Schoolyard bullying: It needs to be addressed

School and schoolyard violence has been increasingly in the news lately. Some children have been mortally wounded, and there are many more children with less visible wounds. The emotional scars and painful memories from physical and/or verbal bullying in the school setting are not sensational wounds perhaps, but they are still very serious and unfortunately very common, affecting 15% to 20% of students (1–3).

I work as a paediatrician in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Over the past seven years, I have seen many children who are the recipients of meanspirited verbal and physical bullying. These children are not seen because of complaints about being picked on, they are seen because they often refuse to go to school. Their fear, frustration and sadness can make school a miserable experience that is to be avoided, if possible. Headaches, stomach pains, sleep disturbances, emotional upset, a decline in school performance, changes in personality and other issues develop in response to ongoing stress. Such tragedies do not make the headlines. Let me illustrate one such case.

I reviewed my next patient’s chart. He was a 14-year-old grade 8 student who required asthma control and an assessment of the response of his acne to medication. When the patient and his mom entered my office, he looked well. He was about 170.2 cm tall and weighed 72.6 kg. His acne had cleared, and he looked like a normal, healthy teenager. As initial conversation, I inquired about school. His mom indicated that he was ‘honours’ in everything, but school was not very good. The boy tried to speak as tears streamed down both cheeks. He was being teased, bullied and socially isolated at his school. He had always been shy and without many friends, but he had never previously been a target of bullies. He did not know why it was happening in this grade and he did not know how to deal with it. His parents tried to intervene at school by asking that his classroom be changed, but this request was denied. Now, everyone was just waiting for the school year to end, hoping that the next year would be better. The boy was not sleeping well. He voiced serious sadness. He was not going out after school, his interest and academic effort were declining, and he wanted to be schooled at home.

The boy’s symptoms and situation are not just reflective of personal anxiety or depression; they are signs and symptoms of more widespread social problems occurring in the school environment. Name calling, pushing, pinching, poking and teasing are all degrading. Having your hat removed and thrown among other students despite your protests, or having your hood or jacket pulled over your face despite your pleas to stop is humiliating. Having notes crumpled, school supplies taken, toys broken and your lunch ruined does not make school a favoured place. Almost any physical feature that is different can be a target for teasing – for example, glasses (four eyes), small stature (shrimp, shorty), large head (cement head, airhead) or obesity (fatso). Weaknesses are also made fun of frequently (eg, slowpoke, slob, loser, cry baby, sissy). Children have been pushed in lockers and prevented from leaving a classroom or going out of the school door by physically larger bullies.

These acts of aggression should not be happening with such frequency. Why are children so insensitive to each other? Where is tolerance for differences? Why do children join in the bullying rather than defend the victims? Where is their sense of community? Perhaps, the answers to these questions are reflected in the larger problems of society as a whole. Members of society all share responsibility and need to be a part of the solution.

Bullies generally have a more positive attitude toward violence and the use of violence than their less aggressive peers. They often show a strong desire for power and social influence, and little empathy toward their victims. These traits can persist into adulthood, leading to more serious criminal behaviour if they are not addressed (1–4).

Victims tend to be physically smaller, and are often cautious, sensitive and quiet children. They tend to develop negative self-images, see themselves as failures, and feel stupid and ashamed. This increases their isolation and increases the likelihood of further bullying. However, some of the most socially and academically successful pupils can also experience regular school ground problems with bullies. These repeated exposures to aggression and teasing can make school an unfriendly and fearful place. Depression, somatic complaints, falling grades and school absenteeism are common consequences (1–4).

Parents have the strongest influence in developing and teaching behaviour, and conveying attitudes to their children (1–3). Each parent needs to recognize the social problems that occur in school and after school, and take measures to try and guide their child away from adopting the wrong ‘group’ mentality. To achieve this, parents need to take the following actions.

• Recognize that even your child may be involved in bullying in social settings.

• Realize that all children can and do lie if they are scared of consequences or afraid that their behaviour will disappoint parents.

• Discuss any reported behaviours openly, and not defensively, with your child’s teacher. Work with the school to solve the problem; do not add to it. Denial does not result in solutions. Turn mistakes into teaching opportunities.

• Teach your child about bullying and have him or her look at things from the ‘victims’ side. Explain empathy to your child.

• Model proper language and behaviour at home; your child is watching.

• Eliminate exposure to violent and saucy television programs. Children emulate observed behaviours (5).

• Do not buy toys or games of violence (6). Why teach your child to pretend to kill or hurt someone?

