PLS 2021 Adaptive Leadership

How often have you been in a situation where you have been asked to “stop” a bully from
bullying? Those labels alone - “bully” and “bullying” - are loaded words in our society. Then
when you are tasked with determining the situation, the process and results can get messy and
often be futile. Many typical methods for bullying prevention serve as unproductive “band-aids”
that fail to resolve a deeper, root cause that ultimately resurfaces. Although it may seem
counter-intuitive, supporting the social-emotional and mental health of the bully can be a more
positive and effective way forward. Research shows an individual’s bullying behavior may stem
from a variety of reasons - e.g., responsiveness to stress/trauma, loneliness, low sense of
belonging, lack of control and powerlessness, self-esteem issues, and/or feeling the need for
SuttleFreemanLLC-BrightwaysLearning_NoShameNoBlame_HISDPLS2021_RFP_052121
social dominance. Together, we will examine all sides of various bullying situations, explore
some of the root causes of why young people engage in bullying behavior, discuss some of the
research-based strategies to equitably address bullying, and consider how your school’s
bullying prevention/response policies could be revised to achieve more productive outcomes.