“Students with disabilities experience greater
victimization and engage in more bullying perpetration than their peers without
disabilities” (Rose et al., 2). As
teachers bullying can be a huge issue when trying to maintain an inclusive and
supportive classroom environment where students feel accepted and safe to learn
and explore. There are multiple types of
bullying which include but are not limited to; physical, verbal, indirect and
sexual, with some forms being more prevalent than others. “Often just being different in a noticeable
way can put a student at risk for victimization” (Rose et al., 100)
While putting a stop to bullying must be a whole school
approach in order to make a real difference, the following are some strategies
for teachers to help facilitate positive student behaviour and decrease
bullying, particularly when it is involving students with exceptionalities.
Positive Behaviour Supports (PBS)
- Collaboration and problem solving increases social competence and by helping students with exceptionalities understand how to work with others in a collaborative setting and use their strengths to the groups benefit and gain assistance from other students with different strengths. Teachers should provide positive reinforcement when they notice positive interactions occurring, whether it is an exceptional learner or not.
Student awareness initiatives
- Making sure to discuss anti-bullying initiatives that are going on and to encourage students to participate and get involved in the events. Some examples of awareness initiatives are; anti-bullying week in September, Pink Day etc. Also make students aware of bullying prevention programs in the school and other resources that they may find helpful such as http://www.stopabully.ca/ or the kids help line.
- In the case that it is a student driven initiative; teachers can act as supports for the students engaging in these initiatives and can encourage the positive behaviour being displayed by these students.
- Create opportunities to increase social competence and positive interactions
- “Chronic victims of bullying frequently have a low self-concept and lack self-confidence. Often these students maintain few close friendships” (Rose et al, 10). Students with exceptionalities, regardless of the type, tend to be less included by their peers in social and extracurricular activities as well and classroom activities, which are a form of indirect bullying and can have detrimental effects of the students’ self-worth and self-image.
- Creating opportunities for students to socialize and work this others, such as assigning groups for group work, having an older student volunteer during their spare to work with the student as a buddy are some options that can be used to increase social interactions and create a sense of inclusion for students with exceptionalities.
While putting a stop to bullying must have a whole school
approach in order to make a significant difference, as teachers we can help
bring our students a step in the right direction. Students with exceptionalities are often more
likely to be targeted for bullying. I
know I will be trying some of the strategies listed above in my future
classrooms to help prevent or eliminate situations where bullying is more
likely to occur, and help improve these students self-image and social
interactions.
References
Rose, Chad. A., Monda-Amaya, Lisa. E. (2011) Bullying and
Victimization Among Students With Disabilities: Effective Strategies for
Classroom Teachers. Intervention in School
and Clinic. 48 (2) 99-107
