Bully Prevention

Bullying has long been a problem in school but was generally restricted to the school backyard or the hallway. Technology makes bullying even much easier than it was prior to with e-mail, chatroom, and an unlimited audience online. There was a time when all bullying took place face to face now with the web, youngsters can bully each other through popular communication methods even anonymously. Standard bullies constantly had to let their sufferers see them and could only acquire the support of pals who were around. Cyber bullies can humiliate, threaten, and belittle their sufferers without their identification being understood, or they can have an audience of thousands. Cyber bullies are ending up being more and more typical as kids use these communication approaches a growing number of in their lives.

Source: Flickr

Cyber bullies can state things that they can not in front of other people in chatroom, IM’s and on web sites. This enables youngsters to be much meaner than they typically could. Things that they can not say in front of grownups and even other kids are now quickly said online. Cyber bullying is potentially an even larger hazard than conventional bullying because the potential for damaging statements is even higher. Standard bullies could only reach an audience of the other children around, with the internet hundreds of children can gang up on a single youngster.

Cyber bullying is also much easier to do than conventional bullying. All it takes is a couple of crucial strokes and a cyber bully can embarrass their target. Kids are less inhibited when online and it is not as tough to bully when it is over a computer system. Standard bullies needed to have the courage to physically bully another kid or at least use remarks to their face. Cyber bullies have to use much less effort and can be more impulsive.

Conventional bullies could only act out on their sufferers when they saw them. This restricted bullying to school and places that youngsters connected face to face. Cyber bullies can bully others at any time as cellular phone and computers are both at home and at school. Conventional bullies can not injure others at home, however with cyber bullies, home is typically where bullying happens via the computer. This leaves no safe place for the targets of bullying to go as computers are crucial nowadays for finishing schoolwork and communicating with friends.

Although emails and messages are simple to stop, cyber bullies is not as simple to stop as conventional bullies are. Derogatory and hurtful remarks posted online and shared between individuals are difficult to stop and can possibly reach an unlimited number of individuals. As soon as a remark is uploaded online it can reach a limitless number of people and the complexities can be huge. Stopping a traditional bully was relatively simple with the right preventative procedures, however the anonymous nature of the internet makes it impossible.

There are many distinctions in between cyber bullies and conventional bullies however both types are major concerns. Bullying adversely impacts both the bully and the sufferer and if not stopped can trigger major long term damage.

Cyber bullying is the brand-new means that bullies target their victims. They make use of IM’s, chatroom, and internet sites to threaten, embarrass, and belittle their victims. If your kid has actually experienced cyber bullying you need to take it seriously. Prevent your kid from replying to cyber bullying and ensure you save all the messages and images that were utilized to bully your kid. You must likewise attempt to recognize the person or individuals who are doing the bullying, and if the bullying breaks the law you can have authorities trace it for you.

Occasionally making use of unsuitable language breaches the terms of chatroom and IM service arrangements and the bully may be banned from utilizing these services if they are reported.

It is also possible to obstruct most cyber bullying attacks on the phone and computer system. Display names and phone numbers can be obstructed so that your child will not remain to get unsuitable messages. Bullies can presume brand-new names however chances are they will loose interest if they are constantly obstructed. If your kid’s cyber bullying occurs at school, you should contact the schools administrator so they can stop it. Sending out messages that are considered bullying protests school guidelines and action will be taken if it occurs on school property. There is little schools can do if the cyber bullying happens off school property, but relying on exactly what is occurring, you may have the ability to take legal action.

You could not know the identification of the cyber bully as the internet can be confidential. If you do know the identity of the cyber bully, contacting their parents is a good idea. You ought to make your contact composed and be sure to describe the circumstance in a non confrontational manner. The bullies parents might not understand that their youngster is bullying others online and will probably want to help. If you have evidence of the cyber bullying instances show them to the bullies moms and dads so that they can see exactly what is going on.

Youngsters are typically not familiar with the damage and the complexities that can take place as a result of cyber bullying, and will continue if grownups do not step in to stop them. Even if kids know the damage they can cause, opportunities are they will not stop up until grownups take action.

If cyber bullying is serious enough, it can in fact be against the law. If cyber bullying is pestering, threatening, or pornographic in nature you ought to contact authorities since this type of bullying may be illegal and you might have the ability to take legal action. Sometimes cyber bullies will swipe passwords and accounts, which is also prohibited. Contact your regional cops department and tell them exactly what has been going on. Make sure you act as quickly as you realize that your kid is being bullied online. Sometimes cases of cyber bullying can leave hand and have severe consequences. The huge audience that cyber bullying can attract make it much even worse than conventional bullying and can completely damage a child emotionally.

