Name-calling
Hurtful teasing, name-calling and bullying affect the victims, the perpetrators and the bystanders – in other words it affects the child who is slammed into a locker, the child who slams the other into a locker and all the children who watch the child being slammed into a locker.
Children who are victimized and the students who exhibit bullying behavior have lower academic achievement. (Dake, Joseph A. and James H. Price, Susan K. Telljohann, “The Nature and Extent of Bullying at School.” Journal of School Health, May 2003 Vol. 73, No. 5, pgs. 173 – 180. p.178.) Meanwhile, bystanders lose self-esteem and empathy when they observe someone getting hurt and feel that they can do nothing to stop it. (Hazler, Richard J. “Bystanders: An Overlooked Factor in Peer on Peer Abuse.” The Journal for the Professional Counselor, Fall 1996, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 11-21.) Additionally, they live under the fear that they may become the next victims of teasing and/or bullying. A school environment that does not take a proactive approach to end bullying will negatively effect every student in the school.
Schools have a responsibility to ensure that all students experience a safe learning environment. Under No Child Left Behind, all students are guaranteed the right to a safe learning environment. (The Facts About...School Safety) Growing awareness of the bullying epidemic and the responsibility to address it has prompted an increasing number of schools and school districts to adopt anti-bullying programs. A majority of these programs focus on issues such as emotional and social learning and character development. Welcoming Schools also includes in it elements of social/emotional learning and character development. What sets Welcoming Schools apart, however, and what makes this guide an important complement to other anti-bullying programs, is that Welcoming Schools includes very specific and explicit attention to family diversity, including LGBT families, and it addresses anti-gay bias within discussions of bullying. If your school has already adopted or is planning to adopt an anti-bullying program, you can work to integrate material from Welcoming Schools to enhance the impact on your school.
