Children who have special education needs are more likely to be suffering from bullying when compared to other young individuals. This was stated by a research conducted by the Institute of Education. The Anti Bullying Alliance is an organization which coordinates the national Anti-Bullying Week lasting up until November 21st. its focus is to stop all kinds of bullying including the kind which is conducted against children with special needs.
The Anti Bullying Alliance has come up with some material to help teachers combat bullying. For key stages 1, 2, 3 and 4, activities consist of exploring the concept of bullying, including those who are different and accepting that they are different. Students get to work in groups and are asked to write definitions of what they believe bullying is, where it may occur and what the consequences of such actions may be. According to research conducted by the same organization, 18-26% of young individuals have undergone some kind of bullying in the previous term. Students can be made to compare this figure with the amount of bullying which occurs in their classes or in their own year by conducting surveys.
Other statistics by the organization suggest that 25% of children worry about bullying while 44% have actually witnessed their peers being bullied in the past year and 8 out of 10 people who have learning disabilities have actually experienced bullying. Students can be made to explore this matter too by examining to what extent the problem exists in their own school or if there is evidence of one group being bullied more than others.
Pupils can be made to explore their attitude towards bullying as well. Photographs can be used as stimuli and pupils can discuss what they believe is happening in the picture, how they think the people in the picture may be feeling and what could be done or said to help. Bullying can also be made to be described in their own words.
Teachers can talk about and examine the various types of bullying with their students and to ask them how they may feel with regard to it. With the whole class, discussions should take place on what should be done if a student experiences bullying or is witness to it taking place. Once such discussions and ideas come up, anti-bullying posters can also be created. Teachers can also point out to children that bullying often occurs in groups.
For the Anti Bullying Week, an assembly script was also created which makes use of short films to examine the concept of bullying and what younger people can do regarding it. Teachers can share with their students the anti-bullying policy in place by the school and ask the opinions and views of the students, whether or not they feel it be an effective policy or if they would add or change something. Students could also be made to derive slogans which could further promote the anti-bullying policy of their school.
Anti-bullying on film is a resource which is meant for primary aged students and is designed to get students to talk about bullying and themes associated with the concept. Groups of students can be made and each can be assigned different types of bullying including cyberbullying, faith-based bullying or homophobic bullying after which research can be conducted on it.
Bullying is a very sensitive topic and we must all acknowledge that it does take place and a number of students are at risk to it. It is something which occurs during the various stages of an individual’s school life and while some may be exempt from it, others are not. Teachers can make use of their classrooms to talk about the topic and to engage students in activities which allow them to talk about the issue and to get their feedback and response on. Allowing students to speak up and share their opinions is going to help them understand that the issue is one which occurs with everyone and that if they work together, bullying can actually be eliminated and so can the consequences associated with it. The classroom should be a teaching zone where children should feel comfortable talking about the issue.
