Bullying

1. Bullying In Our Children’s Schools

2. 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

3. Who Are Bullies? • Children who bully typically demonstrate a strong sense of self-esteem • They like to feel powerful and in control

4. 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

5. 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

6. Who Are The Victims of Bullying? Cont’d • 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

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

14. Resources Used To Create This Presentation Include: • ERIC (1997). What should parents and teachers know about bullying? [Brochure]. US Department of Education. • Sjostrom, L., & Stein, N. (1996). Bullyproof. Washington, DC: Wesley College Center for Research on Women. • Sharp, S., & Smith, P.K. (Eds.). (1994). Tackling bullying in your school. New York, NY: Routledge.