Five myths about bullying
According to Dan Olweus (1997), a student is bullied when they are repeatedly exposed over a period of time to negative actions by one or more students. School bullying is a social phenomenon that develops in the school environment and refers to a student's repeated, systematic, and intentional exposure to various forms of mistreatment that is sustained over time by a person, the victim (Paéz, et al., 2020). This sustained aggression creates a power imbalance between the victim and the aggressor, making it difficult for the victim to defend themselves (Martínez, 2017).
Depending on the form of aggression, harassment can be:
- Verbal: insulting, spreading rumors
- Physical: pushing, stealing
- Social: to discriminate, to ignore
- Digital: comments on social media, chat applications, or video games.
Currently, the prevalence of bullying is unclear, as multiple factors influence its extent. According to aUNICEF report (2014), bullying occurs everywhere, regardless of socioeconomic development. Based on data from this report, it is estimated that one in three students between the ages of 13 and 15 worldwide have experienced systematic bullying, and one-third of adolescents between the ages of 11 and 15 in Europe and North America admitted to bullying others at school at least once in the past two months.
The most recent data for Catalonia is from the 2016-2017 academic year. According to the Survey on School Coexistence and Safety in Catalonia (ECESC), conducted among secondary school students, 94.2% of respondents believe that there are students who are mistreated in schools. 9.9% of those surveyed reported having been victims of bullying during the school year.
In the data collected through a survey in which 322 secondary school students from the Escola Pía de Caldes de Montbui participated in the 2019/2020 school year, 14% of the students reported having suffered bullying throughout their schooling.
But is all the information we have about bullying true?
Let's debunk some myths!
Any conflict between students should be considered bullying.
To be considered harassment, incidents must be persistent (repetitive), there must be an imbalance (abuse) of power between the victim and the aggressor, the aggressor must intend to cause harm, and the victim must be in a vulnerable position. However, conflicts must be addressed and monitored.
This is just kids being kids, it's not important.
School bullying can lead to serious physical and mental health problems and, in adulthood, greater vulnerability to anxiety, depression, or self-harm.
The victims are weak people
School bullying is a situation that can involve anyone regardless of cultural, social, or economic level.
This doesn't happen among girls
Cases of school bullying do not discriminate based on gender. However, there is a difference in the methods used. Male aggressors are more likely to use physical aggression, while female aggressors tend to use verbal or social aggression. There is a clear difference in cyberbullying, where girls are more frequently victims.
You don't do anything at school!
In Catalonia, the #aquiproubullying program was created in 2017 as an educational innovation project. This program aims to detect bullying situations early, intervene, and prevent them. The most important aspect of this program is the importance it places on bystanders—students who witness bullying but do nothing. The involvement of these students is key to detecting peer conflicts more quickly and to ensuring that intervention begins with their actions and interactions with their classmates.
The school organizes activities to raise awareness among students and teachers about bullying. These activities aim to provide information about bullying, how to detect it, and how to intervene.
The moment a case of bullying is detected, the school protocol is activated. The severity of the case (minor or severe) must be assessed, and as much information as possible must be gathered from all individuals involved in the bullying situation (victim, aggressor, bystanders, etc.). Based on the observations and information collected, interventions will be planned with those involved.
Sometimes, this intervention at the school level can seem slow to families and students, leading them to perceive that the school isn't doing anything. It's important to apply the data collection and observation protocols meticulously, leaving little room for error, and this requires time from everyone involved.
What should we do as teachers?
- Listen actively and do not judge.
- To give credibility and conduct a good search for information about the situation in front of us.
- Gather information from all parties involved and identify their needs: victim, aggressor, and observers.
- Do not minimize the situation by focusing on a single action such as an act of aggression.
- Inform the families of the students involved (victim and aggressor) of the situation detected and seek their collaboration in the resolution.
- Avoid reinforcing labels and prejudices.
- Prevention activities in the group (for example, with group cohesion dynamics).
- Raise awareness among the other students (observers) and help them to detect and get involved as part of the solution.
Overcoming bullying
What can I do as a family?
My son or daughter is being bullied
- Try to remain calm and actively listen to what the school staff is explaining. If they are explaining it to you, it's important to repeat some of the phrases they use to ensure you understand correctly.
- Inform the school of the situation so that the necessary protocols can be put in place.
- Avoid trying to solve the situation quickly and impulsively.
- Support and accompany our son and daughter without asking about the conflict situation every day, as this can generate more anxiety.
My son or daughter is the aggressor.
- Try to stay calm and listen to what they are telling you. If they are explaining it to you, it's important to repeat some of the phrases they use to make sure you understand correctly.
- Try to get him to take responsibility for his actions.
- Inform the center of the situation if the information does not come from the center.
- To provide support and accompaniment.
Bullying is a problem that won't end until the entire school community gets involved. Finding a solution requires the collaboration of families and avoiding relying solely on expert opinion. It's essential to create a network where the school community, families, and students can work together to eliminate all forms of peer abuse.
Children and teenagers have the right to enjoy school life, their social life, and their digital life, and that's why adults must become aware of this and get involved in finding solutions. Everyone plays a role; what's yours?
