What
Parents Should Know About Teens And Teasing
At School
by: Sintilia Miecevole
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.
