Prevention of Bullying and Hate Crimes

Prevention of Bullying and Hate Crimes

There are many ways to stop and prevent bullying from happening in schools. The first thing that everyone: students, teachers and parents, should do is pay attention to what is happening. There may be signs that point to a student being bullied. For example, unexplained injuries, lost or destroyed personal items, changes in eating habits and avoidance of school or social interactions. It sometimes may be hard to find these signs in every student that is being bullied but realizing when a person is able to, can make a big difference in the situation, how long it lasts and the outcome. Adults and students must also remember to never ignore situations, even if it seems like harmless teasing. A conversation should at least be had with the students to make sure it is not serious. Students also have different levels of coping and so what may be okay for one student might not be easy to handle for another. Even if it is a fellow student, if they see something wrong they should try to do something about it. Informing a teacher or the teacher dealing with the situation can help out the person being bullied, even if it’s only a little bit. All schools should help students fully understand bullying and how it affects others. Students can also be taught how to stand up to bullies so that everyone tries to prevent and stop bullying. Children and parents are also able to join organizations like Anti-Bullying Alliance and BeatBullying. Being apart of these types of organizations can allow people to support anti-bullying everywhere and not just in a student’s own school. This can boost the popularity of the organization and persuade more people to join and help out.

Hate crimes can cause pain and injustice in communities that negatively affect our society, also causing fear and tension that affect everyone (Preventing). Schools, families, law enforcement and communities are able to work together to prevent the development of prejudiced attitudes and violent behavior that lead to hate crimes, in children and teens. Prejudice and violence can be reduced by teaching teens appreciation and respect for people with differences and by teaching empathy, conflict resolution, and critical thinking skills (Preventing). By teaching young people that hate or dislike toward people who are different is wrong, the world will be a better place as people will be able to prevent extreme acts of hate in the future. Some schools have already taken action by creating comprehensive anti-hate policies and programs that involve the entire school community (Preventing). To prevent hate crimes, even more school districts should agree to represent anti-hate ideas and encourage students to accept people’s differences and embrace them (Preventing). People can also learn about people with different races, religions, and/or ethnicities as a way to better understand them and possibly realize that just because a person is different, does not mean that they deserve the hate directed towards them.

Getting Help: For Those Being Bullied

Teens are constantly experiencing bullying everywhere and it situations when you usually can not solve them yourself, teens are able to get help. If there has been a crime or someone is at risk of harm, they should call 911 (Stop Bullying). IF someone feels hopeless of is thinking of suicide then they should contant the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255). This number connects to centers that provide counseling and mental health referrals. If there is someone who is acting differently or it is for personal reasons, it is easy to find a local counselor or other mental health services (Stop Bullying). A lot of schools also have in-building counselors that students are able to talk to during school hours, which may be free. If a student realizes another student is being bullied, they should contact the teacher, school counselor, school principal, school superintendent, and or state department of education. The person who is being bullied should also be encouraged to talk to someone about what is happening and should at least tell their parents (Stop Bullying). If bullying is a serious problem in someone school and the school does not adequately address the harassment based on differences then anyone can contact the school superintendent, state department of education, US Department of Education and the US Department of Justice (Stop Bullying).

If you are a victim of a victim of hate crimes or know someone who is a victim of hate crimes then there are some things you can do to get help. You should trust yourself and if you believe you are in danger then you can decide and should call 911 for immediate assistance.In which you can ask for an emergency protective order against the person (Hate). It is also helpful to record what is happening to the victim such as important details and hate language or dialogue for a case against