EDU 615 Mrs. Amanda D. Coonradt Student Bullying EDU 615 Mrs. Amanda D. Coonradt

What is bullying? Bullying can take many forms: It may involve: Please ‘click’ on the above video link, provided by: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYXGV6lc8n4 Bullying can take many forms: Physical Emotional Verbal Combination of forms It may involve: One-on-one Group against one child Group against group (gangs)

Who is a bully? Often children who have been bullied or abused themselves Children experiencing life situations they can not cope with; leaving them feeling helpless and out of control May have poor social skills (do not fit in, can’t meet expectations of their family or school) Someone that needs to feel competent, successful, in control of someone else

Who are our victims? Students who have/are: Low self-esteem Insecure Lack of social skills Don’t pick up on social cues Cry or become emotionally distraught easily Unable to defend or stand up for themselves Some students provoke their own victimization by teasing bullies or egging the person on

If an incident happens…. Get as much information as you can about what happened Avoid blaming anyone (including the bullying child or children) Look at each child’s behavior and style of interacting Ask yourself what you know about your child and how you can immediately turn the situation around

What to do… Parents will probably feel defensive if it is their child that did the bullying Remember your goal is to have a safe and nurturing environment for all of the children in your classroom Try not to escalate an already difficult situation Alternatives for the victim: Discuss ways to respond to bullies Don’t react, walk away, get help if pursued Agree with the bully, saying “You’re right”. And walk away Be assertive

Fighting Back Against School Violence http://vimeo.com/11431571 Please ‘click’ on the above link for an insightful video on bullying

8 Effective actions we can take Address bullying- it’s not harmless Make bullying against the rules Teach kids to act aware, calm, and confident Teach kids the protective power of words Teach kids to defend themselves physically Teach kids to get help Give kids the chance to practice Teach kids target denial skills

References Coalition for Children, Inc. (1996-2008). Safe Child Program <http://www.safechild.org/bullies.htm> Finley, M. (2010). Fighting Back Against School Violence <http://vimeo.com/11431571> Van der Zande, I. (2009). Bullying Prevention: Eight Effective People Safety Actions Adults Can Take <http://www.kidpower.org/resources/articles/dealing-with-bullying.html>