One of the most influential steps that a school can take against bullying is to research and develop a firm understanding of the specific types of bullying the students at the school are facing. Administrators should conduct monthly surveys that ask students about their experiences with bullying, such as whether they have been bullied in the past month, whether they have witnessed bullying and issues that they think the school administrators should know about. Administrators should also survey the school's teachers to find out what they know about bullying.
One of the most productive and proactive steps that a school administration can take when preventing bullying is to train its teachers, administrators and parents about bullying. Hold seminars in your school district to teach parents about ways to communicate with their child if their child is being bullied at school. Conduct workshops with professional speakers or psychology experts about recognizing the signs of bullying in the classroom for teachers and administrators in your school district. Create newsletters for parents that detail strategies your school is taking to combat bullying or discuss new research on bullying in schools.
Schools can take action by reaching out to the students, parents and community members about bullying. Create student organizations that work against bullying in the school environment. Hold community fundraisers to raise money for bringing anti-bullying programs to your school. Bring in a motivational speaker to discuss the importance of standing up for one another or the harmful effects of cyber-bullying to the student body at a school rally. Find ways to help your teachers communicate with their students about the seriousness of bullying.
School administrators, teachers and school board members should work together to create a disciplinary plan to use when situations of bullying arise. Have teachers work together in groups to discuss the strategies that they use for dealing with bullying in their individual classrooms. Developing a plan for when bullying arises is important in helping students realize that they will face consequences if they choose to bully their peers. Having a disciplinary system in place can help prevent bullying before it even begins.