This study explored teaching staff\u27s ability to identify passive victims of peer bullying, the strategies they use to build up a victim\u27s self-esteem, the strategies they use to teach passive victims assertiveness skills and their views and opinions concerning bullying. Research indicated that passive victims of peer bullying tend to have lower self-esteem and don\u27t have the skills needed to protect themselves when bullied. Since a majority of bullying happens at school, teaching staff have the best opportunity to intervene when bullying occurs.
A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 45 teachers, educational assistants and specialist/support staff at a particular elementary school in Minneapolis. Results of the questionnaire indicated that teaching staff who completed this questionnaire have excellent knowledge in how to identify passive victims and excellent knowledge in the encouragement of self-esteem and assertiveness skills in passive victims. Although, the researcher did have a question as to the consistency of procedures followed by all teaching staff concerning the handling of aggressive incidents at this particular school. The researcher also questioned what seemed to be minimization, by the respondents, of the overall incidence of bullying that may be occurring at this school
