Running Head: BULLYINGCHANGE 1

BullyingChange
Andrew Smith
SOC 312
Instructor Baez
September 24, 2014
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As 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
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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.
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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.

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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 such as 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.



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References
C, 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 answerable
agent. 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 from
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/36460872/ns/health-childrens_health/t/
parents-may-not-recognize-bullies/#.U3qZidJdXaE
Mallory, J. (n.d.). Communication is a key tool to deal with bullying situations.
Retrieved May 19, 2014, from http://www.bullyingcanada.ca/org/content/239665
Pacer Kids Against Bullying. (n.d.). How bullying feels [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org/#/share/videos/how-bullying-feels