The greater the number of students who disapprove of bullying, the smaller the chance of bullying in the classroom. This does not arise naturally in every group; as a teacher, you can guide this process. By making agreements together, doing team-building activities with the group, getting to know one another well, and setting a good example yourself. There is less need for bullying in a positive group.

By focusing on the norms and values and on cooperation within the group at the beginning of the school year, you work in a sustainable way to tackle bullying. In this way, students learn that they too can do something about bullying. Even through small actions1, students can show that they disapprove of bullying behaviour. Acts of heroism do not have to be great. By cooperating within the group, you create a good atmosphere together. Everyone who contributes to this is a hero: teachers and students.

The solution to bullying lies with the group

It is well known that bullying is a group process. For a sustainable solution, it is important not only to view bullying as a group process, but also to address it in that way. In secondary education, this is a greater challenge than in primary education. Elsje de Vries, a PhD candidate at the University of Groningen, explains more about this in her blog ‘The solution to bullying lies with the group’.

Nevertheless, the approach to bullying is often sought in the relationship between the students directly involved: the victim and the perpetrator(s). Research2 shows that the other students in the group contribute to bullying continuing or even increasing. If bystanders do not intervene when bullying occurs, they implicitly consent to it. As a result, they play a greater role than you might initially think. If many students in the class take action against bullying, it becomes less relevant for the perpetrators to continue. They will then be more inclined to stop bullying.

Sources

1 In this TEDx talk, Kris van der Veen explains what even a small action can do to combat bullying.

2 In the article Bullying as a group process by Gijs Huitsing, Matty van der Meulen and René Veenstra, you can read more about the role of the group.


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