Bullying remains a prevalent problem in schools throughout the United States today, with a few recent cases resulting in the suicides of students who had been bullied or otherwise harassed by peers.
Though the victims of bullies are clearly in need of both protection and assistance, teens who bully others can also benefit from productive interventions. Unfortunately, many local school districts are responsible for so many students that bullies and bullying victims often fail to receive the attention they need.
Thankfully, a range of alternative educational environments exist to provide the necessary guidance, support and interventions to children whose healthy development has been derailed by bullying.
Depending upon the specific situation, the best alternative for a student whose life has been impacted by bullying may be a therapeutic residential program.
Helping Bullies Control Their Behavior
Though their actions may cause them to be viewed as little more than “bad kids,” many bullies are actually suffering from undiagnosed emotional or behavioral issues. For some bullies, the problem may be related to challenges within their families, an absence of healthy coping skills or a need for more structured guidance and supervision.
Taking a bully out of their familiar environment and enrolling them in a therapeutic boarding school accomplishes a number of goals:
- Stops the bullying.
- Provides the opportunity for professional assessment.
- Offers alternative activities designed to prompt behavior changes.
- Teaches healthy communication
- Helps teens address personal issues related to anger, defiance and relationships.
Helping the Victims of Bullies
Research shows that severe bullying can lead to long-term emotional issues. Because adolescents are particularly sensitive to the opinions of their peers, the teen years are an especially critical time.
In some cases, victims of bullying may have underlying issues or emotional scars that need to be addressed in a therapeutic environment before returning to public school. Therapeutic programs for teens and adolescents help the victims of bullying in the following ways:
- Removing bullying victims from the dangerous environment
- Establishing a healthy peer atmosphere where student
- Providing close supervision and strong structure
- Building self-confidence
- Teaching assertive communication strategies
- Addressing underlying depression, anxiety and related disorders
- Preparing the student to meet future challenges in a productive manner