While it may not seem particularly evident at Sherwood, bullying does occur in various forms throughout the school. Recently, numerous instances of bullying have been highlighted in the media, begging the question of how bullying can be stopped entirely at Sherwood.

Sherwood offers various “support groups” for students. Stand Proud (the school’s gay-straight alliance) provides students with a tolerant environment in which they can openly discuss both social and personal issues. Although it proves a great outlet for students to share their feelings about instances of intolerance that they face at Sherwood, the club cannot take action against those responsible for the intolerance.

Similarly, the school’s peer mediation program strives to prevent future conflicts between specific students by helping them come to agreements, but such a program is not designed to address situations when one student may be solely instigating the problem. Peer mediation may neutralize problems, but it does not provide justice for harassed students. It instead implies that both students are at fault, failing to establish adequate consequences for bullies.

While these groups make noble efforts to reduce the effects of bullying, they need to be supplemented by structured guidelines as to how students should report instances of bullying and how teachers and other staff should discipline bullies. Teachers and students alike need to be aware of what to do in the event that bullying does in fact occur.

Through the administration’s guidance, teachers need to know the steps to take if they are told about or witness an act of bullying in the hallway or classroom. Teachers playing an active role in the punishment of bullies in their classes and reporting these events is the first step to making Sherwood a more secure and tolerant environment for all students.

The other crucial part of ending bullying is better informing students as to how to deal with it. When faced with any form of bullying, violence or harassment, students should feel comfortable in what to do next. This principle does not only apply to bullied students, but also to students who merely witness bullying. They too should be well-informed about taking action against bullying.

Taking action against bullies is better for all parties involved. Not only does it provide bullied individuals with concrete solutions, but it also serves as a means of rehabilitation for bullies. Once bullies are identified, staff can better address underlying problems as well as come up with appropriate means to reform behavioral issues.

With a secure, mapped out plan, students will feel more hopeful and at ease. They will know that someone will not only listen to them, but take action towards bullies as well. Overall, with the help of stronger guidelines and better informed students, we can prevent tragic situations such as those so prominent in the news in recent weeks.