麻豆精品

1. What is bullying?

Bullying is as aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. It鈥檚 always unwanted, sometimes public, usually repeated. And both the kids who are bullied and those who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.

In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:

• An imbalance of power: Bullying happens between peers. But social scientists observe that kids who bully use some kind of power鈥攕uch as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, popularity or willingness to be mean鈥攖o control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people.
• Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.

Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose. It鈥檚 old data, but then it鈥檚 an age-old problem: In 2007 aged 12-18 reported being bullied at school. Bullying is bullying, no matter where it occurs. It鈥檚 most common in places where there is little or no adult supervision. In fact, middle-school students, particularly sixth-graders,

2. What is cyberbullying?

Bullying online offers opportunities for the bullies 鈥� it can be anonymous and it鈥檚 very public 鈥� and hassles for the victims and those who would protect them, such as educators who struggle with authority outside of school. Even worse, new research suggests that technology increases the emotional harms associated with bullying. A study by the University of New Hampshire found its subjects who were felt much more embarrassed and unsafe.

3. What are examples of bullying?

Stopbullying.gov lists : Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things. Verbal bullying includes:

• Teasing
• Name-calling
• Inappropriate sexual comments
• Taunting
• Threatening to cause harm

Social bullying 鈥� sometimes referred to as relational bullying 鈥� involves hurting someone鈥檚 reputation or relationships. Social bullying includes:

• Leaving someone out on purpose
• Telling other children not to be friends with someone
• Spreading rumors about someone
• Embarrassing someone in public

Physical bullying involves hurting a person鈥檚 body or possessions. Physical bullying includes:

• Hitting/kicking/pinching
• Spitting
• Tripping/pushing
• Taking or breaking someone鈥檚 things
• Making mean or rude hand gestures

4. Is bullying only a children鈥檚 issue?

It may not be called bullying, but harassment, hazing, intimidation or other manifestations of interpersonal harm occurs in campuses too. In high school, it鈥檚 more likely to be done in packs, and more likely to last longer than the one-on-one prevalent in elementary school. And, while there鈥檚 more bullying overall in the middle grades,

5. What are the warning signs of bullying?

These signs, says , could signal that your child is being bullied or is bullying another child:

• Unexplainable injuries
• Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry
• Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness
• Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating. Kids may come home from school hungry because they did not eat lunch.
• Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares
• Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school
• Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations
• Feelings of helplessness or decreased self esteem
• Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide

Signs a Child is Bullying Others:

• Gets into physical or verbal fights
• Has friends who bully others
• Is increasingly aggressive
• Gets sent to the principal鈥檚 office or to detention frequently
• Has unexplained extra money or new belongings
• Blames others for their problems
• Doesn鈥檛 accept responsibility for their actions
• Is competitive and worries about their reputation or popularity

6. What鈥檚 the connection between bullying and suicide?

Panic is not too strong a word to describe public concern about bullying and suicide, say the . Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among America鈥檚 adolescents. And there is a link. But it鈥檚 not that simple. Both kids who report frequently bullying others and youth who report being frequently bullied are at increased risk for suicide-related behavior. The risk is even higher for kids who bully others and are bullied themselves. Being involved in bullying in any way is one of several risk factors for suicide-related behavior But what we don鈥檛 know, says the CDC, is if bullying directly causes suicide.

There鈥檚 a difference between circumstances being related to an event and being direct causes or effects. What is known is that both are complex public health problems, and that most students have a combination of risk and protective factors for either. Those factors include presence or absence of family conflict, connectedness at school, use of alcohol or drugs, exposure to violence, relationship problems, disabilities, learning problems, and access to resources and support. What鈥檚 important is to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors, which are proven to fight both bullying and suicide-related behaviors. The CDC faults the media for playing the blame game. Framing the issue as 鈥渂ullying is a direct cause of suicide鈥� creates the false impression that suicide is a natural response; encourages copycat behavior; focuses the response on punishment rather than prevention and treatment; and takes attention from the other important risk factors.

7. How can students prevent bullying?

Nearly 60% of , giving students an important role in bullying prevention. However, many students are unsure how to take the first step. If you鈥檙e a parent or supportive adult, have that conversation with your kid. Maybe you鈥檝e noticed something, or you could ask what they鈥檝e noticed. Ask how they would want someone to support them, and offer these options for them to support someone else: talking to the student being bullied, telling the victim and/or the bully that it鈥檚 not OK, inviting the victim to join in an activity. They can do what鈥檚 right and do what鈥檚 right for them, remembering that the most effective step to encourage your child to take is to show support for the student being bullied.

鈥淭he simplest action parents can tell students to take is not to join in. This sends the message that they don鈥檛 agree with what鈥檚 happening and takes attention away from the person bullying. Students can also help by telling an adult about the bullying, since the student who is being bullied might not be able to do it themselves. With this action, it is important to discuss the difference between telling and tattling. Telling is done to protect yourself or another student from getting hurt, whereas tattling is done to purposely get someone in trouble.鈥� 鈥斅�

8. How can adults teach children about bullying?

These suggestions work for parents, teachers and officials. and how to stand up to it safely. Tell kids bullying is unacceptable. Make sure kids know how to get help. Check in with kids often. Listen to them. Know their friends, ask about school, and understand their concerns. Special activities, interests, and hobbies can boost confidence, help kids make friends, and protect them from bullying behavior. Model how to treat others with kindness and respect.

9. What should I do if my child is being bullied?

If your child is being bullied, a neutral environment is the place for any discussion, or confrontation, with people at school or the parents of the bully. It is important to find out pertinent and detailed information about the bullying, including the perpetrators, when and where it happened and the extent, particularly any threats made against your child. Once you have a clear and reasonably objective understanding of what has been occurring, make an immediate appointment with the school鈥檚 principal.

