High School Educators Share Advice on Preventing Bullying in Class

Anti-bullying laws may be working for high schoolers, and reports of bullying and cyberbullying are down, according to two recent studies.

But a significant number of students -- about 22 percent of those ages 12 to 18 -- report being bullied, the most recent data from the Department of Education show.

Mandi Horwitz, a social studies teacher at Chaffey High School in Ontario, California, says she talks with her students in class about how much their words can hurt people -- which is something they don't always realize.

"I think as adults, a lot of times we remember those words that were said to us maybe as teenagers and younger adults," but teenagers may not think about the lasting effects of what they say, she says.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Educators offered U.S. News the following suggestions for how to prevent and stop bullying in the classroom.

1. Foster a climate of tolerance and respect: Creating a safe environment for students and educators is an important first step in preventing bullying, according to StopBullying.gov, a government advocacy website.

[Read about how school culture can contribute to bullying of LGBT and immigrant students.]

Horwitz often discusses the power of words with her students and has used historical content, like the Declaration of Independence, to make her point.

"That small document changed the world forever," she says. "Those small sets of words can do amazing things or they can be used for evil and (students) need to make decisions about what they want their words to represent."

Educators on Twitter shared similar thoughts.

@alipannoni @USNewsEducation U have to set up an environment where culture differences R appreciated, and where each students voice matters -- Seth Tripp (@stripp_bucks_dc) October 15, 2015

@alipannoni @USNewsEducation We use @TrueSuccessInc lessons on respect and bullying. By sharing stories, talking, modeling respect. -- Mrs. Molloy (@MrsJMolloy) October 15, 2015

@alipannoni @USNewsEducation we have an excellent positive behavior program in our school,along with excellent administrators and great kids -- DeeMack Media Center (@DeeMackMC) October 15, 2015

Provide more opportunities to create team building before bullying can begin @alipannoni @USNewsEducation -- Kevin Dobson (@The_kdobson) October 16, 2015

2. Address hurtful behavior immediately: While teaching an Advanced Placement class, former high school teacher Seth Tripp saw students who knew the answer to every question be bullied for making other students look bad.

When that happened, he would call out the behavior immediately, says Tripp, who started teaching at Doe Creek Middle School in New Palestine, Indiana, this year. He would also follow up with a private conversation with the student who initiated the bullying.

[Find out how to address anti-gay remarks in the classroom.]

Teachers who responded to U.S. News on Twitter agreed that stopping bullying right away is important.

@alipannoni 1. Work to culture of no bullying. 2. Be direct and vocal when you hear it. Kids have to know you will stand up against it. -- Dan Prouty (@CoachDanProuty) October 15, 2015

@alipannoni @USNewsEducation Holding everyone accountable&setting rules&consequences. Bullying has no place in any school. @Tolerance_org -- Vee M. (@Delta_Dream7) October 15, 2015

@alipannoni @USNewsEducation There are awesome free materials that I use from @Tolerance_org that help combat bullying.

-- Vee M. (@Delta_Dream7) October 15, 2015

Creating an action plan to address these incidents when they happen is a good idea for teachers, writes Becki Cohn-Vargas, director of the anti-bullying group Not In Our School, on teacher-resource website Edutopia.

3. Create strong relationships with students: "Don't be part of the problem," says Tripp. He thinks high school teachers often let bullying play out or even become bullies themselves.

Positive teacher-student relationships can help prevent bullying, educators on Twitter say.

@alipannoni @USNewsEducation @BDU_Scholars & teachers focus on BUILDING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS! Teamwork makes the dreamwork! #wearewayne -- Mrs. Carlino (@MrsCarlino) October 15, 2015

@alipannoni @USNewsEducation open communication, pressure on students who go there.Constant reminders that our school is a drama free zone -- Patrick R Gillam (@Gfunk3466) October 15, 2015

And it's never too early to start bullying prevention.

@alipannoni @USNewsEducation educating them about bullying starts in Kindergarten! -- Michelle Russell (@MrsMRussell) October 15, 2015

Horwitz, the California educator, thinks high school teachers should be concerned about bullying because research has shown a relationship between bullying and suicide.

"I think teaching students to advocate for themselves and to be fair and respectful of each other will help build a stronger community and a stronger place for us to want our kids to grow up in."

Have something of interest to share? Send your news to us at highschoolnotes@usnews.com.

Alexandra Pannoni is an education staff writer at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at apannoni@usnews.com.