While I soak in as much Summer as I can before the 2016-17 school year begins, I am thinking about my own mantras484852_673637649349382_102559259_n of School Counseling—the most important things I can offer my students to make them each feel heard, understood, safe, and valued.  What follows are my Bullying Prevention mantras (along with their slightly longer explanations.)

In One Word:  EMPATHIZE

Bullying is a purposeful act of cruelty.  Kids who bully show a lack empathy for the feelings and experiences of their targets.  Parents and professionals play a key role in cultivating empathy in all kids, especially those who are most likely to get caught up in moments of social whack-a-mole, knocking others down just to pull themselves up the school social ladder.

In Two Words:  WORDS MATTER

Okay, I already previewed this one, didn’t I?  At my elementary school, many of the students call me Queen Signe.  Some of them do it because they like to be silly and others do it just for fun but most of the kiddos I work with use this term because our comprehensive, Every Action/Every Day Bullying Prevention strategy means that we are always talking about the fact that words matter.  The way we speak to each other, including the names we use and the words we choose, all have a huge impact on how we feel about ourselves and how we enjoy our time at school.

Important point: The same applies to how we communicate through technology. Teach kids that the words they text, tweet, send, and post should be used with the same amount of care as the words that they say to someone in person.

 

For the rest of my mantras, please check out my article on Psychology Today:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/passive-aggressive-diaries/201607/the-most-important-thing-about-bullying-prevention