Don’t worry the children never listen to you, worry that they are always watching you. (Robert Fulgham)
In reviewing bullying situations, the role of adults must be considered. The support of adults significantly contributes to childrens’ willingness to report bullying and their sense of safety in school. Bell (2005) concludes that bullying problems need to be addressed and dealt with before children feel alone and helpless to deal with it. She indicates that the onus is on adults to empower kids and encourage bystanders to advocate for those being bullied. Research generally shows that there is a low level of adult intervention in bullying situations (Pepler & Craig, 2000; Carach, Pepler, Ziegler, 1995; Espelage & Swearer, 2003; Craig, Henderson, & Murphy, 2000; Oliver & Candappa, 2003). It is only through adult intervention that bullying can be eliminated. School staff members, and especially teachers, have an enormous impact on the daily lives of students. Their ability to recognize and respond to bullying incidents is a key factor in decreasing bullying.
A few statistics:
Adults are often unaware of bullying or are unsure how to intervene (Pepler and Craig, 2000):
• Playground supervision intervened in only 4% of bullying incidents
• Only 46% of students who are victimized report their incident to their teacher
• Students who do talk to an adult are less likely to be bullied in the following school year
Information from Shaping Safer Schools, Ministry of Education 2005
• Bullying is not just about student behaviour. Principals, teachers, support staff, parents and other adults shape the school climate and they are responsible for serving as role models in creating respectful, safe environments for students.
• Adults’ modeling and messaging are crucial. Too often, bullying has been downplayed as simply part of growing up. On the contrary, research and experience have consistently shown that bullying is a serious issue, with far reaching consequences to individuals, their families, peers, and the community at large.