If you have a copy of the school鈥檚 anti-bullying policy and you feel the bully has violated it, make sure you indicate that to the principal. When meeting with the principal, remain calm, If the harassment continues, document it and file a Notice of Harassment. You may need to move up the chain of command, contacting the superintendent of schools, board of education, or possibly even state and federal authorities. If the bullying does not stop you should file charges with the school board and law enforcement if appropriate. This is also a that could follow them into more serious offenses later on. If a clear, direct and violent threat that pertains to outside of school has been made, contact the authorities immediately.

10. What should I do if my child becomes a bully?

Sit down and . Tell them that the school or other parents have reported their aggressiveness, that you love them no matter what, that their behavior has to change and that you won鈥檛 tolerate it and will support the school鈥檚 punishment. Include a short moral lesson. Explain that bullying, whether it鈥檚 physical or verbal, causes pain to others. Let them know that name-calling, teasing, hitting, pushing, starting or spreading rumors are wrong and not acceptable behavior. Depending on the age of the child, they may not know any better.

Young children, especially, need to be told that hurting another child is not acceptable. Offer reassurance and support. Let your child know that you will help them to change the behavior and correct the situation. Ask them how they think the bullying could be stopped. What do they think has to change in order for them to change? After you have thoroughly discussed this with your child, meet with their teacher to get the teacher’s perspective. It鈥檚 hard but important to keep calm and listen without being judgmental. Let the teacher know that you are willing to work with the school to help stop your child from bullying. It鈥檚 important to tell the teacher if there are any family problems that you might be experiencing. Difficult truth: Additional counseling could be needed for your child. It could help them learn to behave differently, accept responsibility for their actions and teach them how to develop guilt, as well as learn how to form cohesive relationships.

11. How should I report bullying incidents?

Most, if not all, schools and and policies on how to report bullying. Parents and children, teachers and guidance counselors should familiarize themselves with their school and school district鈥檚 anti-bullying handbooks. If you have repeatedly reported bullying to your school鈥檚 administrators to no effect, The behavior may or may not be illegal. Anti-bullying laws vary on a state-by-state basis. Bullying, cyberbullying, and related behaviors may be covered in a single law or may be addressed in multiple laws. In some cases, bullying appears in the criminal code of a state that may apply to juveniles. Click here for information on individual states.

12. Do schools educate students on bullying?

An increasing number do 鈥� and educators have a lot of programs or curricula to choose from. Elementary schools tend to be the most active. Many evaluated programs that address bullying are designed for them and for middle schools. Fewer programs exist for high schools and non-school settings. There are many including the school鈥檚 demographics, capacity, and resources. There are or staff training though senators rewriting the No Child Left Behind law are debating appropriate federal anti-bullying policies. They are working to balance Republicans’ reluctance to impose federal regulations on states and schools with the need to protect, in particular, LGBT students.

13. How are bullies dealt with in school?

While there are is no federally mandated curricula regarding bullying, the U.S. Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights has issued guidance to schools that bullying is wrong and must not be tolerated. bullying allegations are determined locally or by the state. School policy on how to punish or not punish bullies is generally done on a district-by-district basis. Many schools and school districts have 鈥榸ero tolerance鈥� or 鈥榯hree strikes and you鈥檙e out鈥� bullying policies. These others. However, according to stopbullying.gov:

• Recent surveys of elementary and middle school students show that about one in five students admit to occasionally bullying their peers. Even if policies address only physical bullying, the number of children affected by zero tolerance policies is significant.
• The threat of suspension or expulsion may discourage children and adults from reporting bullying.
• Bullying can be an early indicator of other problem behaviors. Children who regularly bully their peers are at risk of unexcused absences, fighting, theft, and vandalism. These children need positive role models, including the adults and students in their school.

Suspension and expulsion are drastic measures.

14. As an educator, what鈥檚 the most effective way I can stop bullying?

Be inclusive. Get a committee or task force together. They can help plan, implement, and evaluate your school’s bullying prevention program, including the following components:

Assess bullying in your school: Conduct assessments in your school to determine how often bullying occurs, where it happens, how students and adults intervene, and whether your prevention efforts are working.

Engage parents and kids: Launch an awareness campaign to make the objectives known to the school, parents, and community members. It is important for everyone in the community to work together to send a unified message against bullying. 鈥淏ullying doesn鈥檛 happen only at school. Community members can use their unique strengths and skills to prevent bullying wherever it occurs. For example, youth sports groups may train coaches to prevent bullying. Local businesses may make t-shirts with bullying prevention slogans for an event. After-care staff may read books about bullying to kids and discuss them. Hearing anti-bullying messages from the different adults in their lives can reinforce the message for kids that bullying is unacceptable.鈥� 鈥�

Create policies and rules: Here鈥檚 where a mission statement can actually be useful. Add a code of conduct, school-wide rules, and a bullying reporting system. These establish a climate in which bullying is not acceptable. Disseminate and communicate widely.

Build a safe environment: Establish a school culture of acceptance, tolerance and respect. Use staff meetings, assemblies, class and parent meetings, newsletters to families, the school website, and the student handbook to establish a positive climate at school. Reinforce positive social interactions and inclusiveness.

Educate students and school staff: Build bullying prevention material into the curriculum and school activities. Train teachers and staff on the school鈥檚 rules and policies. Give them the skills to intervene consistently and appropriately.

Did you use this article in your work?

We鈥檇 love to hear how 麻豆精品鈥檚 reporting is helping educators, researchers, and policymakers.