bullying
Bullying is any unwanted/harmful verbal, physical, psychological, sexual, or social (relational) act. It includes real or perceived threats and imbalances of power.
To be defined as bullying, the act must be:
To be defined as bullying, the act must be:
- Aggressive
- Repeated
- Include an imbalance of power
types of bullying:
VERBAL
SOCIAL
PHYSICAL
CYBER
- Teasing/Name-calling
- Taunting
- Inappropriate sexual comments
- Threatening to cause harm
SOCIAL
- Spreading rumors about someone
- Intentionally leaving someone out
- Publicly embarrassing someone
- Telling others not to be friends with someone
PHYSICAL
- Hitting/Kicking
- Spitting
- Taking or breaking someone else's belongings
- Offensive hand gestures
CYBER
- Bullying that takes place over digital devices:
- Social Media
- Text Message
Bullying Statistics:
- More than 1 out of 5 students report being bullied
- Approximately 30% of young people admit to bullying others
- Most common reasons for being bullied include: physical appearance, race/ethnicity, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation
- 70% of students say they have seen bullying at their school
- More than half (57%) of bullying situations stop when a peer intervenes on behalf of the victim
- Only 20-30% of students who are bullied notify an adult about it
- School-based bullying prevention programs decrease bullying by up to 25%
warning signs:
of a child being bullied:
of a child bullying others:
- Unexplainable injuries
- Lost/destroyed personal items
- Frequent heartaches or stomachaches
- Faking sickness to stay home from school
- Change in eating habits (skipping meals or binge eating)
- Difficulty sleeping
- Frequent nightmares
- Declining grades
- Loss of friends or avoiding social situations
- Feelings of helplessness
- Decreased self-esteem
- Running away from home
- Harming themselves
- Talking about suicide
of a child bullying others:
- Getting into physical or verbal fights
- Having friends who bully others
- Increasing aggression
- Frequent detention or being sent to the principal's office
- Sudden possession of unexplained money or belongings
- Blaming others for their actions
- Not accepting responsibility for actions
- Excessive competitiveness
- Constant worrying about their reputation
effects of bullying:
- Emotional distress
- Depression/Anxiety
- Sleep difficulties
- Substance abuse
- Missing work/school
- Low self-esteem
- Physical symptoms like headaches/stomachaches
- Suicide
prevention:
- Help children understand what bullying is and how to safely stand up to it
- Keep communication open
- Listen to children
- Know their friends
- Ask about school
- Encourage hobbies to boost confidence
- Model how to treat others
Steps to take:
If a child is being bullied in school, contact:
If you have been bullied:
- Their immediate teacher
- The school counselor
- Principal
- Superintendent
- State Department of Education
If you have been bullied:
- Tell an adult and ask for help
- If the bullying still continues, find the laws designed to protect you:
- find your state laws/policies on: StopBullying.gov
sources:
National Bullying Prevention Center: www.pacer.org
stopbullying.gov: www.stopbullying.gov
Tyler Clementi Foundation: tylerclementi.org
stopbullying.gov: www.stopbullying.gov
Tyler Clementi Foundation: tylerclementi.org