Bullying often occurs in predictable locations within schools such as: hallways, bathrooms, stairwells, and playgrounds. These are areas that most bullies know where teachers or other adults will not be present. Therefore, the key to cutting down bullying and school violence is to monitor these hotspots and be aware of them in your school. Monitoring your school hotspot areas can be done by student surveys or one on one conversations with your students. This will not eliminate bullying, but it has proven to at least cut down on the areas where bullying occurs.
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), hallways and stairwells are major bullying hotspots. In surveys, students between the ages of 12 and 18 indicated that almost twice as many bullying and violence incidents happen in transitional areas between classes.
The Numbers
Almost 42% of students who were bullied said the incidents happened in hallways and stairwells. 19.3% reported that bullying happens outside on school property (playgrounds, commons areas, etc.). In the bathroom or locker room 9.4% of the students said that’s where they experienced bullying. 22.2% were bullied in the school cafeteria and 10% were bullied while on the school bus. Also, sadly, almost 34% of targeted students reported bullying in the classroom. (“Student Reports of Bullying: Results From the 2015 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey.” National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 20 Dec. 2016, nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2017015.)
A Code of Conduct
Bullying is a complex issue and responsibility to help fix the issue lies on everyone. It takes a broad network of empowered allies to create a school-wide culture of positivity. It is important for schools and teachers to create a clear code of conduct. Socialize the code of conduct through school activities that highlight your school’s high values and expectations.
Whatever way your school tries to participate in bullying prevention, it is important to be aware of your school’s bullying hotspots. Monitoring those areas between classes will benefit your students who may be having trouble with a bully.
For a short 1-minute video on popular school hotspots check out this video!
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