The biggest threat our students face!
"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." Dan Olweus
Bullying is aggressive behavior that involves unwanted, negative actions. It involves a pattern of behavior repeated over time and often involves an imbalance of power or strength.
Types of Bullying:
Verbal bullying including derogatory comments and bad names.
Bullying through social exclusion or isolation.
Physical bullying such as hitting, kicking, shoving and spitting
Bullying through lies and false rumors
Having money or other things take or damaged by students who bully
Being threatened or being forced to do things by students who bully
Racial bullying
Sexual bullying
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.
Students Who are Bullied:
Students who are being bullied often exhibit some warning signs. Also its important to recognize the characteristics of students who bully, which may help prevent bullying and allow for early intervention.
Student will often exhibit warning signs.
Have unexplained cuts, bruises or scratches.
Seem afraid of going to school.
Lose interest in doing school work, or suddenly begin to do poorly in school.
They can appear sad, moody, teary or depressed when he or she comes home.
Complain frequently of headaches, stomachaches, or other physical problems.
Have frequent bad dreams, or trouble sleeping.
Have a loss of appetite.
Appear anxious and suffer from low self-esteem.
Students deserve to feel safe at school.
But when they experience bullying, these types of effects can last long into their future.
Depression
Low self-esteem
Health problems
Poor grades
Suicidal thoughts
Students Who Bully Others:
Students who intentionally bully others should be held accountable for their actions. Those who bully their peers are also more likely than those student who do not bully others to:
Get into frequent fights
Steal and vandalize property
Drink & smoke
Receive poor grades
Perceive a negative climate at school
Carry a weapon
Observers of Bullying:
Students who see bullying happen also may feel that they are in an unsafe environment. Effects may include feeling:
Fearful
Powerless to act
Guilty for not acting
Tempted to participate
Schools with Bullying Issues:
When bullying continues and a school does not take action, the entire school climate can be affected in the following ways:
The school develops and environment of fear and disrespect
Students have difficulty learning
Student feel insecure
Students dislike school
Students perceive that teachers and staff have little control and don't care about them.
