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What Parents Should Know About Teens and Teasing at
School
For most teens, going
back to school means sharing classrooms and a building
with many other students. Unfortunately some learners
have to deal with inappropriate behavior such as teasing.
Teasing is the act of harassing someone playfully or
maliciously, especially by ridicule. It is hurtful and
potentially dangerous.
Judy S. Freedman’s book "Easing
the Teasing" is very helpful for dealing with children’s
teasing issues. It specifically helps parents learn
strategies to help their children deal with teasing.
Some of the suggested strategies can also be used successfully
with teens so it’s definitely a recommended title
for parents and educators to peruse. This article is
not going to describe the strategies so well explained
by Freedman. The goal of this article is to impress
on parents the reality of teasing in our school system
and how schools in general undertake to deal with discipline
and behavior management issues. From this understanding
it is hoped that parents will be are more able to work
collaboratively with their teen and school personnel
should a problem arise.
Due to the differing sizes of elementary
and secondary schools, it can generally be asserted
that during the elementary school years there is more
of a ‘handle’ on teasing than in secondary
schools. That is certainly not to say that secondary
schools are ignoring the problem. For example, secondary
schools may have home room teachers discuss such topics
with students; there may be the occasional guest speaker
such as a police liaison who addresses the students
on this or a similar topic and, faculty are surely expected
to reinforce standards of appropriate behavior. Administrative
personnel at many schools use an electronic system to
track inappropriate student behavior - usually serious
incidents. Grade-level meetings are also commonly scheduled
to discuss student achievement, work habits and if relevant
to the former, behavior. The main challenge in most
secondary schools however, is that each teacher typically
instructs over a hundred students daily so it’s
understandably difficult to monitor, document and discuss
student behavior with colleagues on a consistent basis.
Parents who notice a sudden change in
their teen’s behavior should consider contacting
the school counselor and home room teacher to investigate
whether or not the student is having trouble at school.
It is important to note that even if a student consistently
earns good grades, all may not be going well for the
young scholar; they may have other challenges at school.
Because teens might try to hide a problem with teasing,
parents need to be extremely vigilant in their observation,
listening and conversation. Teasing is hurtful and potentially
dangerous. It is a form of bullying. Low self-esteem,
depression, eating disorders and in the extreme, teen
suicide are possible results. Experiencing harassment
in this form – whether it is done ‘playfully’
or maliciously, is clearly a serious problem that must
be dealt with.
1howto.com
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