A safe learning space matters to everyone.
Schools should protect all students, making sure they feel secure and can focus on learning.
Yet, bullying continues to affect many schools, harming students mentally and physically, and causing lasting negative effects.
What can we do about this problem?
Many suggest that expelling bullies offers an effective solution.
This approach sends a clear message that such behavior won’t be accepted.
The speeches below explore this idea, giving different views on why expelling bullies might work as a deterrent and solution to school bullying.
Speeches about “Student Bullies Should Be Expelled”
These speeches offer different perspectives on dealing with school bullies through expulsion.
Speech 1: Taking a Stand Against Bullying
Hello fellow students. Today I want to talk about something that affects many of us directly or indirectly – bullying in our school. Each day, students walk these halls afraid of being pushed, mocked, or humiliated. Some skip school to avoid their tormentors, while others suffer in silence, their grades dropping and their mental health deteriorating. This isn’t just about hurt feelings. This is about safety, dignity, and our right to learn.
Think about your younger siblings, your friends, or even yourself. No one deserves to feel unsafe at school. Yet bullies create exactly that environment – one of fear and anxiety. They steal more than lunch money. They steal peace of mind, self-confidence, and educational opportunities from their victims. We come to school to learn and grow, not to worry about who might target us next. The current system of detentions and temporary suspensions hasn’t stopped the problem.
Expelling student bullies sends a strong message about what we value as a school community. It says we prioritize the well-being of all students over giving repeated chances to those who harm others. It tells victims they matter. It shows everyone that actions have real consequences. Some might call this approach harsh, but I call it necessary protection for those who want to learn without fear.
The statistics speak for themselves. Schools with zero-tolerance policies report significant drops in bullying incidents. Students in these schools feel safer and perform better academically. Attendance improves when students know they won’t face harassment. Mental health issues decrease. Shouldn’t those positive outcomes matter more than keeping bullies enrolled? Their right to education stops when it interferes with everyone else’s right to the same.
Let’s consider what happens to victims when bullies stay. They struggle to concentrate in class, wondering when the next attack will come. They avoid certain parts of the school. Their grades suffer. Some develop anxiety, depression, or even thoughts of self-harm. These effects can last long after school ends. By allowing bullies to remain, we become partly responsible for this damage. We tell victims they must simply endure it.
The counter-arguments usually focus on giving bullies second chances and helping them reform. That sounds nice in theory, but how many chances should they get? How many students must suffer while we wait for bullies to change? Other schools can try different approaches, but I believe expulsion after repeated offenses shows we take this problem seriously. It protects the majority while sending a message that certain behaviors simply won’t be accepted here.
School should be a place where we all feel safe to learn, make friends, and discover who we are. Bullies destroy that environment for everyone. They create tension, fear, and distrust. By removing them, we restore the positive atmosphere needed for education. We give everyone a fair chance to succeed without looking over their shoulder. That’s not just better for victims. It’s better for our entire school community.
I’m asking all of us to support a policy of expelling repeat bullies. Talk to school administrators. Speak up at student council meetings. Support your peers who have been victimized. Together, we can create a school where everyone feels safe and respected. Thank you for listening, and let’s make our school a better place for all students who genuinely want to learn and grow together.
— END OF SPEECH —
Commentary: This speech takes a firm stance on expelling bullies, emphasizing the rights of victims and the broader school community. It addresses counterarguments while maintaining focus on student safety. Most suitable for student council meetings, school assemblies, or debate competitions where policy changes are being discussed.
Speech 2: Protecting Our Learning Environment
Good morning everyone. Let’s talk about something real that affects our daily lives at school – bullying. We’ve all seen it happen. Maybe you’ve experienced it yourself, or watched someone else go through it. The pushing in hallways. The cruel comments online. The groups that exclude certain students for no good reason. These actions hurt people deeply, and they have no place in our school community.
The current approach isn’t working. Bullies get detention, maybe a suspension, then they’re right back doing the same things. Meanwhile, their victims continue suffering, often afraid to even report what’s happening. Some students have started skipping classes to avoid bullies. Others can’t focus on learning because they’re constantly worried about being targeted. This affects everyone’s education, not just the victims. It creates a negative atmosphere that makes learning harder for all of us.
When we allow bullies to stay despite their harmful behavior, we send a dangerous message. We tell everyone that hurting others carries minimal consequences. We tell victims their pain matters less than keeping their tormentors in school. This damages trust between students and administration. It makes many students feel unsupported and unprotected. School should feel safe for everyone who comes here to learn, not just for those strong enough or popular enough to avoid being targeted.
