O.L. Smith Middle School

Anti-Bullying

Response to Bullying 

General Websites to Stop Bullying

 1.  www.stopbullying.gov

2.  www.stompoutbullying.org

3.  https://www.kzoo.edu/psych/stop_bullying/resources/websites.html

4.  https://www.kidpower.org/

5.  https://www.education.com/topic/school-bullying-teasing/

6.  https://www.parentactionforhealthykids.org/

What is Bullying

Aggressive behavior may be bullying depending on what happened, how often it happens and who it happens to. Find out what bullying is and what the different types are. You can also learn more about other topics related to bullying.

A boy is bullied Bullying Definition

Bullying is 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 includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.

Teenagers talk behind a girl's back The Roles Kids Play

There are many roles that kids can play. Kids can bully others, they can be bullied, or they may witness bullying. When kids are involved in bullying, they often play more than one role. It is important to understand the multiple roles kids play in order to effectively prevent and respond to bullying.

A boy blocks a girl's path Related Topics

There are many other types of aggressive behavior that don’t fit the definition of bullying. This does not mean that they are any less serious or require less attention than bullying. Rather, these behaviors require different prevention and response strategies.

Read more:  https://www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/

The Anti-Bullying Critic

“No Name-Calling Week” has become a yearly event. Yet kids continue to call each other names, and kids continue to suffer from being called names. Not only is this weekly event not helping, it is unwittingly counterproductive. Years ago I suggested an alternative to this yearly even that would actually be effective in reducing the problem of name-calling. I have revisited this subject in the following recent article:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/…ting-bullycide

Social Blogs

Many kids are living out their social lives in front of an audience of, potentially, millions. Is yours ready for this? If they are younger than 13 they probably are NOT. That is why a host of gaming social networks have emerged: ClubPenguin, RuneScape and SuperSecret, among them to offer a protected experience for younger kids.

Here a child’s privacy is guarded, and any attempt to use bad language or give out contact information is filtered(though it is still important to teach children exactly what personal information is and explain the repercussions of posting photos.)

There comes a time usually before kids turn 13 when tweens outgrow these childish games. And unfortunately these times comes when that are a perfect storm of potential trouble on Facebook: Girls are discovering boys, mean girls rule, bullies know no (physical) bounds, and kids this young don’t have the skills or confidence to negotiate it all especially if it follows them home.

Try to steer your tween to a site that keeps an eye on what gets said or block some of the more dangerous activities. AllyKatzz.com is such a site for girls, Imbee (relaunching soon) is for boys and girls. Or even the blog listed at the top of this page. Keep them engaged in positive things. If you cant keep them off Facebook, insist on being in their friends list and pay attention so you can offer guidance to help navigate safely. But do your coaching offline. If you do it in the front of their peeps, they will unfriend you, and you might have a hard time getting invited back in . Once you are ousted, supervision becomes difficult.

Girls and Bullying:  When most people picture a “typical” bully, they imagine a boy who is bigger or older than his classmates, who doesn’t do well in school, who fights, and who likes it when others are scared of him. Girls usually face a different type of bully, one who may not look as scary from the outside but who can cause just as much harm. What’s She LikeThe typical girl who bullies is popular, well-liked by adults, does well in school, and can even be friends with the girls she bullies. She doesn’t get into fist fights, although some girls who bully do. Instead, she spreads rumors, gossips, excludes others, shares secrets, and teases girls about their hair, weight, intelligence, and athletic ability. She usually bullies in a group and others join in or pressure her to bully.

The Effects

This kind of bullying can have just as serious consequences as physical bullying. It can cause a drop in grades, low self esteem, anxiety, depression, drug use, and poor eating habits in girls who are bullied. This kind of bullying is harder to see. Most of the time adults don’t realize when girls are being bullied in this way.

What You Can Do

One of the best ways to stop this form of bullying is for the girls who see it or who are stuck in the middle to speak up and say that it is not okay. But only 15 percent of girls speak up, usually because they’re afraid the bully will turn on them next.Parents and other adults can help girls beat bullying by teaching them how to stand up for themselves and their friends and by taking action themselves.

Here are a few things to remember:

  • Encourage kids to be kind and to help others, particularly if they see someone being bullied. Praise them when they do so.
  • Tell girls they are special, and point out why.
  • Help girls get involved in activities outside of school so they can make friends in different social circles.
  •  Don’t push girls to be in the “right” class or on the “right” sports team. Let them choose what to play and with whom.
  • Stop bullying when you see it. Don’t let anyone, even your daughter, make fun of someone else even if she says she is only “joking.”
  • Be a good example. Don’t gossip or make fun of others in front of young girls.
  • Talk to girls about their friends, what they do together, and how they treat each other. Ask them what makes a good friend, and whether their friends have these qualities.
  •  If you know bullying is happening at school, speak to school officials and ask what they are doing to stop it.

https://www.ncpc.org/topics/bullying/girls-and-bullying

Mike Dreiblatt is an outstanding national speaker and author who provides dynamic, practical seminars and workshops to students, school staff, administrators, parents and community members.

Using humor and practical strategies, Mike teaches best practices and realistic strategies that can be used immediately. A former teacher, Mike is an expert in bullying and violence prevention, character education, and discipline of students with special needs.  See Mike In Action!!!

Definition of Bullying

Physical Bullying

Verbal Bullying

Elementary School Types of Bullying

High School Types of Bullying

Forgive Yourself

Bystanders–The Crowd

Bystander Responsibilities

Ways to Stop Bullying

Longer Middle School Presentation

Assertive Communication Techniques for Staff