Life is a Journey

Running Head: BULLYINGCHANGE 1BullyingChange 2

BullyingChangeAndrew SmithSOC 312Instructor BaezMay 19, 2014

BullyingChangeAs people mature, they often reflect upon their lives, and if they see that a change should be made, it is often helpful to seek advice and encouragement from others, such as in the case with Antonio. The looking glass self refers to how people think others see them. The main point is that people shape their self-concepts based on their understanding of how others perceive them. We form our self-image as the reflections of the response and evaluations of others in our environment, (Isaksen, 2013, Par. 3). Depending on how the agents of socialization perceive this person, or how the person thinks these agents of socialization perceive them, will greatly impact their looking glass self. In Antonios case, he describes himself as a bully, stating that he gets in lots of fights, and has no friends. This impacts his looking glass self because the agents of socialization, his peers, his teachers, and the rest of the school, seem to be making it clear to him that bullying is wrong.A fundamentally sociological notion, answerability has profound implications for social judgment of ethical circumstances . . . Answerability suggests, by contrast, that, even on occasions when issues of goodness might figure, social agents may respond exclusively in terms of answerabilities, (Kenny, 2007, P. 269, Par. 2). Therefore, depending on which agents of socialization the child interacts with, determines how they will see themselves. If a child is bullying others, and those others stand together and show him that bullying is wrong, the one exhibiting the bullying behavior could come to learn and understand that their actions are inappropriate and will not be tolerated. Learning and understanding this is one of the reasons a child who bullies might want to change their ways because children do not always know that bullying is wrong. They may have grown up in a household where bullying is a common occurrence, with the mother, father, or older siblings bullying others, and because children learn a lot through watching and modeling, the bullying behavior could be instilled in the child.[E]ach society both produces and possesses its own standard for conduct, which it regularly regenerates in its social members who as a condition of the members emergence as a social agent, a social agent who is under some pressure, internal and external, to conform to the societys symbolically generated demands, (Kenny, 2007, P. 269, Par. 3). In school, it is the teachers job and responsibility to help their students prepare for life after school, to be a productive and model member of society. Teachers should model societys standards of conduct, and see that these standards are applied in their classrooms. That way the students learn how to be answerable and how to hold others answerable for their actions. When students understand how and why they are held answerable, it contributes to how they see their looking glass self, and will help them see if they need to make a change like Antonio.Share one lesson or activity that can be completed with the whole class. The lesson or activity should focus on the importance of awareness and bully prevention. Describe the lesson or activity and how it will benefit the class as a whole.Bullying is a serious problem with serious and long-term effects, so it is important to teach awareness of the problem, as well as ways to help stop or prevent it. The teacher could start off with having the students write a journal entry about a time they were bullied or that they saw someone else being bullied, writing about what happened and how they felt or how they think the kid being bullied felt. Afterwards, guest speakers could be invited in to talk about their experiences with bullying, how it made them feel and how it affected their life. Besides the victims of bullying, another great guest speaker would be someone who used to be a bully, but has since reformed; they would be able to explain to the class what causes someone to exhibit bullying behavior, and how to change so that they no longer use that type of behavior.After guest speakers, the teacher would show some videos about bullying, such as How Bullying Feels (Pacer Kids Against Bullying, n.d.), other videos on the National Bullying Prevention Centers website, and YouTube videos about bullying, but only after being reviewed by the teacher prior to showing. After the videos, the teacher would lead a class discussion, asking for suggestions on what to do if they are being bullied or if they know someone else who is being bullied. Communication is very important to helping resolve a bullying problem, (Mallory, n.d.), and students should feel as though they can talk to their teachers if they are being bullied or know someone that is. These activities would benefit the whole class by showing them how bullying effects others, how to help stop or prevent bullying, and even how to help someone who exhibits bullying behavior so that they do not resort to bullying.List one idea showing how the class can support Antonio's change. Explain how you would help your students support their former tormentor.One way the other kids in the class can support Antonios change is to become his friend. Sometimes kids exhibit bullying behavior because they feel like an outsider and that no one wants to be their friend. In order for the teacher to help their students support their former tormentor, they could turn their classroom into a community, where they all encourage and support one another. If the other students got to know Antonio, he may open up and reveal the real reason behind his bullying, which could be a number of different things, such as poor modeling of appropriate behavior, low self-esteem, lack of control, lack of empathy, or a number of other reasons (C, 2013). Depending on the reason behind his behavior, the students and others can target the cause and help to alleviate it. For example, the other students could model appropriate behavior and positive interactions with one another.

List one strategy that you can help Antonio implement in order for him to stay on the right path (e.g., literature, a check list, or a change in routine).Something that Antonio could do in order for him to stay on the right path is to find someone he can talk to about his problems, and to keep a regular appointment with them. It could be a school therapist, a teacher, or even a peer, but it is important that they have someone they can talk to that they can trust. Seeking counseling at school could also have other added benefits that help to keep Antonio from exhibiting bullying behavior, such as teaching social skills suchas empathy building, conflict resolution and relating positively with others, (C, 2013, Par. 10).Provide one suggestion you would share with Antonio's parents, so that this change in behavior is a true partnership between you (the teacher), the child, and the parents.[T]eachers and school officials must work in concert with parents, something that often doesn't happen. Without such partnerships, It's hard for a parent to really, fully comprehend how serious or dangerous a situation is," (Italie, 2010, Par. 11). One thing that could be shared with Antonios parents is a list of reasons why he may be exhibiting bullying behavior, which could be a number of things. Although parents usually do not want to hear that they are not doing an adequate job of raising their children, it may even be their fault he is exhibiting this behavior because of poor modeling and social skill development, both of which can be helped by the parents. To help see that Antonios change is a true partnership between the teacher, his parents, and himself, the teacher could set up a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly appointment with the parents and Antonio so that they have frequent chances to talk about arising issues or anything else, so that everyone is working together to put an end to his bullying behavior.

ReferencesC, D. (2013, October 6). Why kids bully and how we can help them change their behavior.Retrieved from http://www.edubabbling.com/why-kids-bully-and-how-we-can-help-them-change-their-behavior/Kenny, R.W. (2007). The good, the bad, and the social: On living as an answerableagent.Sociological Theory, 25(3), 268-291. Retrieved from ProQuest.Isaksen, J.V. (2013, May 27). The looking glass self: How our self-image is shaped by society.Retrieved from http://www.popularsocialscience.com/2013/05/27/the-looking-glass-self-how-our-self-image-is-shaped-by-society/Italie, L. (2010, April 13). Parents may not recognize bullies. Retrieved fromhttp://www.nbcnews.com/id/36460872/ns/health-childrens_health/t/parents-may-not-recognize-bullies/#.U3qZidJdXaEMallory, J. (n.d.). Communication is a key tool to deal with bullying situations.Retrieved May 19, 2014, from http://www.bullyingcanada.ca/org/content/239665Pacer Kids Against Bullying. (n.d.). How bullying feels [Video file]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org/#/share/videos/how-bullying-feels