Top #2 Article

I am really honoured that my article, How to Stop Bullying is the 2nd most popular article in SingTeach despite it being published only in late September 2015. I am really happy as it meant that my article is of use to teachers (and perhaps parents too). However, it also meant that bullying is still an issue in schools. We must remain alert to the signs and all of us - teachers, students, parents, counsellors, school leaders - have to work together in order to stamp out bullying. 

https://www.facebook.com/SingTeach/posts/921933654557974?fref=nf

How to Stop Bullying

SingTeach is an e-magazine published quarterly by Office of Education Research at the National Institute of Education (NIE) which is dedicated to improving teaching and enhancing learning. 

I just contributed an article in relation to the recent bullying case in a secondary school. As a school counsellor, it is a topic that is close to my heart. 

Here is the link to my article - How to Stop Bullying: Advice from a School Counsellor | SingTeach | Education Research for Teachers

I hope it will be useful to my fellow teachers.

Bullying

This post is a response to a reader who asked me to post about my experiences with bullying. What I would like to do in this post is to talk about why a child might become a bully. 
With my combined experience as a teacher, educational psychologist and counsellor of over 15 years, I have met my share of bullies in schools. I have discovered that very rarely, it is a simple clear-cut case of a bully being a bully because he/ she simply wants to or aspires to be a bully. There are often underlying reasons resulting in a child becoming a bully.
For the younger children, sometimes, it is a learnt behaviour from significant adults in the family.  The children have seen these adults get their way using these behaviours and the children are simply copying the behaviours, not realising it is not the right kind of behaviours when interacting with their peers. In other words, the bullying behaviours are a way of life for these children. Usually, I would speak to the parents to find out more about the family situation and work with the parents and child.
Sometimes, the bullying behaviour is a reaction to changes in the children's lives, e.g. death in the family, divorce between parents, new family member (could be younger sibling or step-parent and/ or step-siblings), relocation, and others. The adults may see the changes as a part and parcel of life but to a child, it is a major upheaval of things familiar to them and often beyond their control. These children thus react in the form of bullying to retain some sense of control in their lives. Usually, I discovered that in such cases, the adults have neglected to explain the situation to the children, often citing that children won't understand or that the children would adapt easily. Again, I would speak to the parent(s) and work with the parent(s) and the child.
From my personal experience, the above are the more common reasons of why a child is a bully. I feel it is just as important to understand the reason(s) why a child is a bully while tackling the bullying behaviour. Without understand the reason, any course of action will only just subdue the bullying for the time being and it would resurface again later. 
I hope this post has been helpful in highlighting what are some of the possible reasons of a child becoming a bully.

Blog Post about Bullying

A reader has asked me to do a blog post about bullying based on my experiences as a teacher/ educational psychologist/ counsellor. Thank you for asking. It is a good idea. 
I will do it as soon as I can. Please bear with me.

Fight Against Bullying - Stand Up by Mike Tompkins

Here is an original song, Stand Up by Mike Tompkins. He wrote the song to empower young people to overcome challenges related to bullying. He hopes to raise awareness and encourage young people to stand up to bullying. 

Stand Up (uploaded by pbpproductions)


Stand Up lyrics: 

All around the world if we stand up, then we'll light up, and we'll rise up Kid it gets better from here
If we stand up, then we'll rise up and we'll light up up up
All around the world

Verse 1:

Just takes a single moment to find a weak component Sounds like the same old story, but not just one story And all I know is hope is found,
In what's about to come right past now,

You're not alone, with no where to roam,
Just look at the places and where you'll go
Tonight you and me and I,
Still time to decide, whether we step up or stand by the side, And nothings impossible, it's not a long way to go,

Just takes you and I

Chorus:

All around the world if we stand up, then we'll light up, and we'll rise up Kid it gets better from here
If we stand up, then we'll rise up and we'll light up up up
All around the world

I chose to Stand up, I chose to believe and know that there's still so much more than this

Verse 2:

Tomorrows a new day, will we fight it?
Or will we be so cold.
And all I know is hope is found,
When you and I stand up, with courage now.
One day you'll find looking back on your life you will be proud Tonight you and me and I,

Still time to decide, whether we step up or stand by the side, And nothings impossible, it's not a long way to go,
Just takes you and I

Chorus:

All around the world if we stand up, then we'll light up, and we'll rise up Kid it gets better from here
If we stand up, then we'll rise up and we'll light up up up
All around the world

I chose to Stand up, I chose to believe and know that there's still so much more than this

Outro:

Put your hands up, and scream real loud.
We about to turn the whole world upside down