Bullying Prevention – Five Secrets to Stopping a Bully

The influence that bullying is having on our young people is impacting their education, self esteem, safety and in many cases, has even become an issue of life or death as has been illustrated in the internationally broadcasted cases of bullying related suicides. It has become imperative that we as a society stand up for those being victimized and address this issue head on in order to intentionally make a difference in the lives of all who are affected by this tragic injustice.

There are proven, effective steps that can be used to prevent a bullying culture as well as to pre-empt the very factors that produce a bullying nature in the lives of young people. We cannot control everything, but these are things we can do to make an important difference in people’s lives right now.

1. Encouragement: Young people need to be affirmed daily by those that matter most in their lives. Take the time to catch your students doing something right! Recognize and affirm their potential not just their present state.

2. Empowerment: Young people need vision for the future. Once you can recognize their potential, point them toward resources that can grow that potential. Help them to develop a practical plan to achieve that potential.

3. Rules: Students need rules. They need measurable boundaries that can be used to provide a sense of winning and losing, succeeding and failing. Rules are an opportunity toward developing personal responsibility.

4. Recognize that their greatest need is you: As a parent, mentor, or consistent leader in their lives, you are the ones they are developing self-esteem, vision, passion, direction and value from. Lean into this opportunity and empower it.

5. Get Students Involved: Human nature longs for and needs community to be and remain healthy and properly functioning. Groups, teams, clubs and the like provide young people places of meaning and belonging that are invaluable to their development.

As an educator, parent, leader and mentor I have not only a responsibility but an opportunity to change the lives of thousands of young people over the span of my career. I am willing to assume more than my job; I am committed to mature students into great men and women.

The greatest way to stop a bully is the pre-emptive strike of proper mentoring that ultimately results in not allowing our young people to eventually become bullies. If we, as adults and leaders, can proactively assume the share of responsibility to both mentor and parent well the generation before us, then we cut off the dysfunctions at work in young people that create a bullying nature.