Bullying

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Bullying
In Our Childrens Schools
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What Is Bullying?

• Physical or psychological intimidation that
  occurs repeatedly over time
• Bullying can be overt (i.e., teasing, hitting, or
  stealing) boys are most often overt bullies
• Bullying can covert (i.e., spreading rumors or
  exclusion) girls are most often covert bullies

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Who Are Bullies?

• Children who bully typically demonstrate a strong
  sense of self-esteem
• They like to feel powerful and in control

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Who Are Bullies? (continued)

• Bullies often come from homes that use physical
  punishment to discipline
• Caregivers of bullies are typically uninvolved
  and lack warmth
• Children who bully are often defiant toward
  authority figures and are apt to break rules

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Who Are The Victims of Bullying?

• Children who are bullied are often insecure,
  socially isolated, anxious, and have low
  self-esteem
• They are unlikely to defend themselves or
  retaliate
• They tend to be weaker than their peers

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Who Are The Victims of Bullying? Contd

• Parents of children who are bullied are often
  overprotective or enmeshed with their children
• Children who are bullied perceive parent or
  teacher intervention to be ineffective and are
  unlikely to report the problem

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Typical Adult Responses To Bullying

• Bullying is often perceived as a harmless rite of
  passage that all children will experience
• Unless bullying is likely to lead to physical
  injury, many adults believe it is best left to be
  resolved by children and their peers

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Long-Term Implications of Bullying

• Children who are bullies are likely experience
  legal or criminal problems as adults
• Children can carry bullying behaviors into
  adulthood and experience difficulty in forming
  and maintaining relationships

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Long-Term Implications of Being Bullied

• Children who are bullied often experience low
  self-esteem and depression even into adulthood
• Children who are bullied perceive school as an
  unsafe place and are likely to miss more days of
  school than their peers, as a result their
  education is negatively affected

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Responding To The Problem Of Bullying

• Develop a school-wide bullying policy to
• raise awareness of teachers and administrators
• create a framework for responding to bullying
• improve overall school environment
• ensure change is occurring in the classroom
• empower students through programs such as
  peer counseling, mediation, or
  conflict resolution

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Responding To The Problem Of Bullying

• Develop a school-wide bullying policy
• Implement classroom curriculum
• Develop classroom rules against bullying
• Develop cooperative learning projects that
  encourage teamwork and reduce social isolation
• Create activities or assignments that teach
  problem-solving or conflict-resolution skills
• Participate in role-playing or other activities
  to help children understand the perspectives of
  
• others and identify feelings

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Responding To The Problem Of Bullying

• Develop a school-wide bullying policy
• Implement classroom curriculum
• Raise awareness of bullying
• Allow students to fill out surveys to better
  understand their perspective of bullying
• Inform caregivers of bullying policies/curriculum
  through conferences, newsletters, or PTA meetings
• Encourage parent involvement in anti-bullying
  initiatives

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For More Information About Bullying Visit

• National Parent information Network
• www.npin.org
• Educators for Social Responsibility
• www.benjerry.com/esr/aboutesr.html
• Bullying in Schools and What to do About it
• http//www.education.unisa.edu.au/bullying
• Anti-Bullying Network
• http//www.antibullying.net