Bullying is a common issue faced in schools that needs to be addressed on priority by students, parents, school nurses, and the entire school community. Physical violence, name calling, cyber-bullying and any aggressive behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate a peer are forms of behavior that come under bullying.
While schools are uniquely positioned to educate students and staff about the effects of bullying, the fact remains that bullying is prevalent even today in most schools in the US. It has been estimated that one of out four students in the US is a victim of bullying, and three quarters of the population are being regularly bullied both verbally and physically.
Of those students who reported being bullied, 13% were made fun of, called names, or insulted; 13% were the subject of rumors; 5% were pushed, shoved, tripped, or spit on; and 5% were excluded from activities on purpose – National Center for Educational Statistics.
How school nurses can help in the prevention of bullying
The school nurse’s role in preventing bullying includes the identification of students who bully, are bullied by others, or both. You can collaborate with school personnel, parents, healthcare providers and community members to create a safe school environment.
As a non-disciplinary, non-academic staff member, school nurses like you can engender trust and accountability in students. You can build a unique rapport with students, that allows them to confide in and build trust in you.
When students talk to you about themselves, it will allow you to intervene into and address actual or potential school violence. Since you are a part of the school-based interdisciplinary team, you will come across students with health issues, attendance problems, discipline, or behavior issues and more. Students regularly designate the school nurse’s office as one of the safest spots in the school. Knowing that there is someone like you to talk to, who also has the power to do something, can be reassuring for children.
Utilizing your expertise in assessments, you can identify behavior that could be perceived as malicious, such as angry outburst, running away, sleeping in class and so on as possible effects of violence. You will also come across physical symptoms that could be cased by violence, such as headaches, stomach aches and injuries. This knowledge will enable you to intervene when necessary and make appropriate referrals.
The school nurse can assist in several ways. You can:
1. Stay aware and have knowledge about bullying, aggressive behavior, victimization and the long-term consequences of bullying.
2. Be knowledgeable of why it is not okay to label students as “bullies” or “victims.
3. Put together a school team and act as a key member identifying bullied students or those who bully others.
4. Share information and observations on how to identify students at risk.
5. Screen students with recurring episodes of somatic complaints for bullying and stress.
6. Create a safe environment in the school, where students can openly talk about bullying or other incidents of violence.
7. Build strong relationships with other staff members so they can share concerns about bullying in schools.
School nurse’s role in bullying identification and intervention
While any student can be bullied at school, students with disabilities, academic difficulties, speech impairments are particularly at risk. Students may even be bullied based on their physical appearance such as glasses, hair color and weight.
Students who bully and get bullied can face serious and often, long-term consequences.
1. Increased absenteeism
2. Diminished educational achievements
3. Behavior issues
4. Low self-esteem
5. Sleep deprivation
9. Dropping out of school
10. Mental health issues
Bullied students are also at risk or physical symptoms like:
1. Stomach pain
2. Sleep disturbances
7. Decreased appetite
School nurses can identify cases of bullying based on these symptoms and intervene with bullying prevention approaches that include crisis management and school violence prevention using a multi-tiered prevention approach.
Crisis management interventions must include:
1. Training school staff to assist in bullying incident response
2. Assessing, planning and implementing programs for after crisis intervention both in initial and long-term phases of treatment and recovery
3. Coordinating the medical response disaster plan until emergency medical services arrive
4. Providing nursing care for affected students
5. Applying crisis intervention strategies that help de-escalate a crisis situation and help resolve the conflict.
School nurses can develop school-based bullying addressal programs that educate students and staff and advocate for student support.
1. Multi-tiered support system:
A framework which includes universal programs or activities for all youth within the community or school, selective interventions for groups at risk for being involved in bullying, and preventive interventions that specifically address students already involved in bullying.
2. Integrate bullying prevention efforts into school activities:
Bullying prevention efforts that are well-integrated into the school’s activities create effective communication and establish social-emotional learning practices. They work towards creating positive school environments that prevent bullying, suicide and other student concerns.
3. Social emotional learning:
Helping build self and social awareness, fostering relationship building and guiding effective problem solving. These practices help in understanding and appreciating differences in others and development of self-management skills.
4. Setting clear behavioral expectations:
An awareness and understanding of behavioral expectations in all environments is essential. Students tend to feel safer and more supported in classrooms that are managed effectively.
5. Establish reporting and response policies:
Policies should include topics such as how to address bullying-like incidents as well as training for school staff on bullying prevention and intervention. Educate family members on how to talk to their children about bullying and the importance of talking to the school nurse in case of such an incident.
6. Collect data on incidents on bullying:
Periodically surveying students to understand incidents of bullying they have experienced or witnessed can help in its prevention. School nurses can use a school nurse software like EduHealth that track help school nurses track students’ health and well-being for it.
7. Supervise high-risk areas:
Increase supervision in areas of the school that may be more prone to incidents of bullying.
The effects of violence in schools can only be prevented and addressed with the combined efforts of schools and communities. Therefore, as a school nurses, it’s important for you to recognize and include individual students, school staff, family members and community as a whole to work toward nonviolent conflict resolution in a school setting.
Tracking and documenting bullying incidents
Tracking bullying incidents and documenting them at your school is an important element in bullying prevention effort.
As mentioned earlier, EduHealth is an electronic health record school nurses like you can use to prevent bullying behavior in schools by documenting critical behavior incidents. You can use the school nurse software to survey students, teachers, as well as record and track bullying incidents. It will help you stay on top of bullying prevention and other problem behaviors in and around your school.