Putting an End to Bullying 

Bullying is a widespread issue that alters educational institutions worldwide, and like many other schools, ours is no exception. 

Exploring the current measures in place to prevent bullying, the perceived impact of bullying on our school community, and the severity of the problem, can help make for a better environment to make sure everyone feels safe and comfortable in the DJDS community. 

According to the American Psychological Association: “bullying is a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort.” 

This can happen anywhere in school, out of school, online, and many more places. With this problem at hand, it leaves many with worries. 

The school’s policy on bullying states: “We believe that all of our students are created B'tzelem Elokim, in the image of God. Denver Jewish Day School, therefore, has zero tolerance for behaviors that we feel are destructive to our community. We do not, however, have a zero-tolerance policy towards individuals.” 

When students behave in a way that is not in keeping the Divrei Chaim (Words to Live By) or other school standards of behavior, DJDS endeavors to work with the students so that they understand how destructive their behavior was to other individuals, the community, and to the misbehaving students themselves. 

Levi Pfaff, a DJDS 8th grader, expresses concern about the apparent lack of consequences for bullies anywhere. This raises questions about the effectiveness of the existing measures in place both at our school and at many other educational establishments. "Bullying happens and they give them no punishment at all," Pfaff said.

According to the handbook, disciplinary consequences are sometimes the appropriate response to poor behavior. Other forms of consequences for the school include behavior contracts, counseling, and/or restorative justice.

What most people view as the problem is what the harm of bullying tends to be. It has significant tolls on your mental health and emotional well-being. 

“Being bullied makes young people incredibly insecure…It has a big mental and emotional impact,” according to the National Institute of Health. 

While some feel that bullying is a potential problem at our school, many feel just the opposite. Vaughn Reimer, a DJDS 7th grader, acknowledges the close-knit nature of our private school, suggesting that the smaller community size allows for better visibility of bullying incidents. "I think we are doing a really good job at handling it," Reimer said "It [DJDS] is like one big family." 

While the school has its ways of handling bullying, so does the teacher. Mr. Englund emphasizes the importance of approaching the issue on an interpersonal level, teaching students to treat each other kindly. 

Englund advocates for a compassionate approach, encouraging self-reflection and consideration of how one's actions may impact others. 

"Growing up is learning how to treat each other kindly," Englund said "[I like] taking a compassionate approach."

He, along with many others believes that implementing effective measures like peer mentoring, awareness campaigns, and regular discussions about empathy and kindness can contribute to a more inclusive and respectful school environment.