School bullying phenomenon, more than 1/5 of students have experienced it, parents must read

What is bullying?

Bullying can be defined as persistent verbal, physical, or written harassment/abuse that occurs in a community and/or school setting. Bullies use aggression or threats to gain dominance over their peers. They often repeatedly target kids who are "different" in some way. Young people who are not confident and unwilling to defend themselves (or ask for help) can also become victims.

Almost all children have experienced some degree of bullying (have you not?). It most often occurs in adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14. Of course, older children also experience bullying, but it is often more subtle in nature.

Physical bullying often occurs when there is no adult present to prevent or stop it. When an adult is present, bullying often takes the form of verbal intimidation and arrogance if the adult is at a distance, and non-verbal/non-physical forms (e.g. threatening looks and gestures, words spoken silently) if an adult is present. However, the influence an adult has is largely based on his/her awareness, prestige, and power.

School bullying is a long-standing problem in the field of education in the United States. In recent years, as society pays more attention to mental health and student safety, this issue has received more attention. School bullying has been identified as a problem behavior among adolescents, affecting the academic performance, prosocial skills and mental health of both victims and perpetrators. Bullying is generally defined as a specific form of aggression that is intentional, repeated, and involves a power difference between the victim and the perpetrator. Studies have found that boys are more likely to bully than girls, and bullying behavior tends to peak in middle school and then decline. These bullying behaviors not only have a serious impact on the mental health of the victims, but may also lead to problems such as decreased academic performance and social barriers.

More Stats

160,000 children skip school every day for fear of being bullied. (https://tinyurl.com/m8xckzff)

Witnessing Bullying

70.6% of teens say they have seen bullying at school. 70.4% of school staff have seen bullying. 62% have seen bullying two or more times in the past month, and 41% see it once or more per week. When bystanders intervene, bullying stops within 10 seconds 57% of the time. (https://tinyurl.com/m8xckzff)

Cyberbullying

6% of students in grades 6-12 have experienced cyberbullying. 16% of high school students (grades 9-12) have been cyberbullied in the past year. However, 55.2% of LGBT students have experienced cyberbullying. (https://tinyurl.com/m8xckzff)

Spotting the signs that my child is being bullied?

Types of behaviour that may indicate bullying include

▸Reluctance to go to school

▸Unexplained upset stomach or headaches

▸Showing signs of distress on Sunday nights or at the end of school holidays

▸Becoming quiet, withdrawn, or dramatic

▸Torn clothing, missing items

▸Appearing upset after using a phone, tablet, computer, etc.

▸Wanting to leave for school earlier than necessary or returning home late

Is my child a bully? Questions parents (and teachers) can ask their children

①Have you ever tried to make someone cry or feel scared?

②Have you ever done anything to hurt someone or make someone feel bad?

③Have you or your friends ever made fun of anyone at school?

④Do you or your friends make fun of anyone outside of school?

⑤How often do you try to hurt other kids? Once a day? Once a week?

⑥How do you feel when someone or you are scared?

⑦How do you feel when you make someone feel bad?

⑧Has anyone ever done something hurtful to you? (laughed at, insulted, touched you rudely, excluded you from a group, sent hurtful emails/text messages)

⑨If so, how did you feel?

⑩What do you do during recess? Eat lunch?

Classroom Strategies

Teachers are the front line of the anti-bullying movement. Here are some tips to prevent bullying:

1. Discuss rules with students, or better yet, involve them in making them. Students are more likely to follow and promote rules that they have a hand in making.

2. Rules should be written in a positive way. Rather than focusing on what students shouldn’t do, give them rules that clearly state the expected behavior. For example, instead of writing the intent as “Don’t be disrespectful to others,” write “Talk to others in a friendly way.”

3. When making rules, it’s also a good idea to discuss the consequences of not following them. The consequences that are made will help bullies learn prosocial skills. Consequences should be practical. For example, writing “I will not hit Jane” 250 times on a piece of paper is not helpful. While it points out what not to do, it doesn’t provide a description of desirable behavior. In this case, the bully doesn’t actually learn anything new. It neither identifies nor promotes alternative behaviors (e.g., “When I’m angry, I use ‘I’ messages to express my feelings.”). Bullies should be taught to take responsibility for their actions and to take more appropriate actions.

4. Hold regular classroom meetings so that students and teachers can clarify or change bullying-related rules when necessary. Such gatherings can also help students and teachers learn more about bullying and what to do if it happens to them. Every classroom dynamic is unique, and this factor should always be taken into account when developing rules and consequences. Sometimes rules must also be modified due to this uniqueness.

5. Develop and/or use curriculum and materials (see resources listed below) that actively promote positive assertiveness, communication, respect for others, camaraderie (see the “Positive Peer Pressure” link), and friendship within the classroom.

6. Talk to parents regularly to inform them of their child’s behavior and performance in school. Inform parents if their child is being bullied and discuss whether the steps taken to help their child are effective.