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In this two page response, I will examine some of the literature surrounding elementary school bullying. Specifically, I am going to give a brief overview of elementary school bullying with statistics and definitions, examine some of the organizations that are attempting to target elementary school bullying while also providing a bibliography of resources related to elementary school bullying.
Bullying can begin at any age, and for those that begin the process of bullying in elementary school, it often is a precursor towards bullying tendencies throughout life (“Bullying in Elementary School,” 2016). Thus, it is incredibly important for us to both understand and be able to effectively combat elementary school bullying. The Gundersen Medical Foundation and Gundersen Health System states that approximately 33% of all US elementary school students have reported being bullied often while at school (“Elementary School Ages,” 2013.). Further, 20% of all kindergarten students reported being bullied often (“Elementary School Ages,” 2013.). These numbers are incredibly high and showcase how much of an issue elementary school bullying is (“Bullying,” 2015).
Numerous organizations are attempting to end elementary school bullying, sometimes before it ever starts through prevention efforts. These organizations, such as the National Bullying Prevention Center, the National Association of Elementary School Principals and their related anti-bullying literature, the website stopbullying.gov, and the website kidshealth,org, all of which are referenced in the bibliography, are attempting to provide resources. Interestingly, the PACER organization provides a fantastic resource for elementary school teachers to begin to teach the lessons of bystander behavior and bystander intervention (“Elementary School: Starting the Discussion,” 2015.).
Interestingly, one of the more recent trends in regards to elementary school bullying is directly tied to the LGBTQ community. Organizations such as The Kind Project and The Trevor Project are two organizations that are attempting to combat the very real and very damaging effect that bullying students that are part of the LGBTQ community has (LGBT Youth, 2015). These organizations provide resources for students who are being bullied as well as provide prevention tips and tricks. Unfortunately, students that identify with the LGBTQ community, even at the early age in elementary school, are often labeled as different or weird and, in my opinion, our society does not yet understand this particular community well enough to appropriately address issues in the moment (“What is the Kind Campaign?” 2016).
In the classroom, bullying education must be a part of the curriculum in elementary school. In addition to learning about school subjects, elementary school, in my opinion, should also be a time that teachers are instructing students on life schools, proper social behaviors, and other social skills that are necessary for their success in school (“Current Programs,” 2016). The National Association of Elementary School Principals offers an in-depth and effective poster series that can begin passive education (“Bullying Prevention,” 2015). Further, teachers should be having intentional, if not simplified, conversations with their students about bullying and the negative impact it can have on students. Education isn’t simply about educating historical facts and biological realities; it is also about teaching life skills (“9 Ways to Eliminate Bullying,” 1999).
In conclusion, elementary school bullying is a very real and very common problem. In recent years, bullying the LGBTQ community has become a larger and larger issue. Further, there are numerous organizations that are attempting to fully understand, address, and prevent bullying from occurring within elementary schools.
References
American Humane Association. (2016). Current Programs. Retrieved from
http://www.americanhumane.org/children/
Elementary School Counseling. (2015). Bullying. Retrieved from
http://www.elementaryschoolcounseling.org/bullying.html
Great Kids. (1999). 9 Ways To Eliminate Bullying. Retrieved from
http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/how-to-deal-with-a-bully/
Gundersen Health System. (2013) Elementary School Ages. Retrieved from
http://www.togetheragainstbullying.org/elementary-school-ages
It Gets Better Project. (2015). What is the It Gets Better Project? Retrieved from
www.itgetsbetter.org/
National Association of Elementary School Principles. (2015). Bullying Prevention. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.naesp.org/bullying-prevention-resources
Nemours. (2016). Dealing with Bullying. Retrieved from
http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/bullies.html
NoBullying.Com. (2016). Bullyingin Elementary School. Retrieved from
http://nobullying.com/bullying-in-elementary-school/
Not In Our Town. (2014). New Anti-Bullying Video for Elementary School Students. Retrieved
PACER Center, Inc. (2015). Elementary School, Starting the Discussion. Retrieved from
http://www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/toolkits/classroom/ele-starting-the-discussion.asp
Stomp Out Bullying. (2015). Stomp Out Bullying Now. Retrieved from
www.stompoutbullying.org
Stop Bullying. (2015). What Is Bullying? Retrieved from www.stopbullying.gov
The Kind Campaign. (2015). What is the Kind Campaign? Retrieved from
www.kindcampaign.com
The Trevor Project. (2015). We Provide Crisis Invention and Suicide Prevention for LGBTQ
Youth. Retrieved from www.thetrevorproject.org
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2016). Stopbullying Blog. Retrieved from
http://www.stopbullying.gov/blog/tags/Elementary-School
