Being an Ally Against Bullying

Bullying is an issue that you have probably heard a lot about recently.  There is a big push to put an end to bullying in our schools as research has shown how devastating the affects of being bullied can be on young people. 

At Darlington this month, we are focusing on bullying in our advisory groups. Each grade level is having a special assembly in which we discuss bullying and what it looks like at Darlington. Bullying comes in many forms including physical, emotional, verbal, and cyber. One of the approaches that we are taking at Darlington to help stop bullying is to make students aware of the issue and to empower students that are not bullying to be able to step up and be an ally to those that are being bullied. In our assemblies, I am sharing with the students eight simple things they can do to be an ally for their peers in an effort to stop bullying. 

How to be an ally…

• Listen to the target of the bullying
• Support a target after the incident, not the student using bullying behavior
• Share your own experience of bullying with the target
• Walk with them to class
• Include them in any activity that you do so they feel connected
• Share your feelings about the incident with empathy
• Go to an adult with the target together
• Report the incident confidentially to an adult
• Check in with the student later

These are all simple things that our students can do to help each other and to look out for the best interest of their peers. As a parent, try to find opportunities to express to your child how much their acts of kindness might mean to someone else. They may never know how much their support means to someone else.