Children, Adolescents and Bullying

1. Children, Adolescents and Bullying A Presentation from Metro TeenAIDS

2. Bullying in Every Day Life • Welcome • Do now • Bullying facts • DCPS • Cyber-bullying • LGBTQ bullying • Suicide • Youth violence • Potential Solutions • NBC Dateline • Follow-up

3. Do now… • Please take your quiz • Please write down on your note card: • Your definition of bullying • An example of bullying you have witnessed

4. What is bullying? • Attack or intimidation • Imbalance of power • Repeated attacks

5. Bullying Facts • Variety of bullying • One in seven children grades 5-12 have been involved in 2010 • 56% of children report witnessing bullying at school in 2010 • 20% of children report that they are actually bullied at school

6. Why does it matter to DCPS? • From the youth risk behavior surveillance survey • Are nearly three times more likely to avoid school because they feel unsafe • More likely to be threatened or injured with a weapon on school property • Nearly two times more likely to be in a fight on a school campus • Slightly more likely to consider suicide • Two times more likely to have a suicide attempt that requires medical treatment

7. Effects of Bullying • Physical injury, social and emotional distress • Children who are bullied • Children who are bullies • Children who are bully-victims

8. Risk Factors of Bullying • Children at risk for bullying • Lower self esteem • Physically smaller • Poor social skills • Children at risk for being bullies • Impulsivity • Harsh parenting by caregivers • Attitudes where violence is accepted

9. Signs & Symptoms of Bullying • That a child is being bullied • Becoming withdrawn • Showing fear when it is time to go to school • Increasing signs of depression • Decline in school performance • That a child is being a bully • Views violence as a solution to most problems • Shows aggression towards adults as well as other children • Needs to dominate others and control the situation • Easily frustrated

10. What is cyber-bullying? • This includes electronic messages in the forms of webchats, email, instant messaging, social networking sites, a chat room, or videos or pictures posted on a website or sent through cell phones. This is called electronic aggression.

11. Cyber-bullying Facts • Up to 35% of children affected • Most common in grade 8 • Instant messaging is most common

12. Effects of cyber-bullying • High risk behaviors • Encouraging others • Victim-bullies • Cyber-bullying & sexual harassment • Combining tactics

13. What can be done about cyber-bullying? • Offer training to fellow educators • Talk to children and teens • Notify IT • Positive atmosphere • Make a plan

14. LBGTQ Bullying Facts • Lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender and questioning children are at a higher risk for bullying because of negative attitudes towards their orientation • 2009 survey showed startling facts • LGBT and Q(uestioning) students were more likely to report bullying and substance abuse and be at a higher risk for suicide

15. Bullycide • Bullycide is a term used to describe suicide as a result of bullying • Suicide is the 6th leading cause of death for 5 to 14 year olds, the 3rd leading cause of death in adolescents and the 2nd leading cause of death among college aged youth • 4 out of 5 teens who attempt suicide have given clear warning signs

16. What can you do to support LGBTQ youth? • Recognize challenges this population faces in your school • Be self-aware • Confront inappropriate remarks • Seek chances to discuss contributions of LGBTQ in class • No assumptions

17. What can be done about LBGTQ Bullying school wide? • Positive school environment • Respect for all • “Safe” spaces • Gay-straight-lesbian alliance clubs • Recognize community resources for LBGTQ students

18. Youth Violence • Youth violence includes bullying, slapping, hitting, punching, robbery and assault and can often cause more emotional damage then physical damage • Although only 1% of homicides occurred on school grounds perpetrators were 9 times more likely to demonstrate suicidal ideation before committing these crimes and twice as likely to have been bullied by their peers • In 2007 DC the number is 49.8 homicides out of 100,000 people aged 15-24

19. What can be done about youth violence? • Difficult for schools to manage- truly a community problem • Family prevention programs • Teaching children social development skills • Mentoring programs with positive adult role models • Physical and social changes within the environment

20. Teachers who are Bullied • In 2005 a survey showed that 36% of teachers reported they had been bullied by their students • 61% were part-time • 34% were full-time • 30% support staff • Understand it is common- and needs to be reported

21. What can teachers do about bullying? • School wide efforts by creating a positive school environment • No changes in bullying rates shown in “Zero Tolerance” Policies • Preventing bullying in the classroom • Preventing children from being bullying targets • Teaching bystanders to be active bullying preventers

22. School Wide Efforts • Assess bullying at each individual school • Set boundaries that indicate when educators should intervene • Create a menu of consequences for those who bully • Establish a policy for contacting the parents of the bully • Monitor bullying prevention measures to make sure they are effective for reducing bullying at the school

23. Preventing Bullying the Classroom • Make sure students understand the definition of bullying • Hold a class meeting where students come up with rules for behavior • Have students create a list of bullying that are kept on the board • Teachers confront bullies in a firm and fair manner • Other strategies

24. Helping Children Develop Positive Self-Esteem • Find out where children are reporting they are most often bullied • Create a safe room in school • Help children who struggle socially with basic skills • Pair students off for fun activities in class to encourage friendship and collaboration • Teach assertiveness skills

25. Teaching Bystanders to be Active Bullying Preventers • Train students to play an active role in supporting the victim of bullying • Clearly distinguish between tattling and telling • Invite trusted adults to introduce themselves and identify themselves as a safe person • Hold bystanders accountable for their actions if they join in on bullying a victim • Instruct students who witness bullying to never partake in it

26. Dateline NBC- My Kid Would Never Bully • http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/ • March 6th, 2011 • Elementary school • Are purses just for girls? • Everyday speech leaves lasting effects • Middle school & High school • My kid would never bully part 4 • My kid would never bully part 5

27. Documentary & Resources http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRMxURmvyxI

28. References • Wright, Jim (2004). Preventing classroom bullying: what teachers can do. www.interventioncentral.org. Retrieved on March 2, 2012 at http://www.jimwrightonline.com/pdfdocs/bully/bullyBooklet.pdf • National Center for Injury Control and Prevention (2011). Understanding bullying: fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved on February 18, 2012 from http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/Bullying_Factsheet-a.pdf • Wired Kids Inc. (2012). What is it? Stop cyberbullying. Retrieved on March 1, 2012 from http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/what_is_cyberbullying_exactly.html • McCollum, S. (2010). Country Outpost. Teaching tolerance. Retrieved Febuary 28, 2012 from http://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/Country_Outposts_38.pdf

29. References • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and transgender health (2011). Youth. Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved on March 3, 2012 from http://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm • Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health (2011). LBGT youth resources. Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved on March 3, 2012 from http://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth-resources.htm#school • Hartjes, E. (2007). Some students bully teachers too. Teachers at risk. Retrieved on March 14, 2012 from http://www.teachersatrisk.com/2007/05/07/some-students-bully-teachers-too/ • National Center for Injury Control and Prevention (2011). Youth violence national and state statistics at a glance. Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved on February 27, 2012 from http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/youthviolence/stats_at-a_glance/index.html • Poland, S. & Poland, D. (2004). Dealing with death at school. Principal leadership. Retrieved on March 19, 2012 from http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/Dealing%20with%20Death%20at%20School%20April%2004.pdf