Expelling bullies after repeated offenses and counseling attempts helps everyone involved. The victims can finally focus on their education without fear. The other students see that our school truly values respect and safety. And yes, even the bullies benefit, by learning that serious actions have serious consequences. This life lesson may be exactly what they need to change their behavior before adulthood, when the consequences become even more severe.
Many adults worry that expulsion harms the bully’s future. But what about the futures of their victims? Studies show that bullied students often develop anxiety, depression, and trust issues that follow them for years. Their grades suffer. Some drop out. Others carry emotional scars into adulthood that affect their relationships and careers. By prioritizing the bully’s education over the victim’s well-being, we cause long-term harm to students who did nothing wrong.
Think about what school is supposed to be. A place where we learn not just subjects, but how to be good community members. How can we learn that lesson when those who deliberately harm others face only minor penalties? Expulsion isn’t about revenge. It’s about maintaining an environment where everyone can learn safely. It’s about teaching that respecting others isn’t optional – it’s a basic requirement for being part of any community.
The data supports this approach. Schools that implemented strict anti-bullying policies with serious consequences saw dramatic decreases in bullying behavior. Students reported feeling safer. Academic performance improved across the board. Attendance rates went up. These positive changes happened because the schools demonstrated through actions, not just words, that student safety mattered most. Words alone don’t stop bullies. Clear consequences do.
We deserve a school where nobody fears walking down certain hallways or sitting alone at lunch. Where students don’t have to create elaborate plans to avoid their tormentors. Where learning takes center stage instead of social warfare. Expelling bullies who won’t change their behavior despite multiple interventions helps create this environment. It allows all students to focus on why we’re here – to learn and grow together with mutual respect.
As students, we have the power to change our school culture. We can speak up when we see bullying happening. We can support policies that protect victims. We can make it clear to administrators that we want a zero-tolerance approach to repeated bullying. Our voices matter in this conversation. Let’s use them to create the kind of school environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and safe to be themselves.
— END OF SPEECH —
Commentary: This speech balances compassion with firmness, acknowledging the complex nature of bullying while advocating for strong consequences. It emphasizes collective responsibility for creating a positive school environment. Ideal for grade-level assemblies, peer leadership programs, or student-led forums on school climate improvement.
Speech 3: Zero Tolerance for Bullying Behavior
Fellow students, teachers, and administrators. Today I stand before you to address a serious issue that undermines the foundation of our educational environment – persistent bullying. Every student deserves to walk through these doors feeling safe, valued, and ready to learn. Yet for too many, each school day brings anxiety, fear, and a sense of helplessness as they face relentless torment from bullies who face insufficient consequences for their actions.
Let’s be honest about what happens in our hallways, classrooms, and online spaces. Students are targeted based on their appearance, background, abilities, or simply because they make easy targets. This targeting doesn’t just hurt feelings – it destroys self-esteem, damages academic performance, and in the most tragic cases, leads to self-harm or worse. The psychological damage often follows victims for years, affecting their future relationships, career prospects, and mental health long after graduation.
Our current disciplinary system fails both victims and perpetrators. Detention, brief suspensions, and stern talks don’t deter determined bullies. They return to school and often escalate their behavior, viewing weak punishments as proof they can continue without serious consequences. Meanwhile, victims learn an equally destructive lesson – that reporting their suffering changes nothing. Many stop reporting entirely, suffering in silence while their education and well-being deteriorate. This cycle continues, damaging our entire school community.
School administrations across the country hesitate to implement expulsion policies for bullies because they worry about the bully’s educational rights. This perspective, while well-intentioned, creates a troubling imbalance. What about the educational rights of the students being bullied? Their grades typically drop. Their attendance becomes irregular as they seek to avoid tormentors. Some develop anxiety disorders that make classroom participation nearly impossible. By protecting the bully’s right to education, we actively damage multiple other students’ educational experiences.
The argument against expulsion often mentions rehabilitation. “Bullies need help, not punishment,” some say. This presents a false choice. Schools should absolutely offer counseling, conflict resolution training, and behavioral interventions for first-time offenders. However, when these supports fail to change behavior after multiple attempts, more decisive action becomes necessary. Expulsion serves as the final option when rehabilitation efforts have demonstrably failed, not as the automatic first response.
Consider the message our current policies send to the student body. When we retain persistent bullies despite their harmful actions, we effectively announce that their presence matters more than their victims’ suffering. We tell victims to “toughen up” rather than addressing the real problem. We normalize harmful behavior instead of establishing clear boundaries. These implicit messages shape school culture more powerfully than any anti-bullying poster or assembly ever could. Actions truly speak louder than words.
