How Educators Can Handle Bullying & Bullied Students

Hello Friend,

Bullying continues to be a pervasive issue in our schools. It's an ugly truth many choose to ignore. Bullying affects a child's mental health in many ways. It can cause low self-esteem, rejection, depression, and isolation. UNESCO reports that over 30% of students globally have been bullied, resulting in poor academic performance, dropout, and negative physical and mental health impacts.

Did you know that you can support your students' mental health, even if you don't have a psychology background? The answer is simpler than you think: empathy. In today's episode of SAFLetters, let's talk about how empathy can work for you and other ways you can handle a bullying situation in your institution.

As an educator, your role extends beyond academics. You are also a pillar of support for your students, especially those going through tough times. Empathy is the first step in helping a bullied student. It allows you to connect with your students deeper and show them they are not alone.?

"Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another." – Alfred Adler.?

Showing empathy isn't complicated. It's about letting your students know you see their struggle, understand how hard it is, and genuinely care about them. Empathy can be as simple as acknowledging their struggles, validating their feelings, showing concern and expressing your support.

Communicating empathy will sound like this:

"I see what you're going through."

"I see how hard this is for you."

"I care about you and the impact this is having."

"I'm so sorry you have to go through this."

Sharing similar experiences can also be a powerful tool to help a bullied student overcome bullying.?

Yes, you read that right!?

It shows them they are not alone and that feeling certain emotions during tough times is normal. Find a similar experience in your life. Share your feelings during that time. Reinforce that these feelings are normal.?

This isn't where it ends, though. The bullying situation still needs to be dealt with. Bullying is bullying, no matter where it happens - school or not. So, don't just say you'll handle it; speak up and act. You must explain your proposed actions to the victim. Ensure they're comfortable with your approach.?

In this age of the internet and social media, any school crisis can quickly escalate and ruin the school's reputation. In 2021, some Nigerian schools were engulfed in a crisis that damaged their reputation, and they are yet to recover from it. So, it is essential to establish clear communication lines with the students and their parents in such situations.

Regularly update parents and other stakeholders on the situation. Provide them with accurate information about the steps you are taking and the progress made. It also means actively listening to the concerns of both the students and their parents and addressing them promptly and respectfully.

It is not the time to get sentimental. Instead, maintain a calm and composed demeanour. This can be difficult when emotions are running high, but it is crucial to control the situation. By remaining level-headed and focused on finding a resolution, you can help to de-escalate the situation and prevent it from spiralling out of control.

Create an action plan to address the underlying issues. Conduct a thorough investigation into the situation. Implement new policies or procedures to prevent future occurrences. Provide all the support and resources to both the bully and the bullied to ensure that the situation doesn't reoccur.

What's Next?

Leverage tools to foster positive student interactions and effectively monitor student performance for patterns that indicates a child is struggling. A closer look at these patterns in a child's performance can reveal that a child is being bullied or going through other issues affecting their school performance.

With data-driven insights, FlexiSAF supports schools to implement measures that create a conducive environment for all students to thrive.

I’ll write you soon.

Till then, have a great time.