With advancements in technology come developments in the means kids could badger each various other. It used to be that bullying was delegated to the college lawn, but today children could utilize the internet and mobile phone to bully each various other in a manner that has actually been called cyber bullying. This brand-new type of bullying can be just as hazardous as typical bullying as well as have criminal implications.

Cyber bullying is when a kid or teen is bothered, threatened, embarrassed, or otherwise targeted for abuse utilizing the net, cell phone, or various other digital communication tool. Cyber harassing simply describes kids bugging other children, if adults are involved in the harassment than it is not called cyber bullying. Cyber harassing ought to be taken seriously due to the fact that it could be so damaging and even be illegal.

Cyber harassing might call for posting mean, lewd, or derogatory declarations regarding an individual online, sending humiliating images of a person with email or text message, or any other mean spirited act committed against one more kid utilizing that type of innovation. Given that the probabilities of cyber bullying are limitless, instances of cyber bullying can end up being quite serious, even to the factor of injury of death. There have actually been mentioned lawsuits of self-destruction and homicide associated with cyber bullying and also physical and emotional damage. Never ever think that cyber harassing will stop on its own, all the focus cyber harassing can draw is an excellent incentive for cyber harasses to continue.

Cyber bullying typically occurs consistently and is typically not an one time occurrence. Cyber bullying victims are often targeted and tormented relentlessly and the convenience of which information is shared on the net and with mobile phone makes committing acts of cyber bullying easy. Youngsters can discover many different ways to humiliate, intimidate, or belittle others making use of the internet or a cellular phone. Depending on the intensity of the offense, cyber bullying can be asked for as a criminal offense. If info or passwords were stolen or dangers were made, kids could be charged as lawbreakers for under the regulation.

Do not be afraid to peruse your kid’s civil liberties in the case of cyber bullying, occasionally it is the only way to make it quit and send the message to other youngsters that cyber bullying is no appropriate.

Although institutions try to do every little thing they could to stop and stop bullying, cyber bullying could be a hard from of harassing for a school to control. Cyber harassing that takes place off of college home is usually thought about out of the authority of the school and little could be done by administrators to quit it. Parents play a vital job in preventing cyber harassing and carefully checking children’s online and cell phone task is the very best way to do so. If you notice that your kid is having unanticipated troubles, don’t presume they are a regular part of growing up. If your kid becomes hesitant to utilize the computer system they could be experiencing cyber bullying and you need to look into to make sure they are not hurt.

Cyber bullying is the latest type of harassing and has not been researched as much as conventional kinds of bullying. Several youngsters record being harassed using the internet or mobile phone and the effects can be ruining. Kids likewise state that harasses spread rumors and state various other mean things about them online where several various folks could view it. The prospective audience for cyber bullying is unlimited making it more attractive to harasses. Bullies will likewise intimidate their victims online and belittle them for their own entertainment.

Source: Flickr

Ladies are two times as most likely as children to be cyber bullies as well as be targeted by cyber harasses. Normally kids are the most likely children to bully others however this is not true with cyber bullying. Children have the tendency to physically bully others while women use emotional methods, which can be perfectly executed over the computer. Cyber bullying also could be confidential and numerous youngsters which are the targets of cyber harassing never ever know which was harassing them. Cyber harassing is not limited to school either, it can happen anywhere youngsters have accessibility to computer systems or mobile phone. Bullying made use of to be confined to institution, yet with cyber bullying can now get to youngsters anywhere.

Cyber harassing commonly occurs in IM’s and in chat rooms. Cyber harassing can likewise happen in blog sites and on sites when a bully posts damaging aspects of their target. The internet makes bullying simple and bullies could torment targets in new means. Using the internet offers cyber harasses a more sneaky method to degrade apart from standard bullying. Concerning half of pre teenagers say to a parent concerning their encounters with cyber bullying and this number drops as children age. Cyber harassing also makes it easier for the victim to strike back against the bully as they can just as quickly post their very own harmful responses. This convenience of use makes perpetuating the bullying pattern a lot more usual. This is not always the very best suggestion, as it will most likely make the harassing even worse and only enhance the idea that bullying is ok.

Cyber harassing can affect any person and the same stereotypes that put on standard bullying do not put on cyber bullying. Cyber harasses can badger anyone, even those additional confident and well-liked than themselves. Cyber bullies can also tease youngsters older and larger compared to them because of the anonymous attributes of the web. If a cyber bully wants to injure one more person, the internet gives them the best automobile to do so.