Research consistently demonstrates that schools implementing graduated discipline policies with expulsion as the final consequence for repeated bullying experience significant improvements in school climate. Bullying incidents decrease dramatically. Student reports of feeling safe increase. Academic performance improves across the student population. Attendance rates rise. Mental health issues decrease. These measurable benefits emerge not just because bullies leave, but because the entire student body recognizes that safety and respect truly matter to the administration.
Some worry that expulsion merely transfers problems to another school. This concern highlights the need for consistent policies across educational systems, not a reason to avoid necessary disciplinary measures. Moreover, facing serious consequences often serves as the wake-up call some bullies need. Many former bullies report that facing genuine consequences finally made them recognize the seriousness of their actions. By avoiding these consequences, we deny them an important opportunity for genuine change and growth.
The parents of bullies frequently resist expulsion policies, arguing their children deserve unlimited chances. While parental advocacy is understandable, this perspective ignores the parents of victims, who watch helplessly as their children suffer despite following rules and seeking help through proper channels. School policies must balance all parental concerns, not just those expressed most forcefully. The protection of all students requires difficult decisions that sometimes disappoint those unwilling to acknowledge their children’s harmful actions.
Implementing an expulsion policy doesn’t mean abandoning educational responsibility toward bullies. Alternative educational arrangements can and should be made. Specialized programs exist specifically for students with behavioral challenges. Online learning options provide educational continuity. These alternatives allow bullies to continue their education while protecting the school community from their harmful behaviors. Education continues, but in an environment better suited to addressing their specific needs.
Teachers benefit tremendously from clear anti-bullying policies with serious consequences. Currently, they spend considerable time managing classroom disruptions and mediating bullying-related conflicts instead of teaching. They watch helplessly as certain students terrorize others, knowing administrative responses will likely prove inadequate. With clear policies and administrative support, teachers can focus on education while referring serious behavioral issues to appropriate authorities, improving both classroom management and educational outcomes.
Student bystanders also suffer under current policies. Witnessing bullying without seeing meaningful intervention creates moral distress and cynicism. Many feel compelled to either join in bullying to avoid becoming targets themselves or intervene directly, potentially placing themselves at risk. Neither option represents a healthy educational environment. Clear anti-bullying policies with serious consequences for violations relieve students of this impossible burden, allowing them to report incidents with confidence that appropriate action will follow.
The ultimate goal of any school should be creating an environment where learning thrives. This requires physical and emotional safety for all students. It demands clear expectations for behavior with meaningful consequences when those expectations are violated. It necessitates prioritizing the collective good over individual exceptions. Expelling persistent bullies after multiple interventions have failed represents a measured, reasonable response to behavior that undermines these fundamental educational requirements. Our school community deserves nothing less.
— END OF SPEECH —
Commentary: This speech presents a comprehensive examination of why expulsion policies benefit the entire school ecosystem, addressing multiple stakeholder perspectives while maintaining focus on student safety. Well-suited for school board meetings, educational policy forums, or advanced student leadership conferences where systemic solutions are being considered.
Speech 4: Creating Consequences That Matter
Thank you for allowing me to speak today about a topic that affects every student in this room – how we handle bullying in our school. Let me start with a question: How many of you know someone who has been bullied? Look around. That’s almost everyone. Now, how many of you believe our current approach stops bullying effectively? The silence speaks volumes. Despite anti-bullying posters and occasional assemblies, the problem persists because the consequences don’t match the harm being caused.
Bullying takes many forms, from physical intimidation to relentless social exclusion to online harassment that follows students home. The victims can’t escape, even after school hours. They check their phones to find threatening messages. They lie awake worrying about facing their tormentors the next day. Their grades drop. Their mental health suffers. Some transfer schools or drop out entirely. Others develop anxiety, depression, or even consider self-harm. These aren’t minor problems. They’re serious harms that affect students for years.
Our current approach typically involves warnings, detentions, and maybe short suspensions for severe cases. Then the bully returns, often angry about being punished, and targets the same victims even more intensely. The victims learn a terrible lesson: reporting doesn’t help and might make things worse. Many stop reporting altogether and suffer in silence. The bullies learn an equally destructive lesson: they can continue their behavior with only minor, temporary consequences. This cycle continues, harming more students each year.