Watoto wenye mahitaji maalum ya elimu wana uwezekano mkubwa zaidi wa kuteseka kutokana na unyanyasaji wa kingono ikilinganishwa na vijana wengine. Hilo lilithibitishwa na utafiti uliofanywa na Taasisi ya Elimu. Shirika la Anti-Bullying Alliance (AAB) limekuwa likifanya kazi kwa muda mrefu katika nchi nzima, na kwa sasa linafanya kazi kwa muda mrefu katika nchi nzima. Lengo la mpango huo ni kukomesha aina zote za unyanyasaji wa kijamii, ikiwa ni pamoja na aina inayofanywa dhidi ya watoto wenye mahitaji maalum. Shirika la Anti Bullying Alliance limetoa vifaa vinavyoweza kuwasaidia walimu kupambana na unyanyasaji. Katika hatua za msingi 1, 2, 3 na 4, shughuli zinajumuisha kuchunguza dhana ya unyanyasaji, ikiwa ni pamoja na wale ambao ni tofauti na kukubali kuwa wao ni tofauti. Wanafunzi wanafanya kazi katika vikundi na wanaulizwa kuandika ufafanuzi wa kile wanachoamini kuwa ni unyanyasaji, ambapo inaweza kutokea na ni nini matokeo ya vitendo hivyo vinaweza kuwa. Kulingana na utafiti uliofanywa na shirika hilo, asilimia 18 hadi 26 ya vijana wamepatwa na aina fulani ya unyanyasaji katika kipindi cha mwaka uliopita. Wanafunzi wanaweza kulinganisha takwimu hii na kiwango cha unyanyasaji unaotokea katika madarasa yao au katika mwaka wao wenyewe kwa kufanya tafiti. Takwimu za shirika hilo zinaonyesha kuwa asilimia 25 ya watoto wana wasiwasi kuhusu unyanyasaji wa kijamii, asilimia 44 wameona wenzao wakinyanyaswa katika mwaka uliopita na asilimia 8 kati ya watu 10 wenye matatizo ya kujifunza wamewahi kukabiliwa na unyanyasaji wa kijamii. Wanafunzi wanaweza kuchochewa kuchunguza jambo hili pia kwa kuchunguza ni kwa kiwango gani tatizo hilo lipo katika shule yao wenyewe au ikiwa kuna uthibitisho wa kikundi kimoja kuwa kinafanyiwa unyanyasaji zaidi kuliko vingine. Wanafunzi wanaweza kufanywa kuchunguza mtazamo wao dhidi ya unyanyasaji pia. Picha zinaweza kutumika kama kichocheo na wanafunzi wanaweza kujadili kile wanachoamini kinachotokea kwenye picha, jinsi wanavyofikiri watu katika picha wanaweza kuhisi na nini kinachoweza kufanywa au kusemwa kusaidia. Uonevu waweza pia kufanywa uelezewe kwa maneno yao wenyewe. Walimu wanaweza kuzungumza na kuchunguza aina mbalimbali za unyanyasaji na wanafunzi wao na kuwauliza jinsi wanavyohisi kuhusiana na jambo hilo. Kwa kawaida, wanafunzi wa darasa hilo hujifunza jinsi ya kukabiliana na hali ya kuteswa na wengine au jinsi ya kuwa na mtazamo wa kuteswa. Mara baada ya majadiliano na mawazo kama hayo kutokea, mabango ya kupambana na unyanyasaji yanaweza pia kuundwa. Walimu wanaweza pia kuwaonyesha watoto kwamba mara nyingi unyanyasaji hutukia katika vikundi. Kwa ajili ya wiki ya kupambana na unyanyasaji, maandishi ya mkutano pia yaliundwa ambayo hutumia filamu fupi kuchunguza dhana ya unyanyasaji na nini vijana wanaweza kufanya kuhusu hilo. Walimu wanaweza kushiriki na wanafunzi wao sera ya kupambana na unyanyasaji wa kijamii iliyowekwa na shule na kuuliza maoni na maoni ya wanafunzi, kama wanahisi ni sera yenye ufanisi au kama wangeongeza au kubadilisha kitu. Wanafunzi pia wangeweza kufanywa kupata kauli mbiu ambazo zinaweza kuendeleza zaidi sera ya kupambana na unyanyasaji wa shule yao. Anti-Bullying on Film ni rasilimali ambayo ni lengo kwa wanafunzi wa umri wa msingi na ni iliyoundwa kupata wanafunzi kuzungumza juu ya unyanyasaji na mandhari kuhusishwa na dhana. Kila mwanafunzi anaweza kupewa aina tofauti za unyanyasaji wa kijamii, ikiwa ni pamoja na unyanyasaji wa mtandao, unyanyasaji wa imani au unyanyasaji wa homophobic, na baadaye utafiti unaweza kufanywa. Uonevu ni suala la kihisia na lazima tukubali kwamba hutokea na wanafunzi wengi wako hatarini. Ni kitu ambacho hutokea wakati wa hatua mbalimbali za maisha ya shule ya mtu na wakati baadhi ya inaweza kuwa huru kutoka kwake, wengine si. Walimu wanaweza kutumia madarasa yao kuzungumza juu ya mada na kuhusisha wanafunzi katika shughuli ambazo huwawezesha kuzungumza juu ya suala hilo na kupata maoni yao na majibu. "Kuwaruhusu wanafunzi kusema na kushiriki maoni yao kunaweza kuwasaidia kuelewa kwamba suala hili ni moja ambayo hutokea kwa kila mtu na kwamba kama wanafanya kazi pamoja, unyanyasaji unaweza kweli kuondolewa na hivyo inaweza matokeo yanayohusiana na hilo. """ Darasa linapaswa kuwa eneo la kufundisha ambapo watoto wanapaswa kuhisi vizuri kuzungumza juu ya suala hilo.