Bullying, the Law, and Safe Schools

Few issues have generated more interest from educators in the last decade than bullying. And with good cause: various sources report that approximately 160,000 students avoid school every day for fear of being physically or emotionally abused by their peers. Prevention strategies are difficult to develop without first understanding why bullies act as they do. Research suggests that bullies may be influenced by such factors as the personal characteristics and physical appearances of their victims, including their race, clothing, size, gender, sexual orientations (actual or perceived), general “look,” and family socioeconomic status. Some bullies, who typically lack social skills and have often been abused, need to act out by dominating others (Craig and Pepler 2007). To the extent that school board policies can address these underlying causes and develop programs to address these conditions, they are likely to help reduce bullying in and around schools