Page 12 - Mini-Module 6

School Leadership
and Positive Programs

Just as some principals might believe that increasing discipline and

making punishment harsher will stop bullying, other principals hold
that the way to overcome bullying is through education. Many schools
hope to prevent bullying with positive programs that explicitly teach

social skills, for example, anti-bullying programs, self-esteem programs,
leadership programs, peer mediation programs, etc. Unfortunately,
such positive programs only help to prevent bullying if children choose
to "do better" after they "know better." Children may practice

"respectful behavior" for 45 minutes in social skills class, and then bully
each other as they walk to the next class. Children will choose to bully
for the social benefits of attention, power, lunch money, homework,

and position. In schools with a culture of bullying, positive programs
will have little influence on changing student’s behavior because
children will not give up bullying advantages simply because they
"know better".

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