Avenues - Bullying
Materials on Bullying are taken from Stop Bullying Now!, a program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program has an excellent website Stop Bullying Now! which offers comprehensive information for children, parents and educators as well as numerous downloads for distribution, including brochures and posters.
What is bullying?
Bullying is intentional aggressive behavior that involves an imbalance of power or strength. Typically, it is repeated over time, and can take a variety of forms including physical, verbal and emotional bullying. Cyberbullying the sending of insulting messages by email or text messaging also occurs.
Because of the devastating effects bullying can have on all students those being bullied, the bullies themselves and those witnessing the bullying bullying has been identified as a major concern by schools across the county.
Being bullied can interfere with a student’s participation in school and community activities and affect their ability and motivation to learn. Victims of bullying are more likely than other children to be depressed or lonely, to experience anxiety and to frequently feel unwell. They may fear going to school, using school bathrooms or riding the bus. Recess and gym classes can be a nightmare for them. Sometimes they contemplate suicide. And the effects can be long lasting; research suggests that, as adults, people who were bullied as children are more likely to be depressed and have low self-esteem.
Those being bullied are not the only ones bullying hurts. The kids at school who are bystanders to the bullying are also harmed through the climate of fear and disrespect bullying creates. Bullying also has a negative impact on student learning.
Creating an atmosphere intolerant to bullying may also benefit the bullies themselves. Kids who frequently bully their peers are more likely than others to get into frequent fights, vandalize or steal property, develop problems with alcohol, tobacco and truancy and are also more likely to drop out of school or carry weapons.
Why is Easter Seals concerned with bullying?
Bullying is a form of victimization or abuse, and it is wrong. Children should be able to attend school or take part in community activities without fear of being harassed, assaulted, belittled, or excluded.
Aside from the obvious concern for the well-being of children and young people in Wisconsin, research indicates that children with physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities may be at a higher risk of being bullied than other children. While the emotional and possible physical harm to kids with disabilities is paramount, the bullying of kids with disabilities may also cross the line to become ‘disability harassment’, which is illegal under sections of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
With studies showing that up to 25% of students are frequently the victims of bullies, and can be subjected to unacceptable behaviors for months on end, Easter Seals believes this is an issue that should be of concern to everyone who works with or cares about the emotional and physical well-being of children both those with disabilities and those without.
What you can do…
Understanding the depth of the problem and learning as much as you can about bullying is a great first step in bringing about change. As mentioned above, the Stop Bullying Now! website is an excellent source for comprehensive information on this important topic. Here, we’ve included an overview of some of the links we found most helpful at Stop Bullying Now! with links to the full articles. Stop Bullying Now! offers much of this information in the form of .pdf’s that can be printed for distribution.
Kids
Understand what bullying is…
Bullying is not just the big kid beating up a smaller kid and stealing money or other things from them. It is also making fun of people, calling them names, saying mean things about them behind their back, gossiping about them or deliberately leaving them out of activities. It can mean scaring people, hurting them physically or purposely hurting their feelings.
Both girls and boys can be bullies and can be the victims of bullies. Usually, the victim finds it difficult or impossible to fight back.
Bullying is not funny or cool. It is cruel and unfair, it is wrong and it hurts.
Stop Bullying Now! Links:
Are you being bullied?Offers advice to kids who are being bullied, including details on why it’s important to tell an adult and tips on doing so. Kids will also find ideas on how to help prevent future bullying, what to say (and not say) to a bully and what to do if you’re being bullied online. The stories of Raven, Melanie and Milton, kids who were being bullied and who took steps to make it stop, are especially helpful.
Do you witness bullying? Are you a bystander? Kids who aren’t bullies and aren’t being bullied can still be adversely affected by the disruptive climate bullying can create. Most will witness some type of bullying and many will do nothing about it. This section helps bystanders learn what they can do to bring an end to bullying. Kids are assured that telling an adult what they’ve witnessed is not tattling, and are encouraged to take careful note of bullying incidents so that they can accurately report them. They are also encouraged to support the person being bullied and, if it’s safe, to stand up to the bully. Again, kids will identify with the scenarios of K.B & Melanie, Josh and Milton kids who took a stand to help stop bullying.
Do you bully others?Offers a quiz for kids who aren’t sure what they’re doing is bullying, and offers tips for those who are bullying others to think about what they’re doing and get help to stop.
Parents & Family Members
onclick="target='newwindow'"What can family members do? Studies suggest that more than 30% of kids believe that adults do little or nothing to help in bullying incidents. It is vitally important that kids understand that this is an issue adults care about and will help with.
This page guides family members through the information on the site most pertinent to them and offers information in five key areas:
- Learning as much as you can about bullying among children and youth.
- Talking with children in your family about bullying and the importance of clearly defining your expectations about their behavior.
- Identifying possible signs of bullying among children in your family.
- Taking immediate action if you suspect bullying.
- Working with school personnel and other adults in your community to prevent and reduce bullying.
Educators
Adults are often unaware of bullying problems. In one study, 70% of teachers believed that teachers intervene “almost always” in bullying situations; only 25% of students agreed with this assessment. Additionally, 25% of teachers see nothing wrong with bullying or putdowns and consequently intervene in only 4% of bullying incidents.
While most educators and school districts do not tolerate bullying and have taken steps to stop and prevent it, materials offered here may be of assistance in improving anti-bullying policies already in place. If your school or school district has not yet adopted a policy on bullying, you may, after exploring the Stop Bullying Now! website, wish to work to implement one.
The educator’s corner will help teachers and other adults who play important roles in the lives of children learn more about bullying, and about strategies for helping to prevent and deal with bullying at school. It also links you to downloadable posters, brochures and other hand outs as well as additional resources for teachers.