Bullying What When Who Bullying Why Where How

Bullying

What? When? Who? Bullying Why? Where? How?

“Bullying. . . ” A student is being bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to intentional negative actions on the part of one or more students, and whose ability to participate in or benefit from the school’s educational programs or activities is adversely affected.

TERRORISTS AND BULLIES VS. VICTIMS • Bullying - occurs when 1 or more persons intentionally uses power to harm another. • Terrorism – to systematically inspire fear in another by threat or violence

Bullying 1. Causes harm from 2. Repeated negative conduct 3. In a relationship with an imbalance of power Harassment 1. Causes harm from 2. Discriminatory conduct that is severe or pervasive 3. Based on race, national origin, sex, disability, etc.

Why Are Some Kids Bullies? • There are many theories on what causes violent and/or anti-social behavior in children • . • Increased exposure to violence through mass media, video games, and the internet. • • Suffering as victims of abuse or neglect themselves, or a generally more permissive society with a corresponding lack of discipline.

Why do kids bully other kids? ? • Need to feel powerful and in control • Derive satisfaction from inflicting injury and suffering on others • Seem to have little empathy for their victims • Defend their actions by saying that their victims provoked them in some way

Effects of Bullying on School Climate • Interferes with student learning • Creates a climate of fear and disrespect • Students may perceive lack of control/caring © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2001

Gender Plays a Role • Boys are more likely to bully others. • Girls and boys bully differently. • Both boys and girls engage in frequent verbal bullying. • Girls are more likely to bully by exclusion. • Boys are more likely to use physical actions.

Workplace bullying • According to the Workplace Bullying and Trauma Institute workplace bullying is "repeated, healthharming mistreatment, verbal abuse, or conduct which is threatening, humiliating, intimidating,

Other Facts about Bullies • Bullying occurs more in school then outside of school. • Bullying is more prevalent among middle school students than among high school students. • Bullying is often not an isolated behavior.

Short-Term Effects of Being Bullied • • • Lower self-esteem Illness Absenteeism Depression & anxiety Thoughts of suicide

Lasting Effects • Lower self-esteem • Higher rates of depression • Suicide

Bullying and Violence • Bullying is related to four violence-related behaviors: – Carrying a weapon in school – Carrying a weapon anywhere – Involved in more than four physical fights a year – Being injured in a fight

Bullying is a problem that can be detrimental to students’ wellbeing and development[ • • • Vandalism Truancy Dropping out of school Stealing Smoking Alcohol/and or drug abuse • Children who bully are more likely to engage in other criminal and antisocial behaviors, such as: • Fighting • Vandalism • Truancy • Dropping out of school • Stealing • Smoking • Alcohol/and or drug abuse

Kids Who Observe What do you usually do when you see a student being bullied? • 38% Nothing, because it’s none of my business • 27% I don’t do anything, but I think I should help • 35% I try to help him or her © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2001

Effects on Bystanders • Feel afraid • Feel powerless to change things z Feel guilty z Feel diminished empathy for victims © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2001

What happens to the bullies if we don’t intervene? • Increased criminal behavior • Incarceration What happens to the bystanders? H Anxiety and guilt for not taking action HLowered self-respect and self confidence

What Are the Effects of Bullying? • Bullying behavior can have negative consequences for both the bully and the victim. • Studies have shown that boys identified as bullies in middle school were four times as likely as their peers to have more than one criminal conviction by age twentyfour.

School bullying • In schools, bullying usually occurs in all areas of school. It can occur in nearly any part in or around the school building, though it more often occurs in PE, recess, , bathrooms, on school buses and waiting for buses, classes that require group work and/or after school activities.

Rough Play/fighting vs. Bullying • Relationship among parties – Equal vs. unequal • Facial expressions and general atmosphere • Balance of power vs. imbalance of power • Intentional and planned vs. spontaneous • Repeated vs. single incident

Cyberbullying • It involves the use of information and communication technologies such as: • e-mail, cell phone and pager text messages, instant messaging, • defamatory personal Web sites, blogs, online games and defamatory online personal polling Web sites, to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviour by an individual or group, that is intended to harm others.

Impact of Bullying • The tragic consequences of extreme bullying, as witnessed in cases involving suicide and murder, are well known.

How to begin an anti-bullying program… The Action Steps • Promote facts not myths about bullying • Involve parents in the intervention process • Dispel beliefs about aggressive behavior • Conduct a school-wide assessment of bullying • Implement intervention strategies specific to aggressive children • • Develop a student code of conduct Provide individual counseling, social skills development and conflict resolution activities • Implement interventions with the peer group • Build in accountability and evaluation

Implementation of Program • Designate a Bullying Prevention Coordinating Committee – Administrator, teachers, counselor, psychologist, nonteaching staff • • Designate a chair and co-chair Schedule a two day training for committee Commit to monthly meetings Order all required materials and supplies

Recommendations for improvement on our campus • supervised break times • supervised student areas such as lunchrooms, bathrooms, hallways, locker rooms, playgrounds • empathy towards bullying on the part of teachers and administrators • consistent rule enforcement

Reporting of Victimization • Many children do not report bullying to school staff • Older students and boys are less likely than younger students and girls to report their victimization.

Bullies Can Change • Bullying behaviors and victimization experiences are relatively stable over time if there is no intervention. • BUT, appropriate intervention can change behaviors. © The Olweus Bullying Prevention Group, 2001

BULLYING – WHERE DOES IT END?

Bibliography • www. mychildsafety. net/effects-ofbullying. html - 14 k Bullying-Where does it ends • www. marylandpublicschools. org/. . . /9567/ bullyingandharassmentshortforweb. ppt