How To Prevent Bullying On A School Trip
07 November 2016
It’s unfortunate, but it’s time to admit that bullying is an epidemic.
According to a Bullying in the UK Survey, 1.5 million young people experienced bullying in the past year alone, and one in five of those had to deal with it every
day. It’s a nasty cycle, as those who have been bullied are twice as likely to bully others.
As a teacher, you see bullying first hand and want to do everything you can to stop it from happening. And while you may be able to limit it in your classroom, because the children are in a different environment when they’re on a school trip, sometimes they think different rules can apply.
There are certain steps you can take, however, to minimise the risk of this happening, and for the safety and enjoyment of your class on this trip, it’s important that you make the extra effort to do so.
Have a pre-trip meeting
In this meeting, you should set expectations about the trip. Be sure to highlight that fact that the trip is just a part of the school curriculum, and how they conduct themselves should be no different to how they would otherwise do so at school.
Try and set out some clear rules that are easy to remember, and that the students can memorise and repeat back to you. You should also set clear consequences for breaking the rules, so when students are on the trip and happen to do so, they see that you are acting fair and just. This also gives them a safety net by letting them know the rules apply equally to all students.
Consider the dynamics of the group
You may already be aware of the relationships between students and how this may influence behaviours and bullying. Stop issues from coming up ahead of time by splitting up groups.
If you know there are certain students who are likely to be on phones or other electronics, make it known ahead of time that they won’t be able to use them.
When you have students who have been known to use social media for bullying in the past, keep a close eye on what they’re doing on the phone.
Encourage new friendships
This is effective because not only can it encourage leaders, but it can split up previous cliques that fostered a bullying dynamic and allows an opportunity for kids to feel empathy for one another.
Give new responsibilities to students
This works particularly well for two reasons. Firstly, it gives the students something interesting and fun to do so they are less likely to get bored and engage in bullying, and secondly it places potential bullies in a different role to play, which makes them want to act positively and not negatively.
You should also make sure that you give praise to those students who do a good job with the responsibilities that you give them.
Stopping bullying on a school trip can be difficult, but if you have a plan in place, it’s far more likely that you’ll be able to do so. Follow the above tips and enjoy your next school trip.
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