Bullying Matters

1. Bullying Matters COLORADO SPRINGS POLICE DEPARTMENT Officer Mike Laurich – School Resource Officer

3. Our Commitment Is to ensure an emotionally and physically safe environment in our school community. We will do our best to stop any behavior that is threatening, harassing, bullying, or dangerous. If any student, parent, or staff member feels threatened, upset, or endangered by someone’s behavior, that person has both the right and the responsibility to speak out.

4. Goals • A school-wide effort to raise awareness and increase reporting about bullying • Prevent and reduce bullying behaviors • Change in school climate and what’s viewed as acceptable behavior • Identify appropriate interventions • Every student has the right not to be hurt and the right to learn in a safe environment

5. Affects of Bullying • Bullying has a negative effect on student interactions within a school and creates an atmosphere of fear and frustration among students • Bullying reduces students’ abilities to learn and feel safe in their environment • Bullying is often perceived as a harmless rite of passage that all children will experience

6. Bullying Could Result In

7. How common is bullying? Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the previous 6 months, by grade and school sector: 2003 Percent Sector Grade Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003

8. Bullying: By Location Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003

9. Bullying and School Violence? US Secret Service and US Dept. of Education Safe School Initiative Report (2002) • Studied 37 incidents of school violence, involving 41 attackers (1974-2000) • 3/4 of attackers in school shooting occurrences felt bullied, mistreated, threatened, attacked, or injured by others prior to the incident • Many of the attackers were characterized as “loners,” and were disliked by most of the “popular” students • Many had considered suicide Columbine Seung-Hui Cho

10. Study of Children who Bullied • 60% of boys who were bullies in middle school had at least one criminal conviction by age 24. • 40% had three or more convictions. • Bullies were 4 times as likely as peers to have multiple convictions. (Olweus, 1993)

11. Who Are Bullies? • Children who bully typically like to feel powerful and in control • Their behavior occurs repeatedly over time • Children who bully are often defiant toward authority figures and are apt to break rules

12. The Victims of Bullying? Being bullied is NOT your fault, don't blame yourself • Children who are bullied often feel insecure and isolated • Are unlikely to defend themselves • Feel school is an unsafe place and are likely to miss more days of school. As a result their education is negatively affected.

13. So What is Bullying? Bullying is about fear and intimidation • Punching, shoving and other acts that hurt people physically • Spreading bad rumors about people • Keeping certain people out of a "group" • Teasing people in a mean way • Getting certain people to "gang up" on others • Ethno-cultural based bullying: any physical or verbal behavior used to hurt another person because of his or her ethnicity (culture, color or religion)

14. Three Forms of Bullying • Physical: the most commonly known form; includes hitting, kicking, spitting, pushing, and taking personal belongings

15. Three Forms of Bullying (cont) • Verbal: includes taunting, malicious teasing, name- calling, and making threats

16. Three Forms of Bullying (cont) • Psychological: involves spreading rumors, manipulating social relationships, excluding others, extortion, and intimidation

17. Cyber Bullying Using the Internet, mobile phones or other cyber technology: • Send mean text, e-mail, or instant messages • Post nasty pictures or messages about others in blogs or on Web sites • Use someone else's user name to spread rumors or lies about someone

18. MySpace / Facebook

19. MySpace / Facebook • Both are committed to assist law enforcement in investigating and identifying those involved in electronic crime and other crime with any electronic component or device.

20. MySpace / FaceBook etc. Information collected from MySpace, FaceBook, and others include: • IP logs - Example IP Address (67.134.143.254) • Name provided by user • Date profile created with dates and times of login • E-mail address & Zip Code provided by user • Private Messages and Chat Logs • Login date stamps are retained for up to 90 days after account deletion

22. Bystander – Problem or Solution? Most bullying takes place when bystanders are present • Bullying may be fueled by the behavior of onlookers: 1. actively encouraging bullying incidents 2. silence implies approval, or at least tolerance • When someone is willing to say “that is wrong,” they can make a difference • Support the victim, either directly or by getting a teacher • If bystanders act to discourage bullying behaviors, there is a good chance (50%) that the bullying will stop Hawkins, Pepler, and Craig (2001)

23. Role of the Bystander Students who are neither victims nor bullies can take action in many different ways: • Refuse to be a “bystander” • Be a friend - help the person being hurt by inviting that person to participate in your school activities • Speak out - Tell the person who is bullying to STOP and report the bullying to a teacher • Resist peer pressure • Use a distraction with either the bully or the victim. Try changing the subject!

24. Bullying: School Consequences

25. Bullying: Criminal Consequences

26. Criminal Charges • Could Result In: JAIL Spring Creek Juvenile Detention Center

28. Criminal Charges (Colorado Revised Statutes) Possible Charges Related to Bullying: • Harassment • Telephone Harassment • Accessory to Crime • Menacing • Reckless Endangerment • Assault • Inciting a Riot • Criminal Extortion • Robbery • False Imprisonment • Kidnapping

30. If You Are Being Bullied? • Don't get mad, get funny -using humor shows that you're not scared and it can diffuse the situation • Look confident- don’t slouch or fidget, people who bully may pick on you if they think you are afraid of them • Project confidence- hold your head up and stand up straight • Don’t act scared- if you believe in yourself other kids will notice

31. If You Are Being Bullied? (cont) • Think of things to say ahead of time, keep it short and don't say anything mean • Don’t bring expensive things or lots of money to school • Telling is not snitching - don't be afraid to tell an adult you trust

32. Who Can You Tell • Teacher • School Counselor • Principal • School Resource Officer • Bus Driver • School Nurse • Parent • Close Friend

33. Bullying Tips For You • Tell an adult about the bullying and keep telling until action is taken • In many situations ignoring has the best results, when a bully no longer gets a reaction out of you, he/she will usually move on • Travel to school or social events in groups, don't walk alone • Avoid the bully and locations where bullying may occur • If you are threatened with harm, inform an adult and the police immediately

34. Bullying Tips (cont) • Protect yourself — never agree to • meet with a “bully” or with anyone you • meet online • Don’t open or read messages by cyber • bullies • Don’t erase messages — they may be • needed to take action • Remember, you deserve to go to • school in peace, don't let a bully ruin • your life

35. The End