Moms and dads should take actions to stop and stop cyber bullying much like various other sorts of harassing. Any kind of type of harassing could have major outcomes and cyber bullying could be specifically hazardous because it can reach many individuals and be so humiliating. Take cyber bullying seriously to ensure that your child does not fall victim, or bully others. Make your youngster aware that cyber bullying is undesirable and if they are the target they must mention to an adult straightaway. Acting quickly is the most effective way to quit cyber bullying before it leaves hand.

Depressed kids may become targets for bullies, a new study finds.

By Maia Szalavitz

Children who are ostracized by their peers and bullied often become depressed, but new research suggests that the relationship may work the other way around as well: children’s depressive symptoms in elementary school precede social victimization and isolation later on.

Previous studies that tried to work out whether bullying causes depression, or whether depressed kids become magnets for bullies — or whether the two problems drive each other — have produced conflicting results. However, the new study found a clear path from depressive symptoms in 4th grade to being bullied in 5th grade and rejected more widely by peers in 6th.

Researchers followed 486 children, gauging their symptoms of depression and their levels of social acceptance through confidential surveys filled out by parents, teachers and the kids themselves; the children rated themselves and their classmates. Most of the students were white, 16% were African American and 4% of Hispanic or mixed race. Half were from upper-middle-class or high-income families, a quarter were in the middle class and the rest were low income.

While children with symptoms of depression in 4th grade became prone to peer victimization later, the researchers found that being bullied earlier didn’t increase children’s risk of depression in later grades. The children with the highest levels of depressive symptoms in 4th grade were more likely to be bullied by 5th grade.

Children who show symptoms of depression — having low energy, social withdrawal, passive behavior, excessive crying, and having an obsessive, negative self-focus — may first be rejected by peers and then targeted by bullies.

Indeed, the findings jibe with some evolutionary theories about depression, which note that the posture and behaviors associated with depression are almost identical to the submission signals used by low status animals in hierarchical species. Bullying, meanwhile, looks similar to some of the dominance behaviors of high-ranking animals.

Therefore, the thinking goes, children with depression are not only less likable to others, but they are also visibly marked as having low status. That attracts the attention of bullies who like to prey on weaker victims who won’t fight back. It also leads other children who might previously have liked them, or at least tolerated them, to become afraid to associate with them too, because they don’t want to attract the bullies’ attention themselves and because being linked with low-status peers may reduce their own social standing.

So by 6th grade, not only are the depressed children more likely to be bullied, they’re also more likely to be rejected by the rest of their peer group. However, this effect was less strong than the connection between 4th-grade depression and 5th-grade bullying.

The authors write that the “findings suggest that depressive symptoms not only exert [immediate] adverse effects…but also interfere with the developmental maturation of relationships in ways that create longer term social difficulties.”

The researchers also note that the pathway from depression to bullying may run the other way in older grades. As socializing becomes more important in the teen years, vulnerable kids who experience social difficulties like bullying and rejection may become more likely to develop depression, or if they were previously depressed, their social problems may exacerbate their symptoms.

The authors conclude:

Even subclinical levels of depressive symptoms can undermine development of peer relationships and…intervention efforts should be aimed at minimizing the adverse influence of depressive symptoms and associated deficits on these relationships.

Teaching children to be kinder to those who are already feeling low might also be something to consider.

The study was published in Child Development.

Know the facts about bullying, even if you don’t think it affects your child.

by Parents Raising Readers and Learners

Unfortunately, teasing is often part of growing up — almost every child experiences it. But it isn’t always as innocuous as it seems. Words can cause pain. Teasing becomes bullying when it is repetitive or when there is a conscious intent to hurt another child. It can be verbal bullying (making threats, name-calling), psychological bullying (excluding children, spreading rumors), or physical bullying (hitting, pushing, taking a child’s possessions).

How Bullying Starts

Bullying behavior is prevalent throughout the world and it cuts across socio-economic, racial/ethnic, and cultural lines. Researchers estimate that 20 to 30 percent of school-age children are involved in bullying incidents, as either perpetrators or victims. Bullying can begin as early as preschool and intensify during transitional stages, such as starting school in 1st grade or going into middle school.

Victims of bullying are often shy and tend to be physically weaker than their peers. They may also have low self-esteem and poor social skills, which makes it hard for them to stand up for themselves. Bullies consider these children safe targets because they usually don’t retaliate.

