In the past, the main way that police officers became involved with bullying incidents was after the bullying had already happened. In other words, parents of victims would contact the police to report that their children had been physically injured or were threatened to be injured by bullies. However, today there is so much more that police can do to prevent bullying, instead of just getting involved after the bullying has occurred.
One main reason why police should get involved in preventing bullying is to try to reduce crime and other problems in the future. In other words, if they don't get involved in bullying prevention, police officers will most likely be involved in dealing with serious problems that both bullies and victims could have in the future. For example, studies show that bullies are likely to get involved in some or many of the following situations in their futures:
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skipping school (truancy) |
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smoking |
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drinking alcohol |
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physical fights |
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having guns or other weapons |
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quitting school |
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vandalizing property |
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being convicted of crimes |
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stealing |
There are many ways that police can attempt to prevent bullying. First of all, they can work with school administrators on writing a district anti-bullying policy. They can also help to select and present a bullying curriculum to students. Police can also try to get acquainted with students in a school and remind them that they can come to the police to report bullying situations. If the students are still scared to report the bullying, the police could also come up with a way for students to tell about the bullying anonymously. One idea is that they could provide a locked box for students to write down the bullying incidents that happen.
Examples of How Law Enforcement Officers Around the World
Are Involved in Bullying Prevention
The Youth Education Service of the New Zealand Police developed a program that can be used in schools. It is called "Kia Kaha." which means "stand strong." There are four different age-appropriate versions of the curriculum, and the lessons are for ages 5-17. Around 130 New Zealand police officers work in the schools to present the program along with teachers.
In Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, the police wanted to make schools safer, so they started a bullying hotline. Parents and teachers can call for help to deal with bullying at home or at school. Also, students can call the hotline if they are either a victim or witness of bullying. Also, bullies themselves can call if they want to get some help to stop their bullying. The police '"Bully Team" will listen and talk with callers.
In Michigan, U.S. 100 police officers and school personnel were trained in a bullying prevention program. They received the training and a '"tool kit" of materials free because the program was paid for out of grant money. The lessons are for grades kindergarten through twelve.
Community members and police officers in Cumbria, England formed an anti-bullying group. They organized a 2-week campaign called, "See it, Get Help, Stop It." They offered neighborhood meetings where people could discuss bullying and ways that they could get help from a local "policing team officer."
In the United States, the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services published a guide for police officers. It is called "Bullying in Schools: Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Series," and it contains information on how police can help decrease violence and bullying in schools. This guide was based on research from many countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, and Australia.
The police department of Chula Vista, California, U.S. worked with the local school district to try to put an end to bullying in the elementary schools, which is where bullying begins. They used the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program which was developed by Dan Olweus, a psychologist in Norway.
Another way that police officers can try to prevent and deal with bullying is by looking out for cyberbullying. Police officers can be on the watch for bullying and threats of violence on websites, e-mail, "My Space" and other social networking sites, cell phones, etc. The police do not have to wait for a report of bullying to come to them, but instead they sometimes find it on their own. This is very helpful because about 20% of students do not report bullying that they receive on "My Space" or in e-mails.
As you can see, there are many ways that law enforcement can be very helpful in the prevention of bullying.
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