Guidance Counseling to Students that Are Victims of Bullying - Research Paper Example

GUIDANCE COUNSELING TO WHO ARE VICTIMS OF BULLYING Bullying in general defies all ages and genders and is commonly observed in schools worldwide. Statistics concerning bullying in schools are in fact, shattering. According to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center (NYVPRC, 2009), approximately over 5.7 million children in the United States are estimated to be involved in bullying. One of the probable reasons for the existence of widespread bullying in schools, despite the presence of active teacher support and / or guidance counselors: who are willing to offer any kind of assistance to those in need of support and care, is that the bullies often avoid such a behavior in the presence of the teachers. Moreover, in certain cases, children often complain of negligence on the part of the teachers to respond to their complaints. Hence efforts to disrupt this practice would be futile, unless proper and effective prevention strategies are implemented and strictly observed. Bullying is an intrinsic element of a school’s social environment. The form of bullying hence changes (and varies) with age, and gender. For instance, boys may be inclined towards physical intimidation and name calling while girls on the other hand resort to relational bullying, or verbal bullying and spreading gossips. The basic challenge, in dealing with bullying in schools lies in realizing its existence, and significance as well as its all pervasive nature. Discriminatory behavior of students, in school premises, entails clashes among the pupils; which the teachers might be ignorant of or uninformed about its brutality and / or frequency. Victims of bullying are more often than not, signify a high level of vulnerability as compared to their counterparts. They are either physically weak or viewed as an outcast owing to their sexual orientation or mannerisms which make them the easy target. The appropriate and timely intervention of teachers / counselors is hence essential, to prevent such type of behavior and to safeguard the probable victims of bullying in schools. In order to prevent bullying in schools the teachers must make an effort to observe signs of such a behavior among their students in classrooms, hallways, or cafeterias; and once confirmed must proceed to take strict disciplinary action against the perpetrators of such crime. Guidance Counseling Programs The manner in which the menace of bullying is handled in schools depends on the type of programs adopted by them, with respect to its prevention. In some schools the guidance counseling offered might be a systematic approach while in others it is merely a part of its academic agenda. According to reports, bullying in schools largely occurs on playgrounds and hence intervention strategies must take into consideration such vital clues, and signs regarding the probable target areas of bullying, likely victims etc and accordingly frame strategies for prevention and support. An appropriate and effective intervention program, hence must include establishment of a bullying prevention program which involves key committee members, who are responsible for drafting as well as ensuring the implementation and strict adherence to the rules and violence prevention regulations by all those involved; setting up of an administrative body which is entrusted with the task of keeping a keen eye on any kind of intimidating activity by students on the school premises offering systematic and comprehensive training to the members of the administrative body; application of both positive as well as negative consequences for the students who are victim of or found to be guilty of such an activity; establishment of a school wide council which is actively involved in monitoring the activities of the students and hold timely discussions and sharing of views and experiences with a view to come up with meaningful and viable alternatives for tackling bullying behavior and providing assistance to the victims; involve the students as well as parents and encourage them to participate in programs aimed at preventing bullying in schools. Types of Bullying and Role of Guidance Counselors The guidance counselors in schools play the role of a key member in the schools administrative team, who are delegated the responsibility of providing appropriate guidance services to students as well as other service teams. Within the framework of a mutual, interdisciplinary team approach, school counselors hold a guidance responsibility in the growth and realization of an all inclusive assistance and counseling program (Anonymous, 2009). Bullying can be direct physical, direct verbal or relational in nature. Although, owing to the widespread use of the internet, cyber bullying is increasing catching pace, which is equally devastating for the victims and difficult to detect or curb. The guidance counselors must provide assistance to the victims and ensure their safety, as the victims are highly vulnerable and may display symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder or other similar emotional distress. Cyber Bullying - Case of David Knight: Internet has increasingly become an intrinsic part of our everyday lives. Being an easily accessible tool with widespread reach, it is now being used for bullying bullies to target their victims. David Knight was among one of the victims of cyber bullying. Students from his school posted threatening and derogatory messages on a website specially created in his name, which pushed David into isolation and made him quit school, out of peer pressure and humiliation (Leishman, J., 2002). In such cases, the victims often feel helpless and terrorized and become more and more withdrawn. Hence, psychological counseling can prove to be an effective tool in assisting such victims in dealing with their emotional stress. Educators and counselors must adopt innovative methods while approaching the problem of cyber bullying for instance, spreading awareness about such type of bullying and encouraging the students to discuss about the topic, such as the long term consequences of such an act, the impact on victims and interacting with the victims in order to learn their point of view. Such activities will help the students to become aware of their acts and the consequences and prevent them from indulging in it. Involving the cyber bullies in spreading awareness and listening to the victims’ stories would help in sensitizing them towards the various issues and the harmful impact of their acts thereby making them realize the extent and gravity of their irresponsible behavior. With respect to the victims, the schools should set up an anonymous online reporting system where the victims may lodge their complaints or share their grievances while maintaining their anonymity. It has been observed that the victims are often hesitant to approach others for help. An anonymous reporting system would encourage them to share their grief and thereby seek help. Verbal Abuse - Case of Carl Walker: Recently, an eleven year old boy – Carl Joseph Walker committed suicide after school bullies resorted to verbal abuse, (gay remarks) repeatedly teasing him about his sexuality. The child was found hanging by an extension cord in his own home (James, S. D., 2009). This incident further testifies the growing amount of research, which states that bullying within school corridors has intensified in the recent years and there is an urgent need to adopt proactive measures and implement strategies to counter such growing menace. Gay bashing has now entered school premises. Pupils today are increasingly aware of their sexuality and use it improperly to abuse and bully fellow students. School children have vulnerable impressionable minds and get affected by such remarks which leave a lasting impact on their psyche. The guidance counselors must offer assurance to the victims and listen sympathetically to their woes. Sharing of their grievances may help the victims in feeling self assured and confident about them. They must also offer practical support, such as assertiveness training, whenever necessary, so as to help the victims deal effectively with their tormentors. In certain acute cases, where the victim exhibits signs of serious emotional problems they must be afforded specialized support, i.e., medical assistance to prevent them from taking extreme steps such as suicide or harming themselves in other ways, as is observed in a large majority of cases. The counselors must maintain regular records regarding the action being taken to help the victims and ensure its follow up, from time to time. They must intimate their parents and involve them in making the child feel secure and loved. In conclusion, an effective school wide counseling system would work only if the counselors as well as the teachers exhibit an active interest in assisting the students and ensuring its strict adherence. Moreover, along with the victims, the counselors must also focus on the students who resort to bullying, as more often than not, it is the bullies who require counseling rather than the victims. The counselors must investigate into the causes that prompt bullies to indulge in such activities and offer them guidance and training regarding its consequences. It is often observed that bullies are themselves the victims of some serious emotional problems such as neglect or abuse at home, and in some other cases purely indulge in it for "fun". The problem can be better addressed if it is uprooted from the root. References: National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, retrieved: August 8, 2009, from: Role of Counselor, retrieved: August 8, 2009, from: Leishman, J., (2002). CBC News: Cyber Bullying, retrieved: August 8, 2009, from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/bullying/cyber_bullying.html, The Sun, James, S. D., (2009).The Huffington Post: Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover Commits Suicide Over Anti-Gay Taunts, retrieved: August 9, 2009 from: Read More