Bullying and Bystanders

When it comes to bullying and bystanders - how can we teach students that if they are a bystander of bullying - how important it is to step in and help or get help? When students see bullying happening the 2 most common reactions are to either stand and watch and maybe even laugh and the other one is to stand by and do nothing.
Often students have this reaction because they are either afraid of being bullied themselves if they step in - which is fair enough.
Or they are not sure of what to do in the situation. One of the things that we need to work on to help stop bullying is to show students how as bystanders they can stand up and help - and that this will make a huge difference in other student's lives. So how can we help students to see that with bullying and bystanders - as bystanders they have power to help stop bullying? If the school is running an anti-bullying program the issue of bullying and bystanders can be discussed quite effectively by giving students scenarios for discussion and to help them understand what is actually going on when the bullying happens, including the dynamics of the situation.

This can often help them understand that sometimes it is nearly impossible for the target to stop the bullying and that they need help.
They can also learn how important it is to step in, but also to be able to assess to situation to make sure it is safe to step in.

Students need to know when it's appropriate to step in and help and when it's not appropriate and they need to go and get help. It is also helpful if students can do this together - 2 students that step in together to help is far more powerful that a lone student.
The message it's okay to tell also needs to be one that becomes acceptable.

It is generally put out there, especially from those that are bullies, that if you tell then you're a loser or an idiot.

This attitude in schools needs to be challenged and students need to know that the reasons they are 'telling' is to get help either for themselves or for another person and there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing this.

So a student who is being bullied needs to know that it's okay to get help.

And for a bystander that says something, again they need to see the power in helping someone - there is nothing remotely 'loser' about this.
Students also need to know that if they get help the school has a process of how the bullying will be dealt with and that the teacher isn't going to just forget about the conversation, but that something will be done and it will be done in a way that protects the student/s who have spoken out.

In taking steps to help stop bullying there is a lot of power on behalf of the bystander.

Rather than doing nothing or taking part by laughing - students can have a significant impact on whether bullying continues or stops.

Let's empower our young people in showing them the power of the bystander.