After I realized that Renee was a victim of bullying by a peer group, I immediately confronted the four boys, called their parents, and notified the assistant principal of the situation. Renee began coming back to class and the boys seem more respectful toward her, but, on occasion, they would make the same type of comments to her, usually in the hallway before class so I was not aware. It was difficult to change the nature of the boys' interactions with Renee.
On one occasion, I was working with a group of students and one of the boys made some remarks to Renee. I was unaware of the initial exchange, but I quickly noticed Renee aggressively react to their comments. She became extremely agitated and began yelling explicatives at the boys. As Espelage mentioned in this chapter, victims of bullying are often impulsive and lack behavior regulation, which can been seen in Renee's reactions.
The bullying between Renee and the boys was not immediately corrected but after time, consistent monitoring of interactions, parent conferences, and consultation with the assistant principal, the students developed a respectful relationship. Renee's performance returned to the level I had come to expect from her and the boys developed a more mature relationship with their classmate.
The bullying situation with Renee helped remind me, as a classroom teacher, that bullying is not always obvious, and that teachers have to know their students well to understand if bullying is occurring. As a teacher, it also is important to realize that bullying can profoundly influence a student's performance and achievement.
with the special collaboration of:
Anthony Durr
See more at: http://www.education.com/reference/article/bullies-and-victims/#sthash.WUB3dMz9.dpu
Kate Whitfield is a 24 year old on a mission to empower teens, girls, and young women to take action and totally transform their body image, self esteem and the vision for their lives. She is the founder of Empowered Gal Inc and Lead the way. Whether Kate is speaking to an auditorium full of teens or facilitating a mom/daughter workshop, Kate's passion for inspiring teens and her ability to connect with a wide variety of audiences is evident.
Kate started her company while still in high school, and since then, has spoken to tens of thousands of middle and high
school students and has seen first hand the devastating effects of bullying.
She has created successful in-school anti-bullying programs designed to empower all members of the school community to take action to create change, take responsibility for the effects their words have on others and enhance their ability to build a more positive school environment.
Visit: www.empoweredgal.com for more info