How Teachers Can Help
1. Learn as much as you can about bullying among children and youth and best practices for addressing bullying.
- Read through Tip Sheets prepared for the Stop Bullying Now! Campaign. Some that are most appropriate for teachers include:
- What We Know About Bullying
- The Scope and Impact of Bullying
- Warning Signs a Child is Being bullied
- Children Who Bully
- Research-Based Articles and Books on Bully/Peer Victimization
- Best Practices in Bullying Prevention and Intervention
- Providing Support to Children Who Are Bullied: Tips for School Personnel
- How to Intervene to Stop Bullying: Tips for On-The-Spot Interventions at School
- Misdirections in Bullying Prevention and Intervention
- Read about cyberbullying among children and youth
2. Make sure that your students understand that you take bullying very seriously and that bullying is not allowed in your classroom or at the school. Students should know that you expect that they:
- Should not bully others
- Should be helpful and kind to students who are bullied
- Should report bullying that they experience or witness to you or other adults at school
3. Integrate bullying prevention themes across the curriculum. Think creatively of ways that you can weave bullying themes into language arts, social studies, or even math lessons! Visit the Starting a Campaign page to find bullying prevention books, videos, and other materials that you might use. You might find it helpful to print out our fact sheet on Tips for Selecting Materials from the Resource List.
4. If possible, set aside some time during each school week to talk with your students about bullying and peer relations.
- Show Stop Bullying Now! Webisodes during class to facilitate discussion.
- Print out the Tip Sheets, What Should I Do if I’m Bullied? and What Can Students/Youth Do to “Lend a Hand?” and discuss them with your students.
- Post Stop Bullying Now! Posters in your classroom (and around the school) and use them as points of discussion.
5. Closely supervise your students and be watchful for possible signs of bullying among students in your class(es). Remember that children often are reluctant to report bullying to teachers, and some bullying can be subtle and difficult to detect. Print out and review the Tip Sheets Warning Signs That a Child is Being Bullied and Children who Bully.
6. Take immediate action if you observe or suspect bullying. Print out and review How to Intervene to Stop Bullying: Tips for On-the-Spot Interventions at School. Provide support and follow-up assistance after the fact. Review Providing Support to Children Who Are Bullied: Tips for School Personnel.
