What does it look like and how do we handle it?

Bullying:  "A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself.“ ~ Dan Owleus

Forms of Bullying o Emotional o This includes spreading rumours and being excluded from social groups o Physical o Hitting (punching, kicking, pushing), spitting, or damaging others belongings o Verbal o Name calling or using offensive language o Cyber o Using electronic mediums (cell phones, facebook, myspace, ) to bully

Bullying Statistics  School bullying statistics surveys show that 77% of students are bullied mentally, verbally, & physically. Cyber bullying statistic are rapidly approaching similar numbers.  1 out of 5 kids on a school bullying statistics and cyber bullying statistics study admit to being a bully, or doing some “Bullying.”  Each day 160,000 students miss school for fear of being bullied.  A school bullying statistics reveals that 43% fear harassment in the bathroom at school.  Playground school bullying statistics - Every 7 minutes a child is bullied. Adult intervention - 4%. Peer intervention - 11%. No intervention - 85%.

Case Study Henry is 11 years old and attends an Elementary School which is located a few blocks from his home. He is in the sixth grade and is an average student. Henry has always been a bit shy and somewhat anxious around his peers. He just moved to this city 3 months ago and has not yet made any friends at the new school, though he does have a "best friend" at his old school. Henry is quite tall and thin for his age and is very self- conscious about his appearance. Over the past month, Henry has become increasingly withdrawn. Several weeks ago he came home with a tear in his favorite jacket. When his mother asked him what happened, he hurriedly said it was an accident. He goes straight to his room after school and shuts the door. His mother has noticed that he has become more irritable and is often tearful, but when she tries to talk to him about this, he tells her to go away. She is worried about him but, thinks this is a phase he's going through because they've just moved to a new city, etc. She also worries about making Henry too dependent on her if she gets too involved in his problems. You hear through others that Henry is being teased by his classmates several times a week. In particular, two children -a girl and a boy; make fun of the way he looks and have convinced most of his classmates to avoid him at lunch.

Discussion Questions  What can a teacher do for Henry?  What might peers be able to do for Henry?  How might you address this problem to the class without alienating Henry?  What type of bullying is Henry experiencing?  If continued, how might this bullying affect Henry in the long term?

How the School Can Help  Attending staff trainings and conferences on bullying  Establish clear expectations and behavior plan with classroom management  Coordinating lower teacher/student ratios in high risk bully areas (playground, lunchroom)  Create a caring environment that fosters building positive relationships among students

Getting Parents Involved  Talk with your child.  Make it clear to your child that you take bullying seriously.  Develop clear and consistent rules for your child's behavior.  Spend more time with your child.  Be aware of who your child's friends are.  Build on your child's talents and positive attributes.  Work with your child’s school to ensure the bullying does not happen again.  Talk with a school counselor or health professional.

“We want to help our kids understand all the different forms of bullying and the effects of it. It can take your mind off of what you should be doing... When that exists, they're not learning and that's what we're here for.” ~ Jerry Misik

Reference Page The Four Types of Bullying. (n.d.). Retrieved from Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. (2011). Home. Retrieved from\ Bullying Statistics. (2009). Retrieved from StopBullying.Gov. (n.d.). My Child Might Be Bullying Others. Retrieved from