From January 2002 NASW NEWS
Copyright ©2002, National Association of Social Workers, Inc.

Anti-Bullying Effort Mounted

School Social Workers Seen as Unique Resource

"This campaign developed out of concern about the impact of bullying on students — those who are bullied, those who bully and those who simply observe or witness the bullying," said La Voyce Reid, NASW Program, Policy and Practice senior staff associate. "School social workers, as the link between home, school and the community, are in a unique position to address this problem at various levels of intervention."

Reid said the goals of the campaign are to mobilize organizations and communities to eradicate bullying behaviors wherever they occur and to educate them about the harmful effects of bullying.

She added that she will soon write a series of school social work practice updates on the different components of bullying — the perpetrator, the victim, the bystander and modes of intervention.

The National Association of School Nurses, the American Association of University Women, the Parent-Teacher Association, the American Psychological Association and the U.S. Department of Education are among some of the other organizations that have joined the anti-bullying campaign.

"This is a perfect opportunity to share with members of the NASW School Social Work Section the resources of other organizations," Reid said.

She noted that at a recent meeting to discuss the campaign, she was particularly struck by the emphasis on "whole school reform," a focus on changing the environment, culture and climate where bullying occurs, rather than simply targeting the people involved in bullying — the bully, the victim and the bystanders.

According to NEA materials, research indicates that bullying can most effectively be discouraged by the active and interconnected efforts of teachers, administrators, school support personnel, parents and the community.

School personnel and mental health professionals can help to discourage bullying by coaching students on what to do when being bullied and how to describe the incidents to adults, and by incorporating social-skills instruction into classroom activities and school events.

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