Check out our list of tips for addressing bullying in your classroom and school.

Harassment is not new, nor are its effects on learners. What is new is the interest it is getting in our schools to stop it and the res recommendations to bullyproof your schools.

Be aware that bullying contributes to low self-esteem, depression, lower attendance rates, and higher crime rates.

As an educator, invite your administration and school counselor to talk to your class at the start of the school year concerning the harassment policy and procedures of the school district. Place the written info in your room. You do not want your learners to say they were unaware of the school policies.

Once you have reviewed the school’s bullying policies with your class as a whole, meet with your learners in small groups to discuss how to bully-proof your classroom. Find outer ownership is the most effective means to curtail bullying in your class. Given the opportunity, they will produce great suggestions from their personal experiences.

Place learners’ quotes or slogans in the class as reminders that they want a safe, caring, bully-free environment in which to learn.

Take any verbal or written threats that threaten the safety of you or other learners seriously. Let the counselor and administration know about the threats. The administrator should also contact law enforcement in your community. They may have had prior reports concerning the same learner, and your info could be another piece of the frightening behaviors puzzle.

Bullyproof your class and make your learners be active bystanders if bullying happens. Your school will have policies in their handbooks, but it will be up to the educator to actually enforce the policies. You are charged with providing a safe environment for your learners, and bullyproofing your class is one aspect of the safe environment.

Examine learners’ interaction quality at break times, in the hallways, at the bus stop, and at learner activities. Have learners role-play the difference between appropriate and inappropriate conversations outside the class. It will teach them how to respond to such behavior appropriately.

Let learners know from the beginning that disrespectful words will not be tolerated in your class or school. Place quotes about respect and cares around your class- the room you’re building. In the younger grades, remind learners to be the PCK kids—polite, courteous, and kind.

Don’t leave your class unattended. Learners report that bullying will occur when the educator steps out of the class. If you must leave the class, either call the office for assistance or tell the educator close- est to you in proximity.

Keep your eyes moving in class, the hallway, and other school buildings and grounds. A quick glance can stop a harmful situation. This is a way to stop actions learners might regret later. Report any misbehavior to the administration and talk with the learner.