Have you considered how you could help prevent bullying in schools on Valentine’s Day? Valentine’s Day bullying is a little different than the bullying that occurs on the other days of the year. On this particular day it is almost impossible for students to escape from some form or other of bullying. Whether it is feeling left out, getting teased or being made fun of, all of these are forms of bullying that can lead to depression. More students may experience bullying on Valentines Day, but there are also more ways that we can help prevent bullying in schools on this particular holiday.
The source of bullying in schools on Valentine’s Day
For students who do not have a significant other or groups of friends to exchange valentines with, the day can be down right excruciating. Schools do not make Valentine’s Day easier for students; in fact some schools support fundraisers that allow students to buy flowers or sweets for their classmates. The valentines are then presented to the students during class, which makes it obvious to see who did not receive a valentine. This leaves students who did not receive chocolates or flowers prime targets for bullying.
How can parents and teachers help prevent bullying in schools on Valentine’s Day?
In primary grades it is usually a requirement to send everyone in the class a Valentine. This helps remove the feelings of being left out, and reduces bullying on Valentine’s Day. Students in secondary schools often move around to different classes during the day so it is not possible to give everyone a Valentine. This can lead to students feeling left out or made fun of for not receiving anything for Valentine’s Day at school. So what can parents and teachers do to help prevent bullying in schools on Valentine’s Day?
1. Try to ensure that everyone receives something on Valentine’s Day
If parents are aware of students feeling left out or bullied on Valentine’s Day they can bake treats to pass out in every class their child is in. Teachers can also participate in providing Valentine’s Day treats to all of the students in all of their classes. If some parents and teachers help spread the word to other parents and teachers then hopefully every student will have an opportunity to receive at least one Valentine’s day treat so that they do not feel completely left out.
2. Remove school fundraisers that promote Valentine’s Day gift giving
If schools got rid of the fundraisers that single out certain students, this would help prevent bullying in schools on Valentine’s Day. As an alternative to selling gifts that will be delivered to the students during class students could still buy treats and give them to one another more privately. This at least would get rid of the open displays in classrooms that point out which students have significant others or a lot of friends.
3. Provide support for students who experience bullying
As much as we would like to eliminate bullying from schools the fact remains that there will probably still be bullying on Valentine’s Day. The best way to keep bullying to a minimum is to educate students about the effects of bullying. By educating students about bullying they can be aware and stand against bullying when they witness it or the aftermath. If a student notices someone who is being bullied or looks like they are feeling left out they should be encouraged to stand up for them, talk with them and let an adult know about the situation. Even after someone has been bullied they can be kept from spiraling into depression if they are provided with support in and out of school. All the parties involved (including the bully) should receive the proper support in order to cut down on bullying. For additional tips on how to prevent bullying in schools visit this the stopbullying.gov website.
