Policies, programs, protocols, etc., can be useful tools for people to use, but they don’t change people — only people can change people. Bullying prevention must also start from the ground up — the ground of changing people’s hearts and minds towards greater respect and caring. Bullying prevention should not just be about stopping a negative behavior; it should be about how the members of the school community treat each other.
Compliance is a poor, ineffective substitute for a community’s commitment to creating the type culture and climate needed for learning — one that is incompatible will all types of bullying.
If people can’t see their culture, they will not be able to change it. Unfortunately, people can become easily habituated to ways of interacting that are often not respectful.
Regardless of how they might appear, all educators think they are doing a good job and suggesting the opposite will only make them more defensive and less open to any recommendation for changing.
Fear freezes people into place and prevents meaningful change.
Most bullying-prevention efforts emphasize what shouldn’t happen:“Don’t bully others.” The implicit message is that the schools themselves don’t have to change; they just have to make sure that bullying doesn’t happen.
many students who bully learn to do it under the radar of adult supervision. Traditional rewards and consequences have little if any impact on bullying behavior in schools.
Tell a different story.
Stand on principles.
Translate principles into specific words and actions.
Get adult behavior aligned with principles.
All students can lead.
Becoming a more caring and respectful school community is the means and the ends towards preventing and reducing bullying in schools.