The Power of Peers
Bullying in Today’s School

The Article, The Power of Peers, gave insight into the culture of bullying in schools today. Prevalent in elementary school as well as middle and high school, bullying seems to be a problem without solution or a clear resolution on how to affect change. In this article, the author laid out two divergent forms of bullying, as well as the importance of peer relationships to these forms of bullying. While most educators seem to address and be aware of socially-marginalized bullying, many turn a blind eye to a perhaps more sinister and damaging form of bullying—that of the socially connected bully. As referred to in the article as “hidden in plain sight”, socially connected bullies are less likely to be noticed due to their popularity and ability to adapt in many social situations. This type of bully generally has strong inter-relational skills and typically is a class leader. Others students either wish to emulate him/her or are scared to stand up to such a student. Educators often do not recognize such students as bullies and fail to view any confrontations with other students as a typical power struggle or rite of passage typical in childhood and adolescence. Socially marginalized bullies are often easy to recognize as they frequently have various other behavioral, social, and educational problems. Often times, poor self-esteem and an inability to exist in the mainstream social environment cause the behavior of this type of bully. Unlike socially connected bullying that typically uses verbally aggressive behavior and manipulation to control others, socially marginalized bullies tend to use physically aggressive behavior and violence to control others. This type of bullying often crosses gender lines as this type of bully seeks to prey on a physically weaker individual, most commonly, male aggression towards a female victim. As an educator, I play a valuable role in bullying intervention, but my responsibility does not end there. Not only should I strive to stop any acts of bullying I observe, I should also strive to create an environment that discourages bullying—both that inflicted by socially marginalized bullies as well as socially connected bullies. I can do so by inculcating the values of respect and tolerance in the classroom as well as creating an active dialogue with students in a safe environment. By opening the lines of communication with students, I can have a better understanding of the social relationships that are currently established and seek to address any unhealthy trends currently in place. Knowing that children mimic the adult relationships they observe, I can lead by example in social patterns with fellow co-workers. If we, as educators maintain healthy social norms amongst ourselves, we can set a strong example for students. Further, we can educate parents on ways to enforce healthy social behaviors at home through an environment of respect and tolerance. This three-fold approach is the only way to successfully reduce the destructive effects of bullying in schools today.