-Bullying recognized to be one of the most prominent issues in education system; most significant health threats
-When students have a fear of coming to school due to feeling unsafe -- usually unable to focus and hinders academic achievement
- How to address bullying?
a. Intervention - focus on educating members to recognize bullying & how to handle it
b. Bullying education  - should be incorporated into every classroom; teachers must find a way to incorporate it in everyday curriculum 
c. Set programs for bullies - to help mitigate school bullying 
-take different measures to help reduce bullying volume 

-The way teachers think. feel and behave + teaching materials and techniques have great effect on students
-Teacher sets the tone of the classroom atmosphere  - crucial and important to take note as it will significantly impact learning quality of students
-What is considered to be a healthy classroom atmosphere where students can learn and grow to their fullest potential?
1. Students feel like people - heard and respected
2. Students feel confident -  must have faith in their abilities and feel comfortable enough to do so
3. Sharing power - students are invited to participate in decision-making and discussions; they feel heard
4. Strong self esteem - students feel confident and OK with themselves
5. Relaxed, gentle, humor - classroom feels comfortable for students to feel and be themselves

Citation:
American Sociology Association. "Negative Classroom Environment Adversely Affects Children's Mental Health." Science Daily, 10 Mar. 2011, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110309073717.htm. Accessed 19 Feb. 2021.

-Study "Classroom Learning Environments and the Mental Health of First Grade Children" BY Univ of Maryland sociology professor Melissa Milkie & Univ of Maryland PhD candidate Catherine Warner

--> studied how classroom environment impacted four components of mental health: learning (attentiveness), externalizing problems (fights), interpersonal behaviors (friendships), internalizing problems (anxiety and sadness)

Bad Classroom Atmosphere
a. Inadequate material resources (pencils, books, computers etc)
-children are frustrated or disheartened by their surroundings
-teachers may be discouraged or harsh when they cannot teach properly due to the missing of key elements
b. Teachers who don't feel supported by colleagues
-teachers that feel stressed bc they don't feel supported by others -- stress may pour over to the students 

-According to US Dept of Health & Human Services -- 50% of students in 4-12 grade experience bullying within 1 month; 70% of students admit to having bullying present in school
-1 out of 10 students who drop out of school mention bullying as a common factor

UCLA Case Study -- published in Journal of Early Adolescence
--> 2300 middle school students in 11 different LA public schools asked to rank amount they were bulled on 4 point scale
-UCLA professor of psychology Jaana Juvonen stated: bullying and low academic achievement are frequently linked
a. “students who are repeatedly bullied receive poorer grades and participate less in class discussions… students may get mislabeled as low achievers because they do not want to speak up in class for fear of getting bullied”
b. “Once students get labeled as ‘dumb,’ they get picked on and perform even worse”.

-students who are bullied tend to show less academic improvement due to fear of standing out
RESULT: teachers tend to identify these students as low achievers or unmotivated
-THEN: students receive less attention in class from teachers, pushing them further down academic rankings in school
-BEST WAY TO REDUCE BULLYING: provide academic support for low-performing students

Impact on Students and Bullies
-According to Michigan Association of School Administrators
--> students who are bullied may experience physical symptoms -- could transcend to anxiety in going to school or less participation in classes
--> people who are bullied have low self-confidence, experience depression, suicidal thoughts, violent outbreaks
--> bullies often experience negative side effects
-students who bully more likely to engage in violent behavior, report poor grades -- will affect them later in life
-bullies are hard to spot at times (sometimes bullies have highest social skills or best grades)

What Can Schools Do To Reduce Bullying?
-You can never really get rid of bullying
-Certain steps can be taken to minimize bullying 
1. Increase awareness by providing education 
2. Once bullying is brought to attention -- school must set rules and policies in place to enforce
-punish negative behavior
-reward positive behavior
school should strive to create safe and healthy environment for all students by rewarding students who set good examples

What Can Schools Do To Reduce Bullying?
-You can never really get rid of bullying
-Certain steps can be taken to minimize bullying 
1. Increase awareness by providing education 
2. Once bullying is brought to attention -- school must set rules and policies in place to enforce
-punish negative behavior
-reward positive behavior
school should strive to create safe and healthy environment for all students by rewarding students who set good examples