Can bullying be prevented? Bullying and school violence are often a result of a youth's differences in look, behavior, or social status. Most school shooters have, at one time or another, felt bullied or rejected by their peers. Violence and aggression are used against the victim, who then becomes a bully. Laws and rules should be more knowing. Violence cannot be fighting with more violence. .
First of all, parents and teachers are important keys in the hard job of decreasing the violence level in schools. While there is no way to guarantee that any child will never be bullied (or be a bully), some measures have proven very effective in reducing bullying: changing the way parents interact with their children, early intervention, effective discipline and communication. .
There are no quick fixes. True success requires extensive coordinated efforts of parents and school programs to help children grow up free of violence in a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Schools need to make sure there is enough adult supervision at school to lessen and prevent bullying. According to an article by Ph.D. Kathryn Seifert in March 2012, a 17 year-old alleged gunman, T. J. Lane, opened fire in the school cafeteria at Chardon High School in Ohio on 2/27/2012. Witness said that Lane had suffered bullying since fifth grade.
Also, violence cannot be tolerated in schools. Rules that involve bullying behaviors should be clearly posted. School districts should work with mental health professionals and utilize them to speak to students about bullying and how it affects the victims and the perpetrator. In the classroom, all teachers should openly discuss bullying. Even some teachers are bullied by students, and programs should be implemented to help this situation as well. .
Children understand modeling behaviors and role-play, so acting out bullying situations is a very effective tool. Train school staff members to be observant and respond to student needs before they result in unhealthy behaviors.