Monitoring and Follow Ups – Institute of Child & Adolescent Psychology

Bullying

Tracking progress and ensuring continued support for bullying victims involves regular assessments to monitor emotional well-being, academic performance, and social interactions. This allows for tailored interventions and ongoing emotional support that fosters resilience and promotes a safe, inclusive school environment where all students feel valued and supported in their journey towards healing and success.

-Tracking Progress and Ensuring Continued Support

Tracking progress and ensuring continued support for bullying victims is crucial to their recovery and well-being. By maintaining regular check-ins and assessments, educators, counselors, and support staff can monitor changes in emotional well-being, academic performance, and social interactions. These evaluations help in adjusting intervention strategies and providing ongoing emotional support tailored to the individual’s needs. Beyond immediate responses to bullying incidents, sustained support fosters resilience and empowers victims to regain confidence and trust in their environment. It also sends a powerful message that they are not alone in their journey towards healing, reinforcing a safe and supportive community where everyone’s well-being is valued and protected. Tracking progress and ensuring ongoing support for bullying victims is a multifaceted approach that prioritizes their emotional and social recovery. Regular monitoring allows educators and support teams to gauge improvements in self-esteem, social interactions, and academic performance. By documenting these changes, interventions can be fine-tuned to address specific challenges or triggers that may hinder progress. Continued support through counseling, peer mediation, and targeted interventions reaffirms the victim’s sense of safety and belonging within the school community. It also underscores a commitment to fostering an inclusive environment where all students feel valued and respected, laying the foundation for long-term emotional well-being and success.

As a fun activity try writing a similar role play!

-Role playing: Supporting a Peer or Child who has been bullied

Example:

Peer Who Was Bullied (Victim’s Perspective):

After enduring weeks of taunts and exclusion from a group of classmates, I finally confided in my friend, Sarah. Tears streaming down my face, I explained how hopeless and alone I felt. Sarah listened attentively, offering me tissues and reassurance that I didn’t deserve to be treated that way. She didn’t try to minimize my feelings or brush them off; instead, she hugged me and promised to help. The next day, she invited me to sit with her and her friends at lunch, making sure I didn’t feel isolated. Sarah also spoke up whenever she saw the bullies harassing me, calmly but firmly telling them their behavior was unacceptable. Her support gave me courage and reminded me that I wasn’t alone in this fight.

Supporter’s Perspective (Sarah):

When my friend approached me about being bullied, my heart broke seeing how much pain she was in. I knew I had to be there for her, to show her that she had someone on her side. I listened without judgment, offering comfort and reassurance that she wasn’t to blame. The next day at school, I made a point to include her in our group activities, making sure she felt welcomed and supported. When I witnessed the bullies targeting her, I didn’t hesitate to speak up, firmly telling them to stop and reporting the incidents to a teacher. I knew standing by silently wasn’t an option. It was important to show my friend that she didn’t have to face this alone and that there were people who cared about her well-being.

References

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bully#word-history

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/teasing

https://www.mcmillenhealth.org/tamtalks/verbal-bullying#:~:text=scare%20another%20person.-,Verbal%20bullying%20is%20when%20someone%20uses%20words%20to%20hurt%20or,%2C%20texting%2C%20or%20social%20media.

https://pcain.org/physical-bullying/#:~:text=Physical%20bullying%20is%20a%20type,also%20include%20damaging%20someone’s%20property.

https://www.stompoutbullying.org/forms-bullying

https://counseling.utdallas.edu/resources/emotional-abuse/

https://www.vic.gov.au/racist-bullying

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/bristol-healthy-schools/topics/sexism-sexual-bullying-sexual-harassment-and-sexual-violence#:~:text=Sexual%20bullying%20might%20include%3A,videos%20of%20a%20sexual%20nature

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK390414/

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/cyberbullying.html#:~:text=Cyberbullying%20is%20the%20use%20of,hurt%20or%20embarrass%20someone%20else.

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/bullying-and-cyberbullying/