1. What is Bullying and what can we do about it?
Lyons Central School District
Parent Teacher Association Presentation by Amy Brown

2. What is Bullying?
Imbalance of Power: people who bully use their power to control or harm and the people being bullied may have a hard time defending themselves
Intent to Cause Harm: actions done by accident are not bullying; the person bullying has a goal to cause harm
Repetition: incidents of bullying happen to the same the person over and over by the same person or group

3. Types of Bullying Verbal: name-calling, teasing
Social:spreading rumors, leaving people out on purpose, breaking up friendships, shunning
Physical: hitting, punching, shoving, trying to inflict physical harm
Cyberbullying: using the Internet, mobile phones or other digital technologies to harm others
An act of bullying may fit into more than one of these groups.

4. Laws that are intended to protect children from harassment and bullying:
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin;
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex;
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504); and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Title II). Section 504 and Title II prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability.
The NYS Dignity for All Students Act ( ) which is intended to provide policy, prevention and procedure for addressing incidents of bullying and harassing behavior. The intention is to provide a more caring environment by prohibiting harassing behavior and by teaching kindness and civility.

5. What are we doing at LES to protect our students from bullying and harassment:
ROAR [PBIS see box]
The Purple Hands Pledge
Second Step teaching Empathy
Bully Education Workshops
Disciplinary Referral
Reteaching

6. Lyons ROAR Initiative (PBIS)
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS)
The Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports has been established by the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education.
PBIS has been shown by research to reduce incidents of behavioral problems and discipline referrals.

7. The Purple Hands Pledge
The ROAR team now promotes a National Violence Prevention Program called The Purple Hands Pledge. Students recite the pledge every morning during announcements. For more information on the Purple Hands Pledge visit the website
“I will not use my hands or words to hurt myself or others.”

8. Prevention Programming
Second Step: Teaching Empathy
Bully Education Workshops
Disciplinary Referral
Reteaching/Skill training

9. What Parents Can Do to Prevent Cyberbullying (primary resource- stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov website)
Communicate with your children
Be aware of where your children go online
Develop and enforce rules
You are responsible for your children and their actions
Set a good example for your children, resolve conflicts peaceably and use technology responsibly

10. How You Can Help if there is a problem: If you know or suspect your children are being cyberbullied, take quick action.
Talk with your children.
Tell your child not to respond to cyberbullying.
Empathize with your child.
Work together to find solutions. Children are often worried that they will lose cell phone/computer if they tell their parents. Design safe use.
Document ongoing cyberbullying. Work with your children to record bullying incidents. Write down what happened, where, who was involved, and when it occurred. Contact the school so we can watch for any carry over issues at school.
Contact law enforcement if necessary Especially if there are threats or other crimes
Set a good example for your children by using technology responsibly. When you send kind texts your children will learn from you. Handle any conflicts you have in a peaceable way and not using technology where further misunderstandings can occur.

11. How You Can Help if there is a problem: If you know or suspect your children are being cyberbullied, take quick action.
Block the person who is cyberbullying your children.
Contact law enforcement. Police can respond if the aggressive behavior is criminal. The following may constitute a crime:
Threats of violence
Child pornography and sexting
Taking a photo image of someone in a place where he or she would expect privacy
Harassment, stalking, or hate crimes
Obscene or harassing phone calls or text messages
Sexual exploitation
Extortion
Be Persistent.

12. Teach kids to prevent cyberbullying by being careful of what they do:
Always think about what you post or say. Do not share secrets, photos or anything that might be embarrassing to you or others. What seems funny or innocent at the time could be used against you. You do not have complete control over what others forward or post.
Ask yourself if your parents could read the message. What about the receivers parents?
Never give your address or personal information on a website. There are laws that prohibit websites from requesting information. Learn your rights and protections.
Do not share passwords with friends. This has become a problem for many students that want a friend to be able to go to facebook. Always share your password with your parents/guardians. Do not create secret accounts that parents are not aware of, this leaves you open to multiple problems.
Set privacy settings on your accounts. Make sure that you are only sharing information with people you know and trust. Pay attention to notices from social networks, because sometimes privacy settings change.
Talk with your parents about any problems you are having. Many students do not do this as they are afraid that their parents will take away their phone or restrict their computer use. Discuss this concern with your parents and set up safe use rules. If you are honest with your parents about this concern chances are they will work with you.

13. Warning Signs of Being Bullied
Is afraid of going to school or other activities with peers
Loses interest in school work or begins to do poorly in school
Appears sad, moody, angry, anxious or depressed when they come home
Talks about suicide
Feels helpless
Often feels like they are not good enough
Blames themselves for their problems
Suddenly has fewer friends
Avoids certain places
Acts differently than usual
Comes home with damaged or missing clothing or other belongings
Reports losing items such as books, electronics, clothing, or jewelry
Has unexplained injuries
Complains frequently of headaches, stomachaches, or feeling sick
Has trouble sleeping or has frequent bad dreams Has changes in eating habits
Hurts themselves
Are very hungry after school from not eating their lunch
Runs away from home
Loses interest in visiting or talking with friends

14. Warning Signs of Bullying Others
Becomes violent with others
Gets into physical or verbal fights with others
Gets sent to the principal’s office or detention a lot
Has extra money or new belongings that cannot be explained
Is quick to blame others
Will not accept responsibility for their actions
Has friends who bully others
Needs to win or be best at everything
Projects blame on the victim
Has difficulty talking with you about what is really going on
Believes he/she is better than their peers
Tends to judge others or put them down when expressing their opinions

15. Other Resources
Coloroso, Barbara (2003), The bully, the bullied and the bystander: Breaking the cycle of violence. New York: Harper Resource.
Kalman, I. Bullies to Buddies: How to Turn Your Enemies Into Friends
How to Stop Being Teased and Bullied without Really
Excerpt from Izzy Kalman's website and the basis for his effective strategies.
"So why do the kids keep bothering you? They know very well that you don't like it, and that the teachers and parents don't like it, so why do they keep on doing it?!! Why don't they just leave you alone and let everyone be happy?
Get ready for this! The real reason you are being teased is because you are getting upset!
This probably doesn't make any sense to you. After all, first the kids tease you, and then you get upset. You aren't making them tease you, you are only making them stop.“

16. What to Do When Bullying Continues or Gets Worse
How Do I Get Help?
If you are a parent or guardian, talk to the school administration and adults responsible for your child after school .
What to Do When Bullying Continues or Gets Worse
If the bullying gets worse and you need additional help, consider the following if:
Someone is at immediate risk of harm because of bullying
Call the police 911
Your child is feeling suicidal because of bullying
at TALK (8255)
Your child’s teacher is not keeping your child safe from being bullied
Contact local school administrator (principal or superintendent)
Your school is not keeping your child safe from being bullied
Contact the State School Department
Your child is sick, stressed, not sleeping, or is having other problems because of bullying
Your child is bullied because of their race, ethnicity, or disability and local help is not working to solve the problem
Contact the U.S. Department of Education’s Office on Civil Rights
Contact the suicide prevention hotline
Contact your counselor or other health professional