Rough and tumble play is common on elementary playgrounds.  Kids love recess, but for the adults who are assigned to monitor, recess can be a stressful part of their day.  As the two boys approached Mrs. Kelly, she already knew what to expect.  Bobby was crying and Larry had a guilty look on his face.  “Larry pushed me,” Bobby said, trying to hold back the tears.  Looking at Mrs. Kelly and sounding rather convincing, Larry gave his usual excuse.  “Someone pushed me into him.”

Blaming others is what bullies do so well.  Bullies will almost always down play their own actions and place the blame on their innocent classmates.  Since bullies do not want to get caught, they will harm others when the teacher is not looking.  Therefore, it may be difficult to determine who is telling the truth.

Evaluating past behavior of the accused student is a good way to determine if the incident was an accident or bullying behavior.  Students who are constantly being accused of aggressive behavior are showing warning signs that they may be a bully.  Guilt can also be determined by questioning other students.  Although very few adults witness bulling incidents, other students are almost always observing these acts. 

A key factor to remember, bullies do their best work in isolated areas of the campus.  Properly monitoring the ‘bully zones’ is a must.  Also known as ‘hot spots,’ the bully zones are areas of the campus that are not generally frequented by adults.  On the playground, adults must monitor these areas.  Large playgrounds can be difficult to monitor.  The adults who are assigned to monitor recess must be walking around and communicating with the students.  The adults must also determine where the bully zones are and make sure that an adult presence is near.  Preventing bullying is a much more effective strategy than determining guilt after the fact.

While on a school campus, phrases of bullies always gain my attention.  How do I know the phrases bullies like to use?  I was once a bully.  So, if you want bullying to go away, I believe that everyone needs to be aware of the bully’s excuses and create a plan to eliminate its power. 

For additional suggestions, visit Billy Speaks, your trusted Bully Advisor.