The stories in Pascoe’s book are all too familiar to me. Although I was not bullied in school, someone did call me a “fucking faggot” as they saw me kissing another guy in a Walmart parking lot. Bearing the brunt of stigmatization and insufficient masculinity, Ricky, an openly gay student is singled out by primarily white males for being weak and/or feminine. Consequently, his bullies boost their own masculinity and deny Ricky his—even though Ricky asserts himself in the face of harassment and inaction by school officials.
These are my strategies to combat bullying:
1. Educate students, parents and staff about taking bullying seriously and how to recognize it. Make an action plan to respond promptly to incidents, even if it’s just teasing. Also, identify and monitor places where most bullying happens (e.g., on the way to and from school, in the cafeteria, or outside the school building, but still on the grounds).
2. Create opportunities for an open dialogue with youth about bullying and the fact that it will not be tolerated. Let students lead through action with each other. Also, provide opportunities for students to share their feelings, problems or ideas and get students involved in organizing anti-bullying panels where they resolve problems.
3. Have students become up-standers who stand up for themselves and others rather than bystanders. Practice with role-playing and help youth develop effective phrases to reject negative comments or social media posts.
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