Back
 

Understanding and Preventing Bullying

Understanding and Preventing Bullying  

Bullying has existed for as long as people have been congregating. However, bullying tends to receive the most attention in school settings, particularly in Kindergarten through 12th grade. No matter the student’s age or grade level, bullying continues to plague the grounds and halls of our students’ schools and classrooms. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “bullying is a common phenomenon in US schools.” The CDC further notes that “one in five school students reported experiencing bullying on school grounds, with victimization rates higher for female students (22 percent) than male students (16 percent).”

What exactly is bullying, and how does it occur? Within the United States, scholars have begun expanding the traditional definition of bullying. It is no longer solely a larger, more physically dominating child picking on the weaker child. The definition is now a more broad, all-encompassing definition that includes physical bullying, verbal bullying, social and emotional bullying, and cyberbullying.

Modern-day bullying now means that anyone can be a potential aggressor or victim. Times have changed as the world becomes smaller through the Internet and media. Despite the definition of bullying becoming broader, bullying victims have many common qualities that make them more susceptible to being targeted. For example, some bullying victims tend to come from adverse home and family environments or have a history of being socially isolated. They may also self-classify as being unable to defend themselves or weak in some fashion. While this may seem like an easy way to identify potential bully victims, but don’t be fooled. The popular and self-assertive students can also fall victim to bullies.

 

Why Is It Important to Learn about Bullying?

When a child experiences bullying, it can affect their ability to feel comfortable attending school or focus on their lessons. While the teacher may not realize that a student’s apathy or anxiety in class is related to bullying, the teacher may mistakenly label the student as not paying attention or having a behavior issue. Furthermore, left untreated and handled properly, the bullied student can gradually spiral into more severe consequences such as lowered grades, lowered self-esteem, and in some cases, self-harm coping mechanisms.

To compare the other side of the bullying issue, it is also essential to look at why a bully acts out towards other students. To the average person looking at a bully’s behavior, they may label this student a trouble-maker instead of working to discover what traumas this student may be enduring. Perhaps this bully is dealing with an adverse childhood experience, and this person does not know how to process their feelings. The bully and victim labels are not a one-size-fits-all designation. It takes a trained eye, toolkit of resources, and knowledge to get down to the root of the issue to help these children. 

  

Benefits of the Course Bullying

Professional Development Courses at the University of La Verne created the course Bullying to address these very issues. This course uses current research to help teachers understand bullying and develop clear rules and policies against bullying behavior. This course also provides support and protection for bullying victims, methods for working with parents of bullies and victims, a clear understanding of potential legal issues, and resources for developing intervention and anti-bullying programs that don’t solely focus on zero tolerance. Course content is practical and readily applicable, and educators may complete it at their own pace.

Additional topics include: 

• Students will learn the characteristics of different kinds of bullies.
• Students will learn the characteristics of different types of victims.
• Students will gain a better understanding of environmental and genetic influences that influence bullying and victimization.
• Students will learn strategies for the elimination and prevention of bullying across all grade levels.
• Students will become familiar with recent research relating to bullying.
• Students will further their knowledge about bullying as a social relationship problem.
• Students will be able to understand how to develop and implement an effective anti-bullying policy.

 

Bullying Course Contents

Successful completion of the course Bullying will lead to long-lasting benefits for yourself and your students. It also includes a wealth of modern techniques that will empower teachers and school professionals with skills to help prevent bullying, increase safety, and help students restore balance in their social and academic lives. Course content is offered in an easy-to-understand format using real-world examples and solutions.

Course content covers:

• School Bullying
• Social problems: psychological, peer, school, and familial factors
• Ecological-systems perspective of bullying in schools
• Face-to-face peer bullying
• Cyberbullying
• LGBTQ bullying
• Under-the-radar bullying: religious bullying
• Preventing school bullying
• Bullying behaviors across an elementary, middle, and high school
• Understanding bullying as a social relationship problem
• Developing and implementing an effective anti-bullying policy
• Legal issues for school personnel
• Using your newly learned resources to combat bullying
• Data-based decision making
• Enhance home-school and community-school relationships
• Practice strategies to reduce bullying
• Impact of technology
• Evaluation resources

This three-credit course, Bullying, can be applied towards the 15-semester credit School Culture and Violence Certificate offered by Professional Development Courses at the University of La Verne. Other popular course options for this timely certificate include:

• Curbing School Violence
• Drugs: Licit and Illicit
• Female Gangs
• Cyberbullying
• Child Behavior Disorders
• Suicide, Self-Injury and School Violence Prevention
• And much more!

Note, the University of La Verne is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Since requirements may vary, students are encouraged to check with their district or state department of education before enrolling in a course.

 

How to Register

Bullying, offered by Professional Development Courses at the University of La Verne, is completed online or via an emailed PDF format. All books and materials are mailed to the student regardless of the format selected. This course is open for registration at any time during each semester. All students have access to Live Chat support, and they can expect a quick turnaround to receive their grades. Upon completion, students receive graduate, non-degree semester credit on an official transcript from the University of La Verne.

Registration is simple and can be completed online or over the phone. Students may enroll in courses on a rolling basis during three semesters, and students can begin as soon as they are ready! Students may elect to enroll in up to a maximum of 15-semester credits at any time during each semester.

The registration dates are: 

Fall Semester: September 1 – January 31

Spring Semester: February 1 – May 31

Summer Semester: June 1 – August 31

 

Relying on experts’ research, the course Bullying carves a path for educators and school professionals to handle issues related to bullying effectively. Find out how you can create a safe and thriving learning environment for all your students!