Over the past several weeks and months I have come across numerous references about bullying. Whether the instigators of bullying are students or teachers, it saddens me that this issue is rampant in our schools. You would think our school systems have enough pressures from lack of funding, accountability measures (i.e test scores), high dropout and a myriad of other pressures.

Regardless of these pressures, bullying by teachers, administrators – ADULTS – is unacceptable. That is the obvious statement. The not so obvious question is:

What would you do if you observed or heard about a colleague who was the perpetrator of bullying?

Just as ABC’s John Quinones’ show ‘What Would You Do?’ seeks to address how people respond or react to certain acts of behaviors by (actors) those involved in questionable public displays of impropriety, how would you address bullying as it relates to the above question?

In an educational setting, not limited to K-12, this is one behavior that should not be tolerated by those responsible for being positive role models and “teaching” students to be enthusiastic learners and productive citizens. So what would you do?

Would you…

• confront the individual at the point of witnessing or hearing about the bully act?
• inform your supervisor or direct report?
• not do anything, rationalizing that it was a one-time act?
• talk with the individual to understand why the act occurred?

There may be other responses you have. My point is, what is your (and my) responsibility to prevent or eliminate bullying by those we work with or work for? Some of you may have been direct recipients of the bullying. How did you respond or react? How did it make you feel? What do you wish had happened? Of course, bullying is on the perpetrator but not all of the responsibility is on them to change. Again, there are a number of ways to address these individuals, but…

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?