• Sumner Elementary Wants To Stop Bullying

    Here are some Ways We Can Understand and Help

    Information from the Family Life Council

    Where does bullying take place?   

    Most bullying takes place on the way to school, not at school. However, research shows that more students are bullied at school in unstructured environments. 

    Signs of Male Bullies    

    • Aggressive behavior at home and school
    • Poor grades
    • Have followers and supporters

    Signs of Female Bullies

    • Engage in exclusionary behaviors
    • Spread rumors

      

    Three Conditions of Bullying 
        A. Physical Hitting, Kicking Punching, Pushing, Choking
            1. Intentional Aggression
            2. Repeated over a period of time
            3. Imbalance of Power Real or Perceived, physical size or strength, or from psychological power
        B. Verbal Threatening, Teasing, Name-Calling
        C. Indirect (Relational) Spreading Rumors, Ostracizing, Sexual


    What Can Schools  Do to Help 

    • Take Bullying &Cyber-bullying Seriously
    • Train and Support Teachers
    • Monitor hallways
    • Monitor unstructured areas and times
    • Teach Anti-Bullying Curriculum
    • Teach Empathy
    • Develop School's Anti-Bullying Rules and Policies; include Cyber Bullying
    • Pledge to Sign
    • Monitor students' behavior during computer time
    • Anonymous Bully Boxes
    • Zero Tolerance

     

    When Your Child Is a Bully 

    • Intervene Immediately
    • Talk to Child
    • Reassure Child of Your Love
    • Don’t Make Excuses
    • Get Professional Help

     

    Signs of Victims of Bullying 

    • Moods – appears sad, depressed,
    • School – Avoiding or grades going down
    • Physical signs – unexplained bruises, cuts
    • Possessions – often missing or damaged

      

    Group Bullying 

    • Social – often isolated

    Ways to Help Victims of Bullying 

    • Take Seriously
    • Comfort, Support, Praise Child
    • Causes decreased sense of personal responsibility
    • Gives false sense that bully has peer support

       

     Advice for Victims 

    • “Silent Majority” afraid to act or tell
    • Avoid the Bully
    • Use the Buddy System
    • Learn to Play Act
    • Talk to Child re: Bully
    • Solicit Help

     

    Cyber-Bullying 

    Uses technology to harass victims repeatedly. Includes: Cell Phones, Text Messaging, Interactive Games, E-Mail, Instant Messaging, Defamatory Personal Web Sites, Defamatory Online Personal Polling, Web Sites, Social Networking Sites Forms Cyberbullying Can Take

     

    • Tell an Adult
    • Ignore Bully
    • Don't Display Feelings
    • Evasive re: Internet
    • Clears the Screen
    • Stomachaches/Headaches
    • Browser History Cleared
    • Bashing Websites
    • Hateful Messages
    • Misuse of Password Signs of Being Cyber-Bullied
    • Death Threats


    What You Can Do If Your Child Is Cyberbullied 

    • Monitor the Amount of Time Your Child Spends On-line                      
    • Keep the Computer in a Central Location 
    • Know What Sites They Visit
    • Google Your Child's Name
    • Openly Fearful when Questioned about Friends Ways to Prevent Cyberbullying:
    • Be Aware of Your Child's On-Line Presence
    • Join the Same Social Network
    • Educate re: Personal Information
    • If fellow student: Contact the school’s counselors
    • Contains sexual exploitation, intimidation or threats: Contact police
    • First offense: Ignore, delete, or block
    • Fake or offensive profile on a Social Networking site: Report it to the site
    • Save evidence: Make print copies
    • If your child experiences emotional distress or thoughts of self-harm: seek help immediately
    • Talk!