Bullying in Schools Matthew Anderson

Overview  What is bullying?  Types of bullying  Effects of bullying  Recognizing bullying  Preventing bullying  Cyberbullying

What is bullying?  Aggressive behavior  Imbalance of power  Physical strength  Access to information  Popularity  Repetition

Types of bullying  Physical bullying  Verbal bullying  Social bullying  Lying/spreading rumors  Leaving others out intentionally  Cyberbullying

Effects of bullying On bullied students  Physical symptoms  Headaches  Stomach pains  Sleeping problems  Psychological symptoms  Low self-esteem  Depression  Suicidal thoughts  Poor academic performance On students who bully  Delinquent behavior  Fights  Theft  Vandalism  Increased risk to commit crimes later in life  Poor academic performance

Effects of bullying On Bystanders  May feel guilty or fearful  May be drawn into bullying themselves  Creates harsher classroom environment  Tempted to participate On the school  Environment of fear and disrespect  Students come to dislike school  Students feel adults who do nothing about bullying do not care about them  Poor academic performance

Recognizing bullying Signs a student is being bullied  Unexplained injuries  Lost possessions  Clothes  Books  Jewelry  electronics  Feeling sick or faking illness  Declining grades, loss of interest in school work  Loss of friends, avoiding social situations  Self-destructive behavior  Not all bullied students will exhibit symptoms

Recognizing bullying Signs a student is bullying others  Have friends who bully others  Become increasingly aggressive  Unexplained extra money or new belongings  Blame others for problems  Act competitively and worry about reputation or popularity

Recognizing bullying Why bullied students may not ask for help  Fear of being seen as weak or a tattletale  Fear backlash from bully  Fear judgment from adults  Fear of rejection by peers  May feel like no one cars or understands

Preventing bullying  Pay attention  Engage students daily  Ask open-ended questions  Don’t ignore it  What is harmless teasing for one student may be humiliating for another  Assure students you are there for them  Address questionable behavior immediately  Refer to school’s anti-bullying policy

Preventing bullying  Deal with students individually  Don’t allow students involved to talk with each other  Don’t ask bystanders what they saw  Speak one on one to allow students to tell their side without fear of backlash  Label bullying behavior when it happens  Listen and avoid assumptions  Seek out appropriate professional help  Discuss bullying with your class

Cyber bullying Cyberbullying is different  Can happen 24/7  Reaches students even whey they are alone  Bully can be anonymous  Posted messages, pictures, etc. can be hard or impossible to remove  Can have many of the same effects as traditional bullying

Cyberbullying

Preventing Cyber bullying  Educate students  To never share personally identifiable information online  To never discuss deeply personal information online  To use proper online communication etiquette  Create rules for technology use

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