Presented by Alyson Blotcky, LMSW Lovett Social Worker ... · Little Girls Can Be Mean: Four Steps...
Transcript of Presented by Alyson Blotcky, LMSW Lovett Social Worker ... · Little Girls Can Be Mean: Four Steps...
• Define Bullying and Cyberbullying
• Discuss warning signs a child is being
bullied or is bullying others
• Give parents strategies on what to do if
their child is bullied or is bullying others
• Provide resources in order to gain more
information on bullying issues
“Bullying among children is commonly defined as intentional, repeated, hurtful acts, words or other behavior, such as name-calling, threatening and/or shunning committed by one or more children against another.” U.S. Department of Education Bullying Prevention Manual
“Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional and that
involves an imbalance of power or strength. Often it is repeated over time. Bullying can take many forms, such as hitting, kicking, or shoving (physical bullying), teasing or name-calling (verbal bullying), intimidation through gestures or social exclusion (nonverbal bullying or emotional bullying), and sending insulting messages by text messaging or email (cyberbullying).” www.education.com
• Hitting, kicking, shoving
• Spitting
• Tripping
• Threatening, obscene gestures
• Taking, defacing or breaking someone’s property
• Sexual harassment
VERBAL/WRITTEN SOCIAL/RELATIONAL
Repeated teasing
Name-calling
Inappropriate sexual
comments
Taunting
Threatening to harm
Mean or intimidating notes
Leaving someone out on
purpose
Telling other children not to
be friends with someone
Gossiping or spreading
malicious rumors about
someone
Embarrassing someone in
public
Circulating hate petitions
Takes place using electronic technology including cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools such as social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites.
Examples include: • mean text messages or emails
• rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites
• embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles
• Sending insulting or threatening emails or messages
24/7
Can be done anonymously and widely
distributed quickly
Deleting inappropriate or harassing
messages, texts, and pictures is
extremely difficult after they have been
posted or sent
All the different forms of bullying
can and often do occur together.
All of these behaviors can be
interrelated.
An isolated acts of harassment, aggressive
behavior, intimidation or meanness
An accidental act
Choosing not to be friends with
someone/not liking someone
Arguments
A single act of telling a joke about someone
Expression of unpleasant thoughts or
feelings about someone
Suddenly doesn’t want to go to school Has unexplainable bruises and does not want to
talk about them Suddenly can not sleep Becomes moody and withdrawn Feels sick often and with vague symptoms Change in eating patterns – eating more or
eating less Coming home from school late and/or hungry Shows a lack of interest in activities Becoming upset after receiving a text or going
online
Have friends who bully others Gets into fights at school Increasingly aggressive Always blame others for his/her problems Are competitive and worry about their
reputation Frequently get sent to the principal’s office Shows little concern for the feelings of
others
Talk to their teacher!
Parents need to teach their students to be an “anti-bully”.
This is a person, who instead of being mean and ugly to another person, chooses to be kind. He or she makes sure that shy and lonely students are treated right.
If a student doesn’t have anyone to eat or play with, this person will befriend him/her. He or she will step in and help a student who is being mistreated by a bully.
An “anti-bully” needs to be taught to be brave enough to do the right thing, and will need to understand that their actions will gain them respect from others and for themselves.
IMPORTANT: THIS MUST BE MODELED BY THE PARENT!
Encourage your child to talk to you – remain calm and nonjudgmental and try to find out as much information as possible
Validate your child’s feelings
Brainstorm solutions: avoidance, playing with different friends, speaking up against the bully, having friends stand up for the child, or getting involved in new activities
Do not confront the bully or the bullies' family
Give numerous positive comments to your child
Teach positive self-talk
Teach strong body language
Avoid labeling or name-calling
Teach your child how to express their anger in healthy ways
Contact the school starting with the student’s teacher
Stopbullying.gov
Pacer.org
KidsAgainstBullying.org
Family.go.com
McGruff.org – click on “Parents &
Educators”
Cyberbullying.us
Commonsensemedia.org
The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander by Barbara Coloroso – teachers adults to empower students against mistreatment
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish – practical suggestions and examples on how to talk with kids of all ages
Little Girls Can Be Mean: Four Steps to Bully-Proof Girls in the Early Grades by Michelle Antony and Reyna Lindert – practical tips and personal anecdotes aimed at alleviating female “relational aggression” in elementary grades