Bullying


 * Bullying**
 * By Shanqueetay Easley, Andrea Sowell, Amy Millspaugh, Yoneko Washington**

The goal of this article is to identify the indicators of boys and girls bullying and cyberbullying, identify the responsibilities of school, staff, and parents, and interventions to help prevent bullying. This article also focuses on causes that may be contributing to the problems of bullying and cyberbullying with the focus on behaviors within the individual. The alias concept of a chat room makes bullying even easier to get away with and also takes off some of the social filters that people have within the context of a physically social environment. Great damage can be done behind the screen of a computer.

How much do we really know about bullying? According to Nansel, Overpeck, Pilla, Ruan, Simmons-Morton, & Scheidt, 2001, bullying is defined as repeated acts of aggressive behavior by one or more parties who are in a position of greater power, either socially or physically, than the recipient. The primary purpose of bullying is to intimidate the victim through the means of humiliation, abuse, and fear usually for the sake of being domineering and upholding popular status.

Acts of violence in the schools have been dramatically increased especially among young people. This problem has been deemed a universal problem. Bullying is a topic that has been around for a long time but only recently has it been recognized as a serious and enveloping problem. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2009) stated that one incident of bullying happens every 7 minutes. Bullying affects nearly one out of every three children in grades 6-10, and 55% of 8-11 year-olds and 68% of 12-15 year-olds say bullying is a big problem. There have been shootings that have taken place at schools where victims of bullying have opened fire on classmates before killing themselves. These events are devastating but it also represents the prevalence of the harmful consequences of recurrent unreported incidents of childhood bullying.

__**Bullying Among Boys & Girls**__ Bullying is an increasing issue that occurs among boys and girls; however the physical form of bullying is indicated to be more common in boys than in girls. Some studies indicate one out of every seven children in the United States has either bullied another child or has been the victim of bullying.

//Types of Bullying// Bullying occurs in various forms: physical (i.e. hitting, destruction of property,), verbal (i.e. name calling, spreading rumors) cyberbullying (i.e. harassing or threatening email) and relational aggression (primarily seen among girls in which a child prevents another child from speaking to others).

//Characteristics of Bullying// Some common characteristics of a bully are impulsive, confrontational, lack compassion, easily irritable, domineering, views violence in a positive manner, has difficulty with complying with rules and tends to be stronger than other children.

//Influences of Bullying// Bullying is linked to family influences such as parents that show little affection, very little supervision, severe physical discipline, lenient parenting and bullying behavior at home.

//Who Bullies Target// The bully targets two types of victims, the passive (shy) child and/or the provoking child (initiates negative interactions with others).

//Effects of Bullying// Victims of bullying suffer from fear of going to school, headaches, stomachaches and difficulty concentrating on schoolwork. Long-term bullying can lead to depression, low self-esteem and even suicidal ideation as well as lingering wounds in adulthood.

//Signs a Child is Being Bullied// Some signs that a child is being bullied are damaged or missing personal items, unexplained bruises or injuries, reluctance of going to school, poor school performance, difficulty sleeping or eating, stomachaches or headaches and few friends. Bullies are indicated to bully because they like having power over others, possibly being bullied, to entertain others and lack awareness that they are hurting others.

__**Cyberbullying**__ media type="youtube" key="kKoUegW5cPE" height="136" width="266"

Everyone can remember the playground bully that intimidated students out of their lunch money. What is it like for children being harassed at school, on the internet, or on cell phones today? Cyberspace, better known as chat rooms, the internet, Facebook, MySpace, or texting is a dangerous new playground for children and teens. There are some practical ways to identify if your child is being cyberbullied, what to do if your child is being cyberbullied, and what to do to protect your child from being the victim of cyberbullying.

Some practical ways to identify if your child has encountered a cyberbully is to know what a cyberbully wants to accomplish. The cyberbully’s goal whether at school or in cyberspace, is to intimidate or threaten and control, to be cruel by spreading rumors or leaving someone out of a group (Katzer, Fetchenhauer, & Belschak, 2009). The cyberbully accomplishes his task of threats and control through the veil of an unknown identity (Katzer, Fetchenhauer, & Belschak, 2009). If your child is being cyberbullied they may receive unusual phone calls late at night, or they may spend a large amount of time on the internet late at night (Wilson, 2009). Your child may also withdraw from family and friends, spend excessive amounts of time in private conversations and minimize screens when you walk into the room (safetyweb.com, 2010). These signs show that the cyberbully is being effective in eliciting fear and control over your child.

//Action Steps to Take Against Cyberbullying// There are steps you can take if you identify that your child is a victim of cyberbullying. First, and most important, do not panic. Save any correspondence the cyberbully has sent to your child (safetyweb.com, 2010). Second, do not continue to have contact with the cyberbully, cease any further communication. Third, block all communication by changing passwords, changing providers, or even changing your address. Fourth, never agree to meet the predator in person (safetyweb.com, 2010). And finally, notify the school, the police, your internet service provider, and possibly the local FBI. Following these steps will help keep things calm and under your control.

__**My Child the Bully**__ If your child is the bully typically he or she has a bad attitude, may be suffering from low self esteem, and/or bullies siblings. As parents there are several things you can do help your child stop bullying. Listed below are tips for helping a child who is the bully:


 * Take your child and the incidents seriously (another child is being hurt).
 * Talk to your child about the bullying and why he or she is bullying others.
 * Provide a safe environment at home and make sure you are not a bully.
 * Teach your child problem solving techniques and how to properly handle situations.
 * Provide your child with positive feedback as he or she works towards no longer being a bully.
 * Enroll your child in community or school bully prevention programs.
 * Encourage your child to participate in various activities
 * Ask a teacher or a school counselor if your child is facing any problems at school.
 * Ask if you can become more involved at school
 * Ask the school counselors for advice on how you and your child can work through the problem.

