Fostering Safe and Inclusive Learning Environments During National Bullying Prevention Month and Beyond
Most of us experienced bullying in one form or another as kids. Many of us can also keenly remember the pain it caused, whether it was name-calling on the playground, physical abuse from a bigger, stronger kid, or being subjected to disparaging rumors by classmates.
A generation ago, adults treated the behavior as a natural part of growing up or “kids being kids.” However, educators and health experts have more recently come to understand how devastating bullying can be as victims experience actual physical, mental and educational consequences. In response, efforts like National Bullying Prevention Month, observed every October, provide the opportunity to increase awareness around bullying behaviors while offering strategies for mitigating them.
Oregon Charter Academy (ORCA) seeks to foster an inclusive and safe environment for our students that prevents bullying. That’s why we’ve developed a full slate of National Bullying Prevention Month events and resources that we believe will make our community a more welcoming place for everyone both now and throughout the year.
Bullying is Common in Schools
The website stopbullying.gov — an initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — identifies bullying as “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.” A 2019 National Center for Education Statistics study found that bullying is a common experience among kids.
20.2% of students reported being bullied.
Of those students, 15% were bullied online or by text.
Females report being bullied at school more often than males.
Physical appearance, race or ethnicity, gender, disability, religion and sexual orientation were the leading reasons for being bullied.
Bullying isn’t a benign behavior. Students who are subjected to orchestrated mistreatment by their peers can experience life-changing consequences. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), bullying “increases the risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, lower academic achievement, and dropping out of school” for victims. Youth who bully are at an increased risk of “substance use, academic problems, and experiencing violence later in adolescence and adulthood.” A 2014 CDC report also found a strong correlation between bullying and youth suicide. This information makes addressing school bullying a critical task for educators, parents and students.
ORCA’s Annual “Stomp Out Bullying” Campaign
Every October, ORCA’s teachers, counselors and administrators work to raise student awareness around bullying issues with age-appropriate activities. Our campaign resources come from the national nonprofit STOMP Out Bullying, a pioneer on the issue and recognized as the most influential anti-bullying organization in America.
As part of this annual campaign, our elementary students will participate in a “Stomp Out Bullying” presentation and share coloring pages on kindness. ORCA middle school students will complete a “Stomp Out Bullying” lesson plan and attend an all-middle school LiveClass led by their peers in student government. Our high schoolers will see student-written articles in our newspaper, The Current, and attend a bullying awareness assembly. ORCA counselors will also give bullying presentations during live classes for our ninth and tenth graders.
We’ll also undertake several schoolwide awareness efforts, including encouraging our teachers and students to #BlueUp by wearing blue during live classes and field trips (the recognized color for bullying awareness) and publishing bullying awareness images and resources on class and counselor Canvas pages.
How ORCA Prevents Bullying
As an online school, our anti-bullying efforts look slightly different because our students aren’t gathering at lunch or in the hallways. But the risk for harmful behaviors like cyberbullying still exists. Many of our students come to ORCA with traumatic bullying experiences in their past, so we understand how difficult it can be to thrive and learn in an environment where you don’t feel safe.
Our teachers actively monitor live chat and comments during live classes to prevent bullying. We also have built-in technology that monitors potential bullying and alerts teachers with concerns. An anonymous reporting system for unsafe situations is one of our most effective tools. Anyone can report a problem via text, phone call or email, and they’ll receive an immediate response from an ORCA staff member.
We also understand that there will be negative behaviors that occur outside of our view, which is why our bullying prevention and awareness activities focus on providing students with resources to act independently, including:
Being aware by recognizing bullying when they see it.
Seeking out help and support by telling an adult about the bullying.
Not being a bystander. Instead, stand up for others when bullying happens.
We believe these actions make ORCA a safer place for our students to learn and grow.
Providing Tools for Our Students
Bullying is a critical problem in our education system, which is why taking action to educate our students during National Bullying Prevention month is so important. We also want to use the topic of bullying as an opportunity to provide students with tools and resources to help them face challenging social situations, which is part of our larger mission of helping students become successful adults.
Rather than simply dismissing bullying as a fact of life, we’re facing it head-on to achieve better outcomes for all our kids and make ORCA a safe and welcoming place for anyone who chooses to be here.
If you’d like to learn more about how ORCA keeps its students safe or the benefits of attending a virtual school, plan on joining us for one of our monthly virtual info sessions. You’ll have the opportunity to preview our platform and curriculum, plus hear from ORCA staff. We hope to see you there.