people who are bullies or exhibit bully characteristics.

Something else you have to consider is ..... the parents of the bully in your class. I have often found that the mother and/or the father is a bully as well. And discussing the particular problem can be very tricky. You need to know how you you are going to approach the situation beforehand.

Student bullies typically lack confidence and really want to be liked; they just go about it in a very negative way usually with bad results.

You can do sooo much with the student during the school day and then he/she goes home and all your hard work can fall by the wayside because of the parent situation.

You can only do so much .... but, the deal is to do what you can while you have the student during the day. His/her peers can also be an added advantage to your cause. It depends how receptive they are.

You, as the teacher, can consult with the student's previous teacher(s) to see what strategies they may have used to alleviate the bullying situations. Of course you can agree or disagree with their methods.

You need to do what feels comfortable for you and the student. It involves trial and error and it will be a constant struggle. But when you are successful and the student responds with a positive attitude, the reward is so gratifying and huge!!!

Handling Bullies in School

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