Anti-Bullying: Strategies and Resources for Educators

Educators help create the kind of positive environments that allow students to feel safe and supported, and encourage them to learn. To support their efforts, the Department presents resources below for preventing and responding to bullying, thus avoiding its negative and often long-term consequences for students. We also encourage all educators to understand their related district policies and procedures.

What does state law require?

All Ohio public school districts must have policies prohibiting harassment, intimidation and bullying. School staff members should know about their district’s policy and how it defines their role in addressing prohibited behaviors. Find more about district policy requirements and resources here. 

What is an educator's role?

Teachers and other school staff who witness acts of harassment, intimidation or bullying shall promptly notify the building principal and/or the principal’s designee of the event observed, and shall promptly file a written incident report concerning the events witnessed.

Strategies for school personnel

  • Modeling behavior that is inclusive and promotes respect for all students;
  • Providing students with opportunities to talk about bullying and enlist their support in defining bullying as an unacceptable behavior;
  • Helping students know what to do if they observe or are confronted by a bully;
  • Posting and publicizing rules against bullying, including fair and consistent consequences;
  • Establishing and explaining written student behavior codes to students, parents and the community and having students and parents sign behavior contracts consistent with these codes;
  • Constantly monitoring cafeterias, playgrounds and other “hot spots” where bullying is likely to occur and where direct adult supervision may not be present;
  • Taking immediate action when bullying is observed so that both the target and the bully know that mistreating someone is not tolerated;
  • Creating cooperative learning activities that encourage interaction among students from different groups and ensure equal treatment of all participants;
  • Implementing a buddy system that pairs students with friends, student mentors and other supportive students, particularly if they are new to school; and
  • Forming friendship groups that support children who are regularly bullied by peers.

Resources

  • SchoolSafety.gov provides schools and districts with actionable recommendations to create safe and supportive learning environments for students and educators.
  • Educate about Bullying – Stopbullying.gov presents evidence-based programs and other ways educators can incorporate bullying prevention in lessons and school activities.
  • Creating a Safe and Respectful Environment in Our Nation’s Classrooms – The National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments created these two modules to help teachers cultivate meaningful relationships with students while creating positive classroom environments. 
  • New Bullying and Suicide Resource for School Personnel – This Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resource describes research findings about the relationship between bullying and suicide among school-aged youth. It also presents evidence-based preventive action steps.
  • STOMP Out Bullying offers suggestions on how teachers can end bullying as well as an online Educator Participation Toolkit of activities to help in preventing and addressing bullying.
  • Ohio Mental Health Network for School Success (OMHNSS) – This network builds connections between schools and community agencies to address the mental health and school success of children and adolescents. By enhancing students' healthy psychological development, the goal is to reduce mental health barriers to learning.
  • Learning for Justice – This site has free resources for addressing issues of diversity and bullying.
  • Anti-Bullying and Disabilities – Bullying impacts 60 percent of individuals with disabilities. OCALI (Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence) presents resources to increase awareness, provide education and  promote action. You will find webcasts for educators and families, websites, anti-bullying program information, and books by grade level.

Related

Ohio Positive Behavior and Intervention Supports
Ohio School Safety Center
 

Last Modified: 9/6/2023 7:42:00 AM