If your child is a bystander most likely he or she feels angry, helpless, guilty, unsafe, and fearful. Most kids want to help when they see another kid being bullied. It is important the child uderstands that he or she should only step in when he or she feels it is safe to help. As parents there are several ways you can help your child, the bystander, with bullying incidents. Listed below are tips for helping a child who is a bullying bystander:
 * __My Child the Bystander__ //Watch to find out more about Bystanders!// media type="youtube" key="d-jeGkoPMR0" height="152" width="278"**


 * Teach your child social skills that can be used to encourage the child being bullied.
 * Get to know their friends
 * Teach your child assertiveness. Say “No” or “Stop”
 * Teach your child to have compassion for others
 * Be a good example; demonstrate how to help another person in need.
 * Show kids safe ways to help others; this can be done through role playing.
 * Hold your child accountable.
 * Educate your child on bullying, why bullies bully, and on who gets bullied.
 * Ask the school about its bullying reporting policy.
 * Ask the school officials who your child can talk to about bullying.
 * Ask if the school officials if they have a curriculum or programs for bullying.

__**My Child is being Bullied**__ If your child is being bullied he or she may show signs of withdrawal, his or her grades may drop, and he or she may lose friends. Your child may also have bruises, come home with torn clothing, and ask for extra things like money or snacks. Listed below are ways to help a child who is being bullied:


 * Focus on your child and let your child know that it is not his or her fault.
 * Be supportive of your child and encourage he or she to become involved in social activities.
 * Gather information on the bullying incidents.
 * Make sure you check your emotions and do not confront the bully or his or her parents.
 * Educate your child on ways to avoid and prevent bullying as well as ways to get help.
 * Communicate with your child’s school and let them know what is going on.
 * Encourage school officials to begin a bullying program if they do not have one in place.
 * Help initiate bullying programs, initiatives, and curriculum.

Please help stop bullying, before it's too late!
media type="youtube" key="gE5yINOn4N4" height="385" width="480"

as well. The victims and bullies whose behavior meets the definition of bullying have been identified through research to cross over between school and the internet. Bullies have been described as aggressive, trying to threaten, exert control, harass, and even stalk their victims. The characteristics of victims include low self-esteem, dropping grades, and diminished social connectedness also crosses between school and internet sites. To identify if your child is involved in bullying or the effects of it, you need to stay in close communication with your teen. Monitor where they are going on the internet, and who their friends are in school and on Facebook. Once you have identified there is bullying activity involving your child as the victim, you should stop, block, and tell. Keep records of any contact the bully has made, do NOT contact the harasser, and call the police and other school officials to make them aware. To be proactive in the process of bullying prevention, you can teach them to walk away from a threatening situation, to tell an adult if harassment becomes severe, and to stay involved in your child’s social network and personal life. These interventions may help reduce the severity of bullying in school and in cyberspace in the future.
 * Summary:** Bullying has become a very serious problem in our schools and in cyberspace

you have information on the types of bullying that is currently occurring. Parents must recognize the signs of bullying and be able to identify whether their child is the bully, bystander, or victim. After identifying what role your child has in bullying, use the suggestions above to help your child fight against bullying.
 * Conclusion:** It is important that as a Parent you understand what bullying is and

Final Exam Questions (True or False): 1. Boys tend to bully with physical behaviors, while girls bully with words. 2. Bullies mostly pick on younger or weaker children.

Multiple Choices: 3. Children who resort to bullying others typically do so with the intent to do all of the following except:

a) to threaten b) to intimidate c) to say they are interested in them d) to ruin reputation

4. What effects can bullying have on children?

a) reputations are ruined b) emotional harm is done c) student considers suicide to stop bullying affects d) all of the above

5. If a student is being cyberbullied, what should the parent do to stop the bullying?

a) agree to meet the bully to work things out b) keep contacting them until they are convinced they need to stop c) try to bully this person back to show them how it feels d) to stop communication, block all access, and tell the authorities

Brubacher, M., Fondacaro, M., Brank, E., Brown, V., & Miller, S. (2009). Procedural justice in resolving family disputes: Implications for childhood bullying. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 15(3), 149-167. doi:10.1037/a0016839.
 * References**

Bullying: Help your child handle a school bully (2010). Children’ s Health (25). Retrieved from []

Cyberbullying (July 16, 2010). Retrieved from [|www.safetyweb.com].

Daniel, P. (April 2010). A theoretical test of bullying behavior: Parenting, personality, and the bully/victim relationship. Journal of Family Violence, 25(3), 259-273.

For Kids (2005). Stop bullying now. Retrieved from []

For Parents (2005). Stop bullying now. Retrieved from []

For Teachers (2005). Stop bullying now. Retrieved from []

Greco, J., Carneval, K., Cary, J., Laurenza, C. (2008). Partnering to prevent k-5 bullying. ASCA 2008 Annual Conference. Susan Kuchinskas []

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Katzer, C., Fetchenhauer, D., & Belschak, F. (2009). Cyberbullying: Who are the victims?: A comparison of victimization in internet chatrooms and victimization in school. Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications, 21(1), 25-36. doi:10.1027/1864-1105.21.1.25.

U. S. Department of Health(2010). Stop bullying now. Retrieved from [|www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov].

Wilson, K. (2007). Cyberbullying: A seven-step model to prevention. Retrieved from [|www.ASCA.com/2007/cyberbullying]

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Bullying Quiz Handout