“Not Just Child’s Play”

Presenters

• Erika Correa• H. Elizabeth Fromang• Helen Hernandez• Lauren Reid• Prisca Jean• Tania Saby

Audience:

Children grades 6th-

8th

What is School Bullying?

• “Peer Abuse”

• Repeated physical, verbal, sexual, or psychological attacks or intimidation

Middle School Mayhem

• 80 % of middle school students engage in bullying behaviors

• 86% of children ages 12-15 interviewed said they get teased or bullied at school

More of a Problem Than You Think…

Bullying is more prevalent than:• Smoking

•Alcohol

•Drugs

•Sex among the same age group

Impact on Learning

• Bullying can distract from learning

• Decrease school attendance

• Loss of educational opportunities

Types Of Bullying

Emotional Bullying

• Isolating or excluding someone from activities

• Spreading rumors

• Most common among girls

Cyber BullyingSpreading hurtful images and/or messages

through:

• Email

• Instant messaging

• Chat rooms

• Camera cell phones

Physical Bullying• Harmful actions to another person’s body

• Examples: hitting, pinching, kicking, interfering with another person's property, stealing, and damaging

Verbal Bullying

• Speaking to a person in an unkind or hurtful way

• Usually involves name calling

• Hostile gestures

Racist Bullying• Racial slurs

• Offensive gestures

• Making jokes about one’s cultural traditions

Sexual Bullying

• Any unwanted physical contact

• Sexually abusive or inappropriate comments

• Nearly 1/3 of middle schoolers have been the object of sexual jokes, comments or gestures

Signs & Symptoms

•Fear of school

•Cries easily

•Disruptive

•Aggressive

•Fearful

•Possessions damaged

•Stops eating

•Money ‘lost’

Do You Bully Others?

•Are my actions or words hurting someone else’s feelings?

•Are my actions hurting someone else physically or making them feel afraid?

•Would I want someone else to do this to me?

Some things to think about if you are the bully…

• Think about the pain your causing the person your picking on

• Imagine how scared you would be if someone were bullying you

• Is bullying worth getting in trouble for?

What Should You Do…

Ask yourself:

• Why are you behaving in such a way?

• Are you taking out your anger on other people because of things happening at home?

• Talk to someone: Your parents, favorite school teacher or a guidance counselor

“We are all either bullies,bullied, or bystanders.”

Richard L. Gross, MDAmerican Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

The Consequences

• Victims: higher rates of suicide, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse.

• Bullies: behave badly in school and are more likely to smoke and drink alcohol.

Depression, anxiety, loneliness, difficulties with school work, and low self-esteem

Long-term Effects

For the Victims of Bullying:

Long-term Effects

• Delinquent behaviors such as vandalism, shoplifting, truancy, and frequent drug use

• More apt to drink, smoke, and perform poorly in school

• Behaviors worsen and continue on as your child grows

True or False ?

One in four boys who bully will have a criminal record by age 30

For the Bully:

Teasing hurts feelings,

It can lead to violence

Did You Know That…

• The suicide rate among adolescents increased 128% between 1960 and 2000

• The annual cost of the violence affecting young people and others in society is estimated at a staggering $425

•Bullying is connected to school shootings across the country

•Children repeatedly victimized sometimes see suicide or homicide as their only escape

'You . . . want revenge'

Nationally 15-25 children take their own life each year because they are

bullied…

many more attempt suicide.

Bullying and Violence

Long-Term Effects of Bullying

The ABC’s of Bullying• Addressing

• Blocking

• And Curbing School Aggression

Bully or Bull-oney ?

• A bully is usually bigger in size and age than the bullied.

• The bullied are often those individuals are considered the “outcast.”

• A bully usually wants lunch money.

• Bullies are usually males.

Bully or Bull-oney ?

•Males are never bullied.

•Bullies just bully for fun, not because their trying to cope with any other issues present in their lives.

•A bully could never be an unpopular kid.

Summary

• Bullying is a major problem, particularly in elementary and middle schools, and comes with major costs for the individual and society.

• Bullying can lead to more serious problems, including substance abuse, depression, and criminal behavior.

Summary

•Intervention programs, adults, and in fact, the whole community must respond to bullies, victims, and children who are witnesses.

•Several myths about bullying persist. These myths can affect the prevention and intervention efforts to stop bullying.