Effects of Bullying

If your child is the victim of bullying, he may suffer physically and emotionally, and his schoolwork will likely show it. Grades drop because, instead of listening to the teacher, kids are wondering what they did wrong and whether anyone will sit with them at lunch. If bullying persists, they may be afraid to go to school. Problems with low self-esteem and depression can last into adulthood and interfere with personal and professional lives.

Bullies are affected too, even into adulthood; they may have difficulty forming positive relationships. They are more apt to use tobacco and alcohol, and to be abusive spouses. Some studies have even found a correlation with later criminal activities.

Warning Signs

If you’re concerned that your child is a victim of teasing or bullying, look for these signs of stress:

• Increased passivity or withdrawal
• Frequent crying
• Recurrent complaints of physical symptoms such as stomach-aches or headaches with no apparent cause
• Unexplained bruises
• Sudden drop in grades or other learning problems
• Not wanting to go to school
• Significant changes in social life — suddenly no one is calling or extending invitations
• Sudden change in the way your child talks — calling herself a loser, or a former friend a jerk

How to Help 

First, give your child space to talk. If she recounts incidences of teasing or bullying, be empathetic. If your child has trouble verbalizing her feelings, read a story about children being teased or bullied. You can also use puppets, dolls, or stuffed animals to encourage a young child to act out problems.

Once you’ve opened the door, help your child begin to problem-solve. Role-play situations and teach your child ways to respond. You might also need to help your child find a way to move on by encouraging her to reach out and make new friends. She might join teams and school clubs to widen her circle.

At home and on the playground:

Adults need to intervene to help children resolve bullying issues, but calling another parent directly can be tricky unless he or she is a close friend. It is easy to find yourself in a “he said/she said” argument. Try to find an intermediary: even if the bullying occurs outside of school, a teacher, counselor, coach, or after-school program director may be able to help mediate a productive discussion.

If you do find yourself talking directly to the other parent, try to do it in person rather than over the phone. Don’t begin with an angry recounting of the other child’s offenses. Set the stage for a collaborative approach by suggesting going to the playground, or walking the children to school together, to observe interactions and jointly express disapproval for any unacceptable behavior.

At school:

Many schools (sometimes as part of a statewide effort) have programs especially designed to raise awareness of bullying behavior and to help parents and teachers deal effectively with it. Check with your local school district to see if it has such a program.

Schools and parents can work effectively behind the scenes to help a child meet and make new friends via study groups or science-lab partnerships. If you are concerned about your child:

• Share with the teacher what your child has told you; describe any teasing or bullying you may have witnessed.
• Ask the teacher if she sees similar behavior at school, and enlist her help in finding ways to solve the problem.
• If she hasn’t seen any instances of teasing, ask that she keep an eye out for the behavior you described.
• If the teacher says your child is being teased, find out whether there are any things he may be doing in class to attract teasing. Ask how he responds to the teasing, and discuss helping him develop a more effective response.
• After the initial conversation, be sure to make a follow-up appointment to discuss how things are going.
• If the problem persists, or the teacher ignores your concerns, and your child starts to withdraw or not want to go to school, consider the possibility of “therapeutic intervention.” Ask to meet with the school counselor or psychologist, or request a referral to the appropriate school professional.

Dan Olweus, creator of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, defines bullying in his book,Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do:

“A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself.”

This definition includes three important components:

1. Bullying is aggressive behavior that involves unwanted, negative actions.
2. Bullying involves a pattern of behavior repeated over time.
3. Bullying involves an imbalance of power or strength.

In his writings, Dr. Olweus is very clear that bullying is peer abuse that should not be tolerated under any circumstances. Today, more than thirty states have adopted laws against bullying.

Types of Bullying

Bullying can take on many forms. As part of the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire, students are asked if they have been bullied in any of these nine ways:

1. Verbal bullying including derogatory comments and bad names
2. Bullying through social exclusion or isolation
3. Physical bullying such as hitting, kicking, shoving, and spitting
4. Bullying through lies and false rumors
5. Having money or other things taken or damaged by students who bully
6. Being threatened or being forced to do things by students who bully
7. Racial bullying
8. Sexual bullying Learn more about bullying and sexual orientation
9. Cyber bullying (via cell phone or Internet) Learn more about cyber bullying

Bullying is Not Teasing

It might be hard to tell the difference between playful teasing and bullying. Teasing usually involves two or more friends who act together in a way that seems fun to all the people involved. Often they tease each other equally, but it never involves physical or emotional abuse.

