BULLY PREVENTION We need to take a stand against bullying and make ALL schools safe and secure for all.

Definition: SCHOOL BULLY Refusal (not inability) to think rationally about themselves and others;  Small scale Terrorist, with behavior mostly taking place during school time;  Justifies terrorist activities towards his/her targets or victims with self psychological excuses ("I want to appear tough and in control");   Enjoys enforcing power on others and causing extreme fear;  Over-bearing person who tyrannizes the non-violent and physically less strong;  To rule by intimidation, terror;  Threatens or acts violence on others; Calls an assault a "fight," "disagreement" or "justice."   The only differences between a terrorist and a bully, is in the organized planning or cause of the activity, and the scale of terror.  A bullied child will believe that there is no difference between a terrorist and a bully given the above definitions.

STATISTICS Pennsylvania ranks 4th in the worst states to live in to avoid bullying in grades K-12 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month 1 of 3 students heard on more than one occasion another student threaten to kill someone 3 of 4 students report being bullied 77% of students say they have been bullied Harassment and bullying has been linked to 75% of all school shootings 39% middle school and36% high school students say they do NOT feel safe at school

More Statistics Source: www.bullyfreeworld.com Bullying against boys is a more frequent occurrence than by girls. Around 10% of children have time off school due to bullying. Up to 40% of children think teachers have no clue that bullying is happening within the school. About 17% of all calls to child help lines are made by children who are being bullied. More children in the age group of 12 call child help lines regarding bullying than any other age.

Yet More Statistics Almost one third of secondary school children have reported being the object of sexual jokes, gestures or comments. Victims of bullying are more likely to suffer from common illnesses such as colds, sore throats and stomach problems. By the average age of 23 children who had been bullied in school were found to still suffer from depression and stress related illnesses. Nearly 60% of boys who were classified as bullies when they were younger had been convicted of at least one crime by the time they were 23

Is It Teasing or Bullying? Good-Natured Teasing Hurtful Teasing Playful between BOTH people Uses a friendly tone Encourages friendships Doesn’t lead to physical confrontations Sometimes lightens a tense moment Uses angry tone Angry body language Continues even when distress is evident Continues even when the topic is upsetting to others Accompanied by “showing off”

The TRIPLE D’s of Bullying DANGEROUS Someone might get hurt DESTRUCTIVE Something might get broken, damaged, or destroyed Someone repeatedly teases or bullies other people DISCRIMINATORY Someone’s core identity is ridiculed

Bullying Affects ALL Students Negatively! Effects physical, social, and mental health of school population - can create a climate of fear Harder to concentrate on school work and in class Students are nervous it will happen to them This nervousness causes anxiety, short temper, and a feeling of being “on edge” Students are afraid to be who they are and can stop speaking out in class or even participating in gym

Effects physical, social, and mental health of school population - can create a climate of fear Harder to concentrate on school work and in class Students are nervous it will happen to them This nervousness causes anxiety, short temper, and a feeling of being “on edge” Students are afraid to be who they are and can stop speaking out in class or even participating in gym

Health Consequences of Bullying (Fekkes et al., 2003) Bullied Not Headache 16% 6% Sleep problems 42% 23% Abdominal pain 17% 9% Feeling tense 20% 9% Anxiety 28% 10% Feeling unhappy 23% 5% Depression scale moderate indication 49% 16% strong indication 16% 2% Recent research has focused on health consequences of bullying. For example, in recent study of Dutch school children (ages 9-12) researchers found that bullied children (i.e., children who were bullied a few times a month or more), were more likely than their non-bullied peers to experience a whole host of physical ailments. They were, for example: nearly 3x as likely as their non-bullied peers to experience headaches, 2x as likely to have problems sleeping, abdominal pain, and to feel tense 3x as likely to feel anxious Nearly 5x as likely to feel unhappy, and Much more likely to be depressed

Bullying Quiz Bullying doesn’t happen at our school 70% of students nationwide report being bullied in school, 15% on a regular basis Bullying is a natural part of childhood The height of bullying occurs between the 3rd & 8th grades. It is not natural, but is mean & cruel “Sticks & stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Children can work it out on their own - through simple retorts like this The emotional abuse of name-calling can lead to depression and even suicide You’re a tattletale if you complain: this goes for kids and adults It is not tattling to protect and assert your right to not be bullied. It is courageous - the bully wants you to be quiet! Most bullies are boys Most physical bullying occurs among boys. Most verbal bullying and shunning is caused by girls. Bystanders are present in 3 out of 20 bullying incidents Bystanders are present in 70% of bullying incidents

TELL THEM THEY ARE NOT WORTH FIGHTING FOR

WHO ARE WE Just a few faces of bullycide. All of these children were bullied to the point of suicide. They are brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandchildren and friends. They are loved by many but were tormented by a few.