"I am starting to think I don't feel anything at all anymore," Alex expressed, sitting across the table from his mother (Hirsh,2012).
These profound words were spoken during the 2012 documentary Bully directed by Lee Hirsh. Hearing Alex, a 14-year-old boy, explain to his mother how he feels numb from the bullying he experienced is something no parent ever wants to hear (Hirsh, 2012). Nevertheless, as a parent, watching several parts of the film sparked emotions, frustration, and determination to help spread awareness and stop bullying in schools (Hirsh, 2012). In addition, it was evident in the documentary of parents' frustration and anger toward school administrations and law enforcement (Hirsh, 2012). I was relieved at a pivotal moment within the documentary when the filmmakers showed the parents a video of what was going on to Alex during his bus rides to and from school (Hirsh, 2012). When the parents took their concerns from the school, they felt no real change would occur (Hirsh, 2012). Stories of tragedies of young children taking their lives because of the bullying throughout the documentary wakes you up as a parent and even more so as a future educator. The story of Tyler Long and listening to both parents explain the severe bullying their son went through will stay with me for a long time (Hirsh,2012). How do we protect our children as a parent? What more can I do to protect students as an educator?
The article, Framing Bullying for Education from the Bully Project, expresses the need for all staff within a school on signs of bullying and different types of bullying behavior. In addition, all faculty and staff within a school should understand bullying behaviors and how to act during bullying situations ( Framing Bullys for education, n.d.). Finally, as educators, our classrooms should be where students feel safe and protected. We can use modeling techniques and show students how they can appreciate the points of view, talents, and contributions of less vocal students in their classes ( Framing Bullys for Education, n.d).
Educators can additionally help a student become aware of their own emotions. For example, social Emotional Learning can help prevent bullying as students understand their feelings and why they feel specific ways and are given techniques to help during difficult times (Ragozzino & O'Brien, 2009). As a future educator and creating lessons, I have included a mood meter before the beginning of the lesson to help understand how a student is feeling, which increases the understanding of student behaviors. Also, teachers can model and present methods of self-awareness to students, self-management techniques, social awareness, and relationship skills ( Ragozzino & O'Brien, 2009). Teachers can also share the importance of being an Upstander (Eyman & Cohen, 2009). To end bullying is not just one person's responsibility; everyone in a student's life needs to be involved, and it is everyone's responsibility (Eyman & Cohen, 2009). Sharing with students the importance of understanding bullying behavior, helping stop others from being bullied, stopping wrong or harmful messages from spreading, and welcoming new students are all strategies to help to be an upstander (Eyman & Cohen, 2009).
When thinking further about why students bully in the first place, there is no one answer, but having difficult discussions with students helps navigate their mental and emotional feelings can help ( Schimke, 2023). During an anonymous activity where students can share excitement or struggles at Summit High School in Breckenridge, students discussed depression, bullying, and suicide; then, an assistant teacher shared her experience with a therapist and how it helped her, sparked a more profound conversation(Schimke, 2023). No one is aware of what goes on at home for many students; some may not have support where they feel comfortable expressing struggles, which could lead to challenging behavior at school. Spreading awareness to students, allowing them access to therapy, and providing the necessary tools to talk about their feelings will hopefully prevent bullying ( Schimke, 2023).
As a future educator, it is vital that all students know how important they are and to provide a safe and respectful classroom environment full of compassion and understanding.
References:
Schimke, A. (2023, January 19) Colorado experts declared a youth mental health emergency. Here’s what happened next.
Eyman, W. & Cohen, J. (2009). 10 ways to be an upstander. BullyBust: Creating a Community of Upstanders(TM), the nationwide bully prevention/pro-upstander campaign from the National School Climate Center (NSCC). www.BullyBust.org. LinkLinks to an external site.
Hirsch, L. (Director) (2012). Bully [video]. Cinereach.
Ragozzino, K. & O'Brien, M.U. (2009). Social and Emotional Learning and Bullying Prevention. Prepared for the National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and the Social and Emotional Learning Research Group at the University of Illinois at Chicago. LinkLinks to an external site.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the documentary Bully and your insights on how educators and parents can help prevent bullying in schools. It's hard to hear about students like Alex and Tyler who have experienced severe bullying and felt numb from the pain. I agree that it's crucial for all staff within a school to be knowledgeable about bullying signs and behaviors and to act appropriately during bullying situations. Your inclusion of social-emotional learning and the mood meter before a lesson is an excellent way to help students become aware of their emotions and increase their understanding of their behaviors. I also appreciate your emphasis on being an upstander and spreading awareness to students on the importance of understanding bullying behavior and how to stop it. Lastly, I agree that having difficult discussions with students can help navigate their mental and emotional feelings and provide them with the necessary tools to talk about their feelings. With all that said, what do you think are some effective ways to spread awareness to parents and educators who may not be knowledgeable about bullying and its effects on students?
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the documentary Bully and your insights on how educators and parents can help prevent bullying in schools. It's hard to hear about students like Alex and Tyler who have experienced severe bullying and felt numb from the pain. I agree that it's crucial for all staff within a school to be knowledgeable about bullying signs and behaviors and to act appropriately during bullying situations. Your inclusion of social-emotional learning and the mood meter before a lesson is an excellent way to help students become aware of their emotions and increase their understanding of their behaviors. I also appreciate your emphasis on being an upstander and spreading awareness to students on the importance of understanding bullying behavior and how to stop it. Lastly, I agree that having difficult discussions with students can help navigate their mental and emotional feelings and provide them with the necessary tools to talk about their feelings. With all that said, what do you think are some effective ways to spread awareness to parents and educators who may not be knowledgeable about bullying and its effects on students?
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