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Bully

Bullying is intentional aggressive behavior involving an imbalance of power. It can be physical, verbal, or relational. The document provides recommendations for teachers, parents, and students to prevent and address bullying. Teachers should be observant and knowledgeable about bullying, involve students and parents, and set clear behavioral expectations. Parents of bullied children should watch for signs, teach coping strategies, and set technology boundaries. Parents of bullying children should stop the behavior, model positivity, and address potential self-esteem issues. Students should report bullying, avoid retaliation, and not be alone.

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81 views4 pages

Bully

Bullying is intentional aggressive behavior involving an imbalance of power. It can be physical, verbal, or relational. The document provides recommendations for teachers, parents, and students to prevent and address bullying. Teachers should be observant and knowledgeable about bullying, involve students and parents, and set clear behavioral expectations. Parents of bullied children should watch for signs, teach coping strategies, and set technology boundaries. Parents of bullying children should stop the behavior, model positivity, and address potential self-esteem issues. Students should report bullying, avoid retaliation, and not be alone.

Uploaded by

ads jr
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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How parents, teachers and kids

can take action to prevent bullying


Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional and
involves an imbalance of power or strength. It is a repeated
behavior and can be physical, verbal or relational.
Date created: 20116 min read
 Bullying
 Parenting
 Schools and Classrooms
32

Introduction
Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional and involves an imbalance of power
or strength. It is a repeated behavior and can be physical, verbal, or relational. While
boys may bully others using more physical means; girls often bully others by social
exclusion. Bullying has been part of school, and even workplaces, for years. More
recently, though, technology and social media have created a new venue for bullying
that has expanded its reach. Cyberbullying is bullying that happens online and via cell
phones. Websites like YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat allow kids to send hurtful,
ongoing messages to other children 24 hours a day. Some sites, such as Instagram,
allow messages to be left anonymously.
Preventing and stopping bullying involves a commitment to creating a safe
environment where children can thrive, socially and academically, without being
afraid. APA recommends that teachers, parents and students take the following
actions to address bullying.

Teachers and school administrators


Be knowledgeable and observant
Teachers and administrators need to be aware that although bullying generally
happens in areas such as the bathroom, playground, crowded hallways, and school
buses as well as via cell phones and computers (where supervision is limited or
absent), it must be taken seriously. Teachers and administrators should emphasize that
telling is not tattling. If a teacher observes bullying in a classroom, he/she needs to
immediately intervene to stop it, record the incident and inform the appropriate school
administrators so the incident can be investigated. Having a joint meeting with the
bullied student and the student who is bullying is not recommended — it is
embarrassing and very intimidating for the student that is being bullied.
Involve students and parents
Students and parents need to be a part of the solution and involved in safety teams and
antibullying task forces. Students can inform adults about what is really going on and
also teach adults about new technologies that kids are using to bully. Parents, teachers,
and school administrators can help students engage in positive behavior and teach
them skills so that they know how to intervene when bullying occurs. Older students
can serve as mentors and inform younger students about safe practices on the Internet.
Set positive expectations about behavior for
students and adults
Schools and classrooms must offer students a safe learning environment. Teachers and
coaches need to explicitly remind students that bullying is not accepted in school and
such behaviors will have consequences. Creating an anti-bullying document and
having both the student and the parents/guardians sign and return it to the school
office helps students understand the seriousness of bullying. Also, for students who
have a hard time adjusting or finding friends, teachers and administrators can facilitate
friendships or provide “jobs” for the student to do during lunch and recess so that
children do not feel isolated or in danger of becoming targets for bullying.

Parents
Parents of kids being bullied
Observe your child for signs they might be being bullied
Children may not always be vocal about being bullied. Signs include: ripped clothing,
hesitation about going to school, decreased appetite, nightmares, crying, or general
depression and anxiety. If you discover your child is being bullied, don’t tell them to
“let it go” or “suck it up”. Instead, have open-ended conversations where you can
learn what is really going on at school so that you can take the appropriate steps to
rectify the situation. Most importantly, let your child know you will help him/her and
that they should try not to fight back
Teach your child how to handle being bullied
Until something can be done on an administrative level, work with your child to
handle bullying without being crushed or defeated. Practice scenarios at home where
your child learns how to ignore a bully and/or develop assertive strategies for coping
with bullying. Help your child identify teachers and friends that can help them if
they’re worried about being bullied.
Set boundaries with technology
Educate your children and yourself about cyberbullying and teach your children not to
respond or forward threatening emails. “Friend” your child on Facebook or Myspace
and set up proper filters on your child’s computer. Make the family computer the only
computer for children, and have it in a public place in the home where it is visible and
can be monitored. If you decide to give your child a cell phone think carefully before
allowing them to have a camera option. Let them know you will be monitoring their
text messages. As a parent, you can insist that phones are stored in a public area, such
as the kitchen, by a certain time at night to eliminate nighttime bullying and
inappropriate messaging. Parents should report bullying to the school, and follow up
with a letter that is copied to the school superintendent if their initial inquiry receives
no response.
Parents should report all threatening messages to the police and should document any
text messages, emails or posts on websites.

Parents of kids engaged in bullying


Stop bullying before it starts
Educate your children about bullying. It is possible that your child is having trouble
reading social signs and does not know what they are doing is hurtful. Remind your
child that bullying others can have legal consequences.
Make your home “bully free”
Children learn behavior through their parents. Being exposed to aggressive behavior
or an overly strict environment at home makes kids more prone to bully at school.
Parents/caregivers should model positive examples for your child in your relationships
with other people and with them.
Look for self esteem issues
Children with low self-esteem often bully to feel better about themselves. Even
children who seem popular and well-liked can have mean tendencies. Mean behavior
should be addressed by parents and disciplined.

Students
Report bullying and cyberbullying
It is important for students to report any bullying to a parent or an adult they trust.
Often kids don’t report cyberbullying because they fear their parents will take away
their phone or computer. Parents will support their child’s reports of bullying and not
take away their phones as a consequence. It is important for kids to remember that
bullying is wrong and should be handled by an adult.
Don’t bully back
It may be difficult to not bully back, but as the saying goes, two wrongs don’t make a
right. Try not to show anger or tears. Either calmly tell the bully to stop bullying or
simply walk away.

Avoid being alone


Whenever possible, avoid situations where there are no other students or teachers. Try
to go to the bathroom with a friend or eat lunch in a group. When riding the bus, sit
near the front. If you know a student who likes to bully others is in an area where you
normally walk to lunch or class, try to use alternative hallway routes.

Remember, report bullying of yourself or other students to your teacher, coach,


principal and/or parent.

Conclusion
Students who experience bullying may feel overwhelmed, depressed or anxious. If
your child or student is having trouble at school or with friends as a result of bullying,
a mental health professional, such as a psychologist, can help your child develop
resilience and confidence. This will enable your child to be more successful both
socially and academically.

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