Why Students Bully

Information about bullying suggests that there are three interrelated reasons why students bully.

1. Students who bully have strong needs for power and (negative) dominance.
2. Students who bully find satisfaction in causing injury and suffering to other students.
3. Students who bully are often rewarded in some way for their behavior with material or psychological rewards.

By Vickie Moller       Published: November 08 2013            

Bullying has become a large issue of concern for parents and students across the country – find out what locals are doing to prevent and …

According to Bullying Statistics, about one in four kids in the U.S. are bullied on a regular basis; 77 percent of all students experience verbal bullying and teens in sixth through tenth grade are the most likely to be involved in activities related to bullying.

So what exactly is bullying? StopBullying.gov, a website managed by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services defines it as “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time…”

Bullying involves actions that include making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, or purposely excluding someone from a group. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.

In response, Long Island schools, community organizations and government officials are working to create awareness of the problem and to establish safe, supportive school environments free from intimidation and harassment.

Funded with a $25,000 grant from the Long Island Community Foundation, in 2011 Child Abuse Prevention Services, one of Long Island’s leading organizations targeting bullying prevention, spearheaded a student-led campaign to promote tolerance, end bullying, and change culture.

“School culture is the key factor that determines whether young people will be bullied or not,” said Alane Fagin, executive director of CAPS. “If culture changes, everything changes.”

CAPS worked with students at Clarke High School in East Meadow, Comsewogue High School in Port Jefferson Station, Central Islip High School and Seaford High School to create student leadership teams. Students acted out skits, created visually powerful messages and taught younger students how to stop incidents of bullying. Their efforts reached more than 9,000 peers.

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice in October announced the implementation of “STOP Then Send,” an innovative, multi-media anti-cyber-bullying presentation designed to teach kids and parents about the dangers of cyber-bullying, sexting, Internet predators, and social-networking websites.

“New technology and social networking sites have taken harassment and intimidation to new and increasingly dangerous levels,” Rice said. “This program created by my office will not only educate students, parents, and teachers about the dangers of cyber-bullying and the Internet, but it will also send a strong message to young people that the decision to press ‘send’ can have far-reaching and devastating consequences to themselves and others.”

Dylan House and Michael Graziano are both Long Island natives and students at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. Together with seven others, they created The Long Island Coalition against Bullying, an organization established to increase awareness of bullying throughout the Long Island area. The coalition plans to host fund raising events, recruit volunteers and offer therapeutic venues for children who have experienced bullying.

“What we want to do with the money that we raise with these events is donate them to programs in elementary schools on Long Island so that we could [assist] their anti-bullying programs,” Graziano said.

Last June, Legislator Sarah Anker joined community members at the New York Families Against Bullying Second Annual Anti-Bullying Walkathon held at North Shore Heritage Park in Mount Sinai. Founded in February 2012 by concerned mothers, NYFAB is an unincorporated association that raises money to bring anti-bullying speakers and programs to Mount Sinai elementary, middle and high schools and supports youth to stand against the social pressures they face in their adolescent years.

“I am all too familiar with bullying,” said Anker. “The most important thing you can do for yourself and for others who are being bullied is to say something. You must speak up and take the power away from the bully.”

In October, students at Michael F. Stokes Elementary School in Levittown took a united stand against bullying. Both students and staff wore orange as a sign of unity; and the students, each wearing a statement of affirmation, joined together in a chain of 497 “links” measuring the length of the school building.

“I can stand up for myself, I am brave, I can be a good friend,” the students said.

In addition to efforts on Long Island to combat bullying, New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act (The Dignity Act) took effect in July 2012. The legislation is designed to provide public elementary and secondary school students statewide with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying on school property, a school bus and/or at a school function.

Long Island high school teacher Sharon Holzman, who has a clearly-outlined open-door policy with her students regarding bullying, says she believes students have a better chance of feeling more secure in their schools since the implementation of DASA.

“Bullying is a very big issue now more than ever since bullying leaves school grounds through technology,” Holzman said.

“Without a doubt, all districts on Long Island have been making the effort to stop bullying in their schools whether with a campaign or project in school. The fact is, when a student is bullied, the learning environment is disrupted, and some students do not want to go to school because of the torment,” she added.

[Sources: Bullying Statistics, Stop Bullying.gov, Quinnipiac Chronicle, LI Community Foundation, CAPS, Nassau County DA, Michael F. Stokes Elementary School, NYS]

Photo by Eddie~S, via via Flickr

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