School Prevention and Peer Abuse
By Elizabeth Bennett

As I have been working on trying to stop this problem for quite some time, I have people asking what can be done in terms of the schools. Some have devised programs, which help. However, what we need to realize is that close to 98% of these incidences go unreported and that is not good. Or, some schools may not have a policy or make this a priority. Well, it is time to get on the same page here per say. Every school should have something to help those who ARE being bullied. This is not child's play but it is abuse with serious ramifications that follow these victims or targets into adulthood. So, here are a few suggestions I have that may help.

TEACHERS: Keep a file of every incident that is brought to your attention concerning this. It takes five minutes to document something. Talk to your class about how this does affect others in the long run and that there is a difference in ratting someone out and reporting what should be a crime.
Children as young as six years old are old enough to grasp right from wrong. After all, we do have tattle tales do we not?

ADMINISTRATION: Have a "suggestion box" where students can anonymously report any incident they see. Talk to the kids and follow up on a policy. Schools are losing money everyday and a lot of it is resulting in this abuse that is occurring.

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RESOURCE OFFICERS: Have an offender do community service on school property for so many weeks during recess or other free time they may have. If that does not work and they re offend, handcuff them and allow them to spend a day with prisoners in a real adult institution. Arbitrators are doing this all the time and it is actually working. If they re offend once more, have a boot camp set up. These are some suggestions that may help.

GUIDANCE COUNSELORS: Help develop programs and twice a year, make sure that students, parents and all educators are aware of the seriousness of this. PTA meetings are a great place to begin educating. Also, this can be done without spending any extra money.

We need to start taking this seriously and making others aware that is NOT child's play but it is abuse that can result in long-term trauma as in any other form of abuse. It has been documented and researched and the numbers do not lie. It can begin with you! PLEASE help to get this problem
under control before it becomes to late