THE PROBLEM OF PEER BULLYING IN SCHOOLSSongül Kanar/Amasya Fatih Primary School

 Until recently, violence among students was considered by many researchers as a natural part of social development and change.Recent research examines childhood violent behavior as the basis of violence in schools and emphasizes that violence is not a natural part of growing up.In order to prevent bullying in schools, perhaps it is necessary to understand more accurately what bullying is first.Although bullying was defined as physical violence by a group of students against another student who did not fulfill their wishes, some different dimensions are now emphasized in defining bullying.Today, bullying is defined as a kind of repetitive aggression against a student / students, with no cause in it, in which there is an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim.Bullying is often confused with violence or aggression.Although bullying and violence are similar when they occur physically, bullying and violence are completely different from each other in terms of their distinctive characteristics such as the necessity of the imbalance of power between the victim and the bully and their repetition.

Here are a few important steps school administrators can take:

- Evaluate the scope of the problem

- Prepare a school-wide guideline

- Increase adult supervision

- Organize bullying prevention activities

What can teachers do to prevent bullying?

- Find out about your school's policies on bullying

- Show students respect and love

- Organize events about bullying

- Discuss with your colleagues what bullying is

- Act instantly

Bullying in schools is a big problem and we all have to do something about it. Even if you can't do anything, keep this in mind:

“Little things can make a big difference.Simple and sincere gestures such as greeting students every day, talking to students and addressing them by name will help students establish a stronger bond with the school and you. "