Bullying October is Bullying prevention month Orange is the color Wednesday 24 is the day, wear orange

Who we are: Amber Knight, MSW, LSW Beverly Owusu, BSW, LSW WRJH School Social Worker Beverly Owusu, BSW, LSW Reynoldsburg Middle/Junior High School Prevention Specialist Kendra Ward, BS, RA Livingston High School Prevention Specialist Elayna Drake, MSW, LISW Summit High School Prevention Specialist Introductions

Agenda What is Bullying? Types of Bullying Kids’ Roles in Bullying Verbal Physical Social Cyber Kids’ Roles in Bullying Warning Signs Effects of Bullying How can I help? Resources We are going to be discussing what bully is The different types you can see The effects of bullying What you can do to help your student Some resources

What is Bullying? What do you think it is?

What is Bullying? Unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children An Imbalance of Power Repetition Threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, or excluding someone from a group on purpose During or after school hours Most is reported in the school Other common areas bullying is reported On the playground On the bus Travelling to or from school In the neighborhood On the Internet Unwanted, aggressive behavior among students in school. This isn’t light teasing or joking…something that hurts both the student who bullies and the student who is being bullied It involves these different aspects: threats, rumors, physical or verbal attack (written), or excluding others on purpose Happens in these different places…not just in the school building

What is Bullying? Imbalance of Power Repetition Real or perceived Physical strength Access to embarrassing information Popularity Happen more than once OR Have the potential to happen more than once To be classified as bullying, there needs to be an imbalance of power and repetition. This is something that separates this from teasing

21% of students ages 12-18 experienced bullying National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics School Crime Supplement Survey (2015)

Types of Bullying

Verbal Teasing Name-calling Inappropriate sexual comments Taunting Threatening to cause harm Saying or writing mean things

Physical Hitting/kicking/pinching Spitting Tripping/pushing Taking or breaking someone’s things Making mean or rude hand gestures Hurting a person’s body or possessions

Social Leaving someone out on purpose Telling other children not to be friends with someone Spreading rumors about someone Embarrassing someone in public Sometimes referred to as relational bullying Involves hurting someone’s reputation or relationships

Cyber Social media (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter) Text Messages (SMS) Instant Message (apps, social media messaging features) Email Bullying that takes place on cell phones, computers, tablets This can impact online reputation that can be accessed by schools, employters,colleges, clubs, and other people that may research individual now or in the future Can hurt the reputation of those bullying, being bullied, and those who participate in this.

Cyber Special Concerns Persistent Permanent Hard to Notice They can continuously communicate 24 hours a day, hard for kids to find relief Permanent and public if not reported and removed (impact on reputation online, college, employment) Teachers and parents may not overhear or see cyberbullying take places so it can be hard to notice

Kids’ Roles in Bullying

Kids’ Roles in Bullying Kids who Bully Kids who are Bullied Kids who Witness Assist Reinforce Outsiders Defenders Assist: encourage and may take part in bullying even though they might not be the main force Reinforce: not directly involved, but give the bullying an audience. Laugh or provide support for the children bullying Outsiders: remain separate from the bullying situation. May watch, but don’t show sides. Often want to help but don’t know how Defenders: comfort the child who is bullied and may come to their help

Children at risk of being bullied Perceived as different from their peers underweight, overweight, wear glasses or different clothing, are new to a school LGBTQ youth* Youth with special needs* Youth with different races or religions* Perceived as weak or unable to defend themselves Depressed, anxious, or have low self esteem Less popular than others and have few friends Don’t get along well with others, seen as annoying, or try to get attention from others *Special laws as these often are civil rights issues

Children at risk of bullying others Well-connected to peers Have social power Are overly concerned about their popularity Like to dominate or be in charge of others More isolated to their peers May be depressed or anxious Have low self-esteem Be less involved in school Be easily pressured by peers Don’t identify with the emotions or feelings of others

Children at risk of bullying others Easily Frustrated Aggressive Less parental involvement or have issues at home Think badly of others Have difficulty following rules View violence in a positive way Have friends who bully others

Warning Signs Many warning signs that indicate that someone is being affected by bullying (either being bullied or bullying others) Recognizing warning signs is an important first step to take action Not all kids that are being bullied or bullying others ask for help Talk to your children if you see any of these signs because it could also point to other issues like depression or ssubstance abuse issues

Signs a child is being bullied Unexplainable injuries Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick, faking illness Changes in eating habits, like skipping meals or binge eating Coming home from school hungry because they skip lunch Difficult sleeping or frequent nightmares Declining grades, loss of interest in school work, not wanting to go to school, Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations Feelings of helplessness or decreased self-esteem Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide Look for changes in the child. However, not all children being bullied show warning signs If someone is in serious distress or danger, don’t ignore the problem. Get help right away

Signs a child is bullying others Getting into physical or verbal fights Having friends who bully others Increasingly aggressive Getting sent to the principal’s office or detention frequently Having unexplained money or new belongings Blaming others for their problems Not accepting responsibility for their actions Worrying about their reputation or popularity and are competitive

Effects of Bullying Bullying effects every student involved: those who bully, are bullied, and are witnesses. Impacts mental health, substance use, and suicide.

Effects on Kids who are Bullied Depression and anxiety Feelings of sadness and loneliness Changes in sleep and eating patterns Health complaints Academic problems More likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school

Effects on Kids who Bully Others Abuse alcohol or other drugs in adolescence or adulthood Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school Engage in early sexual activity Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults Be abusive towards romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults

Effects on Kids who are Bystanders Have increased use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs Have increased mental health problems Miss or skip school

How can I help?

Stay away from labels Bully Victim Bully/Victim Child who bullied Child who was bullied Bully/Victim Child who was both bullied and bullied others “Victim” and “Bully” send the message that behavior can’t change Fails to recognize that many roles are played Disregards other factors, like peer influence or School climate

If you witness bullying Intervene immediately. It is ok to get another adult to help. Separate the kids involved. Make sure everyone is safe. Meet any immediate medical or mental health needs. Stay calm. Reassure the kids involved, including bystanders. Model respectful behavior when you intervene.

Avoid these mistakes…. Don’t ignore it. Don’t think kids can work it out without adult help. Don’t immediately try to sort out the facts. Don’t force other kids to say publicly what they saw. Don’t question the children involved in front of other kids. Don’t talk to the kids involved together, only separately. Don’t make the kids involved apologize or patch up relations on the spot.

Seek immediate help if…. A weapon is involved. There are threats of serious physical injury. There are threats of hate-motivated violence, such as racism or homophobia. There is serious bodily harm. There is sexual abuse. Anyone is accused of an illegal act, such as robbery or extortion— using force to get money, property, or services.

Cyberbullying Try to ignore the people bullying www.puresight.com

Take the Child’s lead! Offer support Be prepared to look “not cool” so that your child can keep their reputation Don’t be afraid to block Set limits and monitor computer use

Resources