Some argue that expelling bullies denies them their right to education. This argument ignores a crucial reality: persistent bullies actively deny multiple other students their right to education every day. When students skip school to avoid bullies, can’t concentrate in class due to anxiety, or develop trauma responses to school settings, their education suffers drastically. By protecting one student’s right to remain despite harmful behavior, we sacrifice many others’ educational experiences. This math simply doesn’t add up.
Schools implementing clear, escalating consequences for bullying – with expulsion as the final step for repeat offenders – report significant improvements in school climate. Bullying incidents decrease dramatically. Students report feeling safer. Academic performance improves across the board. Attendance rates rise. These aren’t just anecdotes but documented results from schools that decided to prioritize the safety and well-being of all students over keeping bullies enrolled regardless of their behavior. The evidence supports a stronger approach.
Critics worry that expulsion merely moves problem students elsewhere without addressing root causes. This concern misses several important points. First, expulsion should only occur after multiple interventions have failed, including counseling and behavioral support. Second, the threat of serious consequences often prevents bullying from escalating to expulsion-worthy levels. Third, allowing harmful behavior to continue without meaningful consequences teaches bullies that their actions are acceptable – a lesson they’ll carry into adulthood with even more serious results.
The real question isn’t whether expulsion seems harsh, but whether our current approach effectively protects students and creates a positive learning environment. The answer is clearly no. Students continue suffering while bullies face minimal consequences. Teachers spend valuable class time managing conflicts instead of teaching. Administrators deal with the same behavioral problems repeatedly because nothing really changes. The entire school community pays the price for our reluctance to implement consequences that actually matter.
Let’s consider what message our policies send. When we keep bullies enrolled despite repeated harmful behavior, we tell victims their suffering matters less than keeping their tormentors in school. We tell rule-following students that breaking rules carries few real consequences. We tell parents that we prioritize keeping all students enrolled over ensuring their children’s safety and well-being. These messages shape school culture more powerfully than any anti-bullying program ever could. Our actions speak louder than our words.
Understand that expulsion should never be the first response. Schools should implement graduated discipline that includes warning, counseling, conflict resolution, temporary suspension, and other interventions first. Documentation should show that these approaches were tried and failed before expulsion becomes an option. But having expulsion as the final consequence for repeated, serious bullying sends a clear message about what behavior our community will and won’t accept. This clarity benefits everyone, including potential bullies who might reconsider their actions.
The right to education comes with responsibilities. Students must follow basic rules of conduct that allow everyone to learn safely. When students repeatedly demonstrate they can’t or won’t meet these basic responsibilities despite multiple supports and chances, the school community must prioritize the collective good. This isn’t about punishment but protection – creating an environment where learning can flourish for the greatest number of students. Sometimes, that requires making difficult decisions about individual students who consistently undermine that environment.
— END OF SPEECH —
Commentary: This speech emphasizes the practical realities of bullying’s impact on educational outcomes while advocating for proportional consequences. It presents a balanced view that acknowledges the need for intervention before expulsion. Most effective for parent-teacher associations, school safety committees, or student leadership forums focused on policy revision.
Speech 5: Safety First – The Case for Expelling Bullies
Hello everyone. Today I want to talk about creating truly safe schools where learning can happen without fear. The current approach to dealing with bullying isn’t working. Students still face harassment, intimidation, and abuse from peers who know the consequences will be minor. The time has come for stronger measures, including expelling repeat offenders who demonstrate they cannot or will not stop harming others despite multiple interventions and opportunities to change.
Safety must come first in educational settings. Without feeling safe, students cannot learn effectively. Their minds focus on survival rather than education. They worry about hallway encounters rather than homework. They plan escape routes rather than future careers. This chronic stress affects brain development, academic performance, and long-term mental health. By allowing bullies to remain despite repeated harmful behavior, schools fail their primary responsibility: providing a safe learning environment for all students.
Let’s clarify what we’re discussing. Expulsion should never be the first response to bullying behavior. Schools should implement comprehensive prevention programs, conflict resolution training, counseling, and graduated discipline first. Documentation should show that less severe approaches were tried and failed. Expulsion becomes appropriate only when a student has demonstrated a pattern of harmful behavior that continues despite multiple interventions and opportunities to change. At that point, the needs of the many must outweigh the needs of one student who refuses to stop harming others.
The data from schools with clear, consistently enforced anti-bullying policies that include expulsion as a final consequence shows impressive results. Bullying incidents decrease by up to 50%. Student reports of feeling safe increase dramatically. Academic performance improves across the student population. Attendance rates rise as fewer students avoid school due to fear. Mental health referrals decrease. These measurable benefits demonstrate that taking bullying seriously through meaningful consequences creates better educational outcomes for everyone.
