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The Role of Teachers and School Administrators
As relational to school violence and bullying the teachers and administrators have an obligation to deal with all causes and effects. It is the responsibility of our educational institutions to provide a safe and conducive environment suitable to learning for all students. As a teacher or administrator, you would not allow someone to walk in off of the streets and take over the classroom instruction. It would not be effective and would be a complete breach of your duties and responsibility. Therefore a bully or aggressive student should not be able to disrupt or influence the ability for any other student’s ability to learn. If one or more other students are victimizing a student, you have an obligation to protect that student and find pro-active solutions, not reactionary punishment. At any point in which you turn your head or refuse to take action, you are not only teaching the bully or aggressor that their actions are acceptable but you are also teaching the victim that they are not worth as much as anyone else. You are just as guilty as the bully in taking away that child’s ability to learn and feel confident in themselves. Further, you are inviting the bully to continue to escalate their actions from bullying to violence. Further, you are empowering the bully to victimize others in the same manner. You must take quick and consistent action. If a child is repeatedly victimized and you fail to act, you should be held accountable and further charged with criminal negligence in addition to being liable for that child or children. If you left a child alone in a car in 105 degree temperature, you would be charged as a result because you know the harm that could result. In knowing the potential for harm and failing to protect that child by taking them out of the car you would be committing a criminal
offence. Why should you be any better off for failing to protect a child from the harm of a bully when you know what harm can come of the bullies actions. The safety of the children must come first and anything less should not be accepted. Further, parents should be contacted in any event that takes place and given full disclosure. A school that fails to do so out of fear of the public perception should be also held accountable for any future harm to any child by the bully or aggressor. This must be dealt with and schools need to put child safety before financial and liability concerns.
Further, we understand the effects and reality of teachers and school staff being the bullies and aggressors in addition to being the victims. This is covered further on in this book. Everyone should read these sections, not just the educators and administrators.
Schools should have student led initiative to prevent violence and bullying. Create programs that
instill a sense of pride and ownership in the school. Ensure that there are many extra-curricular activities for all students and interests. Youth who are busy and involved are less likely to get into trouble. When they have goals and direction, they are more likely to have focus and values.
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