Published Feb. 2nd, 2011 in Ed Week
I think the relational aggression this article looks at becomes a larger issue as students enter middle and high school. I know at the high school where I currently work, bullying is an issue and ongoing battle for staff. There are several points in the article I found to be very true and worth reflection.
1) Emotional scars are real and potentially more painful that physical abuse.
2) Adults have minimal impact on stopping this type of bullying because the bully is receiving peer reinforcement.
3) The need to confront relational aggression is even more urgent now that students interact more online, where there is minimal adult supervision.
The program introduced in Seattle schools, Steps to Respect, sounds promising as it teachers bystanders to stand up for victims. The traditional anti bullying program teaches bystanders to take away the bully;s power by not feeding their need for attention. Bystanders are instructed to not be spectators, avoid laughing, and to not spread rumors by discussing the incident. The steps program instead teaches bystanders to always get involved to assist the victim by insisting the bully stops or by involving adults who can mediate the issues. Another similar program focuses more on helping both teachers and students understand the difference between normal social interactions and harassment.
I think all schools can benefit from character education programs and that they can go a long way toward the ultimate goal of educating students for their future lives. It's imperative that students have a good understanding of how their actions can impact someone else before they leave high school.
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