Critics argue that expulsion unfairly punishes bullies who may themselves be victims of difficult circumstances. This compassionate view fails to address a critical reality: while we should understand the root causes of bullying behavior, understanding doesn’t equal accepting. Many students face challenging home lives, previous trauma, or social difficulties without becoming bullies. Holding students accountable for harmful choices doesn’t mean ignoring their needs. It means recognizing that explanations for behavior aren’t excuses for continued harm to others.
Consider the message sent when schools retain students who repeatedly harm others despite multiple interventions. We effectively tell victims that their suffering matters less than keeping their tormentors enrolled. We tell rule-following students that breaking rules carries few meaningful consequences. We tell parents that enrollment numbers matter more than their children’s safety. These implicit messages shape school culture far more powerfully than any anti-bullying posters or assemblies ever could. Our actions reveal our true priorities.
The legal and ethical obligation of schools extends to all students, not just those with behavioral challenges. When parents send their children to school, they rightfully expect a safe environment conducive to learning. They trust administrators to protect their children from harassment and harm. When schools fail to remove students who repeatedly create unsafe conditions despite multiple interventions, they breach this fundamental trust. This breach has consequences beyond individual incidents, undermining community confidence in educational institutions.
Some worry that expulsion merely transfers problems to another school. This concern highlights the need for consistent policies across educational systems, not a reason to avoid necessary disciplinary measures. Moreover, facing serious consequences often serves as the wake-up call some bullies need. Many former bullies report that finally facing genuine consequences made them recognize the seriousness of their actions. By avoiding these consequences, we deny them an important opportunity for genuine change and growth.
Implementing expulsion policies for persistent bullying doesn’t mean abandoning educational responsibility. Alternative educational arrangements can and should be made. Specialized programs exist specifically for students with behavioral challenges. Online learning options provide educational continuity. These alternatives allow students to continue their education while protecting the school community from their harmful behaviors. Education continues, but in an environment better suited to addressing their specific needs.
Teachers benefit tremendously from clear anti-bullying policies with serious consequences. Currently, they spend considerable time managing classroom disruptions and mediating bullying-related conflicts instead of teaching. With clear policies and administrative support, teachers can focus on education while referring serious behavioral issues to appropriate authorities. This improves both classroom management and educational outcomes, allowing teachers to fulfill their primary role as educators rather than disciplinarians.
Research consistently shows that bullied students experience significant academic decline. Their grades drop. Their standardized test scores fall. Their attendance becomes irregular. Some develop school refusal behaviors that can lead to complete educational disengagement. By allowing bullies to remain despite repeated harmful actions, schools actively contribute to these negative educational outcomes for victims. This directly contradicts the educational mission and may even violate legal obligations to provide equal educational opportunities to all students.
The financial costs of inadequate bullying responses extend beyond immediate disciplinary measures. Schools face increased counseling needs, security requirements, administrative time spent on recurring issues, and potential liability for failing to protect students. Parents withdraw children from unsafe environments, reducing enrollment and associated funding. Teacher turnover increases in schools where behavioral problems go unaddressed, creating additional recruitment and training costs. Taking strong action against persistent bullying makes both educational and financial sense.
Creating truly safe schools requires courage from administrators. They must withstand pressure from parents who refuse to acknowledge their children’s harmful behaviors. They must prioritize the collective good over individual exceptions. They must implement policies consistently despite inevitable criticism. This courage serves the entire school community, creating an environment where learning can flourish without fear. Our students deserve nothing less than this commitment to their safety and well-being. Thank you.
— END OF SPEECH —
Commentary: This speech takes a comprehensive approach, balancing compassion with practical considerations while making a strong case for creating truly safe learning environments. The emphasis on safety as a prerequisite for effective education makes it particularly suitable for educational conferences, school safety initiatives, or advocacy campaigns focused on student wellbeing.
Wrap-up: Bullies and School Safety
Addressing bullying requires clear policies with meaningful consequences.
The speeches above explore why expulsion may be necessary when other interventions fail.
While opinions differ on the best approach, everyone agrees that student safety must come first.
Creating safe schools means establishing boundaries that protect all students’ right to learn without fear.
Whether through prevention programs, graduated discipline, or removal of persistent offenders, the goal remains the same: schools where everyone feels secure enough to focus on education.
The most effective anti-bullying approaches combine prevention, intervention, and meaningful consequences.
By taking bullying seriously and implementing policies that truly protect victims, schools demonstrate their commitment to creating positive learning environments where all students can thrive.