Next to parents, the child’s peer and school experiences are most influential in affecting behavioural and social growth. It is known that bullying occurs with greater frequency in schools where teachers are more tolerant of bullying behaviours (4). It is also known that corporal punishment may actually contribute to disruptive and violent student behaviour rather than reduce it (7). How can the time spent in school be better used to improve social awareness and social responsibility, and to help to decrease bullying and all of its consequences? Teachers are currently dealing with overcrowded classrooms, the integration of special needs students, shrinking budgets and, increasingly, a larger number of children with behavioural problems. How can they adequately monitor lunchrooms, hallways, playgrounds and other loosely supervised areas? Is it really the school’s (ie, the teachers’) responsibility to be the source of discipline and social teaching, or is the responsibility better shared with the community at large.

Perhaps some of the following ideas could be helpful in managing bullying in the school setting.

• Students may well be the culprits, but they can also be part of the solution. Peer mediation and restorative justice programs involving students in monitoring and counselling their peers increase student responsibility, and can result in behavioural improvement (8–10). Experience in Amherst, Nova Scotia and Hamilton, Ontario with student mentoring has had positive results for individuals and the schools at large (8,10).

• A big buddy system where older students are paired with younger students who are having social problems could be developed. The older child would ‘supervise’ the younger individual in lightly supervised settings and would serve as a role model.

• Early in the school year, teachers could develop sociograms within their classroom to identify the popular children and the social isolates. The children with a few or no friends could then be included in supervised social programs at recess or lunch to help them make friends and avoid teasing (11).

• Each school should have a social worker, guidance counsellor and/or a special teacher to oversee these supervised social programs and modify them to the unique needs of the particular school. The provision of funding should be shared by the provincial Departments of Justice, Community Services, Education and, even, Health because the programs can affect all of these departments.

• Schools should have a media and a television policy. Movies that show violence or saucy behaviour should not be viewed during free time (5).

• Bully or behaviour boxes could be placed in different locations throughout the school. If a child is being bullied, an anonymous note written by that child or anyone that observed the bullying could be placed in the box to be reviewed by the guidance counsellor, social worker or principal. Names that show up frequently within the bully box would be investigated. Possible consequences could include assisting with schoolyard clean up, preparing a written apology to the victim, doing a display on bullying or some other useful learning experience.

The same box could be used to report praiseworthy behaviours. This would minimize negative attention to students who are observed putting notes in the boxes. Social awards and public praise could be used to reward these deserving individuals, and educate the entire student body about social skills and social consciousness.

• Parents need to be notified early if their child is exhibiting any difficult behaviours, even if they are minor. Notification should not be for punitive action; rather, it should be to provide an opportunity for parental teaching before there is an escalation of the situation.

• Social awards for improved behaviour, socially sensitive behaviour, honesty and acts of kindness may be highlighted at school gatherings. Specific instances of bullying may be discussed at these settings to promote a wider understanding of how hurtful bullying can be. The notification and reporting of mean or hurtful behaviours should be viewed as positive acts that improve the school, help other students, etc, rather than being perceived as tattling or ratting.

• Teachers and principals need to realize that the school milieu, and services available to and for students are confusing to those who are not in the system. When concerns are raised, they need to be seriously addressed, and not dismissed, ignored or minimized. Parents need information and to have options explained to help them to determine the best solutions for their child’s problem(s).

It is sad and disheartening to see children develop physical or emotional illness as a consequence of peer-induced stress. Schools should be safe, and children should want to attend these institutions. Students should be helping each other, and physicians and health care workers should be helping them and the schools.

What can paediatricians do? Their major functions are to identify and support the ‘injured’ students, and to advocate for better services and supports in schools by working with students, parents and teachers.

• Children need to know that they are not alone and to realize that people will try to help, if they are made aware of the issues.

• Parents can be helped through discussion and teaching to become more effective advocates and guides for their children.

• Letters and phone calls to schools outlining and informing teachers and principals about specific concerns or problems that a child is experiencing are necessary. These initiatives should be followed-up to ensure that solutions are being sought.

• Committee work and public awareness efforts are important. Social changes will only occur if people can be educated about the need for change and how they can help.

Some schools have innovative social programming that has been tremendously successful in reducing schoolyard violence and bullying (8,10). There are solutions. If the smaller issues are not dealt with, the larger tragedies will not be averted. A proactive approach is necessary. The hurting has to stop; bullying must be dealt with – we, as a society, owe it to our children.