 Bullying creates a climate of fear, callousness and disrespect for everyone involved.

 Bullying begins in the preschool years, is at its peak in early adolescence and continues with less frequency into the high school years.  But bullying does NOT have to be a part of growing up.

1. Deliberate – A bully’s intention is to hurt someone 2. Repeated – A bully targets the same victim again and again 3. Power Imbalanced – A bully chooses vulnerable victims

 Physical Poking, hitting, pushing, kicking  Verbal Yelling, teasing, insulting, name- calling, threatening  Indirect Ignoring, excluding, spreading rumors, telling lies

 Cyber bullying is sending or posting hurtful, embarrassing or threatening text or images using the internet, cell phones or other digital communication devices.

 Effective bullying prevention starts with changing the beliefs and behaviors of individuals and learning effective bullying prevention strategies.  Change requires the creation of an environment where everyone understands that bullying is unacceptable, harmful and preventable— and where everyone takes responsibility for stopping it.

 Develop a clear, shared definition of bullying and a strong, positive statement that describes our school’s bullying prevention philosophy and goals for creating an environment that discourages bullying behaviors and encourages positive, supportive actions.

 Change the social climate  Assess bullying: Administer an anonymous questionnaire to students about bullying.  Obtain staff and parent buy-in  Form a group to coordinate the school's bullying prevention activities.  Provide training for school staff in bullying prevention.  Establish and enforce school rules and policies related to bullying  Increase adult supervision in "hot spots" for bullying.  Intervene consistently and appropriately when you see bullying.  Devote some class time to bullying prevention.  Continue these efforts over time and weave into the fabric of the school environment.

The word “discipline” comes from the same root as the word “disciple” and means “to teach.” We are more likely to be successful in helping youths change their aggressive behavior when we use the principles of good teaching in our discipline interventions.

A. Respect student Autonomy. B. Maintain students’ sense of Belonging. C. Teach Cause and effect thinking and promote conscience development.

 Create a school bullying prevention committee to oversee efforts to reduce aggression.  Train all staff.  Maintain positive feeling tone and strong staff-student connections.  Address gender issues.  Use frequent descriptive praise for positive behavior.  Develop staff-wide consensus about specific rules.  Maintain a school wide reporting expectation for verbal and physical aggression.  Use a school wide behavior rubric with predictable escalating consequences for aggression.  Administer consequences for aggression centrally.  Support reflection and development of empathy after consequences are known.  Support peer bystanders.  Involve parents.  Show parents, students and staff that the program is working and what they are doing to make a difference.

 I am the person you bullied at school,  I am the person who didn’t know how to be cool.  I’m the person that you alienated,  I’m the person you ridiculed and hated.  I am the person, who sat on her own,  I am the person who walked home alone.  I am the person you scared every day,  I am the person who had nothing to say.  I am the person with hurt in his eyes,  I am the person you never saw cry.  I am the person living alone with his fears,  I am the person destroyed by his peers.  I am the person, who drowned in your scorn,  I am the person who wished she hadn’t been born.  I am the person you destroyed for fun,  I am the person, but not the only one.  I’m the person whose name you didn’t know,  I’m the person who just can’t let go.  I’m the person, who has feelings too,  I am the person, just like you.

 To increase our school community awareness of bullying as a common serious problem of school-age children and to advocate for the implementation of effective bullying prevention approaches in our school.