Helping Students and Schools Take Action Against Bullying

Here’s the hard truth about bullying: It occurs in every school, can happen to any student and is hurtful to everyone involved.

“Bullying is a widespread problem among children and teens, with 1 in 5 students reporting they’re being bullied,” says Kristen Hoben, program manager, Weller Health Education at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. “Bullying can take several forms – physical, verbal, social and cyber, but regardless of form, bullying negatively affects all involved – from the targets of bullying to the witnesses and even to the bullies themselves.”

In support of Bullying Prevention Month, Weller Health Education is going straight to the source, visiting schools around the Lehigh Valley to help students and schools combat bullying through its two school-based bullying prevention programs:

• Bully Busters: Tailored for students in 3rd through 6th grade, this program covers what bullying is, the different types of bullying, why bullying is wrong, and what to do if you are being bullied.
• Cyberbullying: In addition to covering the bullying basics, this program takes a closer look at cyberbullying. It discusses the seriousness of cyberbullying and challenges students to actively resist and report it. Students will learn how cyberbullying can sometimes result in deadly consequences and why bystanders play a critical role in stopping it.

"Students are in a unique position to help prevent bullying with more than half of bullying situations stopping when a peer intervenes on behalf of the student being bullied," Hoben says. "Our school-based bullying prevention programs are designed to educate students on bullying and help them feel empowered to intervene safely in bullying situations.”

Student bystanders are often aware of situations before adults and can often intervene most effectively. However, the weight of bullying prevention should not fall entirely on children and teens.

“Combating bullying is not simple and depends greatly on successfully creating a culture of respect,” Hoben says. “To achieve this culture, everyone in the school community must be involved – from school administration, teachers and coaches to bus drivers and cafeteria staff. Families must be involved as well, by cultivating a respectful environment at home, since children often model what they see in the home.”