Measures – what can you do?
It must establish itself as natural that Mobbing is prevented in each form. The situation must be correctly assessed by parents and teachers so that there are no unnecessary accusations on the one hand and terrorizing individual children or groups on the other. If a child comes to his or her parents, teachers or another person of trust with appropriate concern, it is absolutely essential that the problem be dealt with seriously.
Often, by the time they ask for help, children have been victims for a long time and have tried to sit out the bullying. Many children do not dare to ask for help at all because they are afraid that the “snitching” will be accompanied by a worsening of the situation. Here it is up to the parents or teachers to recognize the signs and actively approach the child concerned.
It is important to note what exactly happened at what place, at what time and why. With such notes it is easier to confront the perpetrators or the parents of those with their misconduct afterwards. Not all parents will respond to accusations that their children behaved badly at school.
In the worst case, however, a lawyer can be called in and the problem can be addressed through legal means. Every teacher also has an educational function to a certain extent, which he or she should also exercise when it comes to bullying.If a mobbing victim visits the teacher or if the teacher gets to know directly that mobbing is going on in his or her class or school, there are various options for how to proceed further. First of all, there should be a meeting between the perpetrator and the victim, where the victim can speak freely, protected by the teacher.
The reaction of the perpetrators to what is said can influence the further procedure. Especially followers often refrain from such actions when they are directly confronted with the suffering of the bullying victim. A follower would not start bullying another child on his or her own initiative, but does so in order to save face in the group and not to become a victim himself or herself.
Especially with small children, like in elementary school, the behavior can be positively influenced by stories and games. The teacher first describes how a bullying victim feels and describes the feelings to the whole class as close to the situation as possible. Next, there is the possibility of incorporating a role play in which a child takes on the role of victim and is exposed to bullying within the appropriate framework.
The role must not be played by an actual or former victim of bullying, as this would only cause additional emotional stress for the child. It is preferable for the perpetrator to take on the role of victim and thus see how terrible the opposite position in that power structure is. In this way, the sense of right and wrong should be strengthened and the children should be encouraged to refrain from further bullying attacks in the future and to reintegrate the affected child into the community.
This approach must be supported by the entire teaching staff, since not only one teacher is responsible for a class. The involvement of colleagues ensures that the situation is monitored throughout the school. The parents must also be informed about the measures. Their task could be to encourage their child, for example.
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