Bully By Ms. Lockwood

In reference to the movie “Bully” my reaction on Ms. Lockwood and how she handled the various bullying situations in the school had me gasp. She tries to she dresses down an obviously upset kid by negotiating a handshake between the bully and his reluctant victim by saying “You’re just like him. Ms. Lockwood also downplays the possibility that a student is being bullied while meeting with Libby’s parents. She tries to empathize with Alex’s family by showing them pictures of her granddaughter and saying, “See my baby? HUH?”. Kim Lockwood, is a clueless assistant principal at the Sioux City East Middle School. Teachers and paraeducators can handle situations in which bullying may occur by implementing a school wide or classroom program for students to feel safe to learn. Before doing so all staff should come together
to evaluate any bully situation and identify them. Interview students, have an anonymous reporting box and parent surveys should be conducted to obtain such information. Once a discipline system for bullying offenders has been developed, the next step is to develop a policy on Bullying. Share the policy with students and staff and discuss the shared responsibility for keeping everyone safe at school. Bully prevention is best handled by being proactive and teaching students the definition of “Bullying”. It is important so that incidents of being bullied are reported on time and properly.
As parents we play a central role in protecting our children from being bullied or becoming a bully by teaching kids to solve problems without using violence and praise them when they do.
Give children positive feedback when they behave well to help their build self-esteem. Help give the children self-confidence to stand up for what they believe in. Ask your child/ren about their day and listen to them talk about school, social events, their classmates, and any problems they have. Take bullying seriously because many kids are embarrassed to say they have been bullied. You may only have one chance to step in and help. If you see any bullying, stop it right away, even if your child is the one doing the bullying. Encourage your child to help others who need it. Don't bully your children or bully others in front of them, kids who are bullied at home react by bullying other kids. If your children see you hit, ridicule, or gossip about someone else, they are also more likely to do so themselves. Support bully prevention programs in your child's school. If your school doesn't have one, consider starting one with other parents, teachers, and concerned
adults.

In my opinion the steps administration should take to deal with the issue of bullying in schools are to require strong administrative leadership and ongoing commitment on the part of the adults in the school system to have an effective program. Involve the entire school community and include school-wide interventions, classroom activities, and individual interventions. Bullying prevention efforts should begin early as children entering into kindergarten and continue throughout a child’s education. Effective bullying prevention programs should have no “end date,” but should become part of the life of your school. Ongoing staff development is important to maintain bullying prevention programs. I would rate the movie “Bully”