What is bullying?
SCENARIO: A student in your class approaches your student teacher to say that she is being bullied: she has discovered a Facebook page about her with all sorts of accusations about her reputation with boys. She wants help from the student teacher. The student teacher approaches you to ask what she should do.
You’ve let the student know that you and your student teacher consider the situation to be serious. This demonstrates your compassion for the student’s predicament.
In fact, according to the new definition of bullying in Ontario, cyberbullying is recognized as a form of bullying. Furthermore, schools do in fact have a legal mandate and responsibility to interrupt this form of peer assault.
You have communicated a message of powerlessness to the student and to the student teacher. Since the school staff will not be involved in the process, the situation will not be effectively resolved. The bullying will continue, no support is provided to the targeted student, and the students who are responsible for the bullying will not change their behaviour.
2You tell the student teacher that according to the new definition of bullying, cyberbullying is the responsibility of the school and there are steps to be taken in order to deal with the situation.
You’ve given accurate information to the student teacher and you will be following the school’s protocol. You’ve been an excellent role model for your student teacher, and students will be more aware of the whole school’s commitment to ensure a healthy learning environment.
Your response will ensure that the problem is identified and exposed. Ideally, this will lead to the implementation of the protocols and procedures that are necessary in order to resolve the problem. It is likely that the rate of bullying in the school will decrease.
The student receives appropriate support and you have demonstrated to her that she can seek and will receive help from the adult resource people in her surroundings.
3You let the student teacher know that this is definitely a bullying situation and you reinforce how difficult it must be for the student. You affirm that it is important to let the parents know as soon as possible so that they can deal with it.
You’ve let the student know that you and your student teacher consider the situation to be serious. This demonstrates your compassion for the student’s predicament.
You’ve provided the student teacher with accurate information about the definition of bullying, and you’ll be involving the student’s parents in seeking strategies to resolve the problem.
You’ve confirmed that the situation is indeed bullying, providing the student teacher with accurate information; however, your action plan does not include all parties that are involved.
✓Explanation of the recommended response.
Recommended response and explanation: The second answer is the recommended response. While all three responses acknowledge that the problem is serious and that the student is in distress, only the second answer engages the whole school in working toward a resolution of the problem (assuming that the school’s protocols will in fact involve all parties, including parents and all students involved). The important point underscored by this scenario is that cyberbullying is the responsibility of the school when a student is targeted, even though the bullying does not take place on school premises.
Note: For more helpful information about ways of responding to such a situation (for example: effective protocols, procedures, and strategies for intervention and prevention), see Modules 6, 7, 8 and 9.