Bullying
All parents NEED to know about this and stay informed!
What is bullying and why does it matter????
It involves your kids, families, communities and the whole world.
Bullying occurs amongst friends and peers. In peer relations, bullying occurs when the aggressive statement of power is shown by one person over another (Arnett, 2013).
It occurs in different ways and individual students take on different roles.
It matters to know about bullying because it involves a bully, a victim and the rest of the students and peers. It affects children and young adolescents everyday and many don't note it. It goes on and on unnoticed. During adolescence, bullying is common in many countries. Bullying affects the development of an adolescent or child negatively. Bullies and victims are at high risk for problems. For example, repetitive bullying can belittle someone but it can also hinder or lower the victim's emotional well-being and social skills. Some bullies may be liked for their high-status but most of them are disliked because of their cruelty. 10 to 20 percent of children are bullies but 15 to 30 percent are victimized constantly (Berk, 2010).
Parents please be more attentive to your kids and how they are doing in and out of school and be caring of them. They need you even if they may not show it!!!
Psychological symptoms
- loneliness
- helplessness
- anxiety
- unhappiness
Hope
There is hope in saving the sad generation......
Social bullying
Here you view gossiping:
it excludes others and spreads rumors
Characteristics of a bully
- overly aggressive
- destructive
- enjoy power
- tend to be popular
- popular/unpopular aggressive
- positive attitude toward violence (in particular, to solve problems or get what they want)
- more likely to be involved with other problem behaviors
- Research shows that the families of bullies are often troubled
Effects?
- More likely to show aggressive behavior during adulthood toward their marriage partner
- Research shows that their children will become bullies also
- Many experience mental health difficulties
Characteristics of a Victim
- Physically, victims are small, weak and frail and tend to be more vulnerable to the aggressive attacks
- Negative attitude toward violence
- Fear of getting hurt
- "Body anxiety"
- May be unsuccessful at sports
- Reaction is crying or withdrawing when attacked
- Have poor communications skills
- Poor self-esteem
- Generally come from overprotective families
Effects?
loneliness
feelings of abandonment
suicidal ideation
low academic performance
Develop fear in school environment
May also avoid the bathroom due to fear of attack
Physical injury
Depression in adulthood affects personal relationships
What role do you take in bullying?
Video of encouragement and hope!
It is a small music video showing a little of the before and after of how some students felt and how bullying in some way affected them. They show you how WORDS can be powerful and sometimes HURTFUL but they also show how they can be POSITIVE and ENCOURAGING!
The video was created to promote strength and to protest against bullying as well as self-esteem issues.
I hope you enjoy!
~SUPER IMPORTANT~
Dear parents,
here are some resources you may find useful if help is not at reach so easily! Please don't forget that YOU still have the community here if SUPPORT is needed! There are other interested parents in making a difference and taking a stand against bullying. There are educators, other students and other school representatives and people in the community who have come together and created groups of network, websites of support and have done other amazing things to end bullying and their great efforts have made a positive difference and all movements have started with ONE person. Just think about it because YOU can mean the WORLD to a child, adolescent or whomever if being bullied in some way, shape or form. There are many reported cases of suicide due to bullying and you can save a life through awareness and through being informed. Your family is important and your children's overall happiness is as well. If you ever find yourself in a situation where your child is the victim or the bully then I hope some of these initial resources may help you do the appropriate thing. Seek personal help as well but these few resources are just a start! If your children and families are doing okay, it is still a great thing to teach them about bullying and what can one do to prevent it and that it is not an act of kindness to bully someone else. Thank you. Treat others kindly!
Thanks for all your attention.
RESOURCES
Resources for Cyberbullying:
Cyberbullying Research Center (www.cyberbullying.us)
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2012). Bullying: Beyond the Schoolyard. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Stop Cyberbullying (website): www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html
Resources for LGBT reference:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health – Youth Resources: www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth-resources.htm
Lambda Legal website (national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and those with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work): www.lambdalegal.org
The Bully Project Movie Screening
Dear parents and community, please call the University if need further assistance finding the way here!
Phone number: (828) 328-1741
For those students interested, there is a convocation opportunity for LR students needing a convocation credit!
Category: Personal and Professional Development!!
The movie event will be held at Belk Centrum. Come on over!
It is also an opportunity for the community to partner with LR and let parents and educators know about this! Knowledge is power and well-informed citizens will take us a long way in bullying prevention and in the cases of suicides here in America and around the world. Come enjoy an educational documentary!
Monday, Nov 18, 2013, 07:00 PM
Lenoir-Rhyne University, 7th Avenue Northeast, Hickory, NC
AWESOME WEBSITE!!!
Additional to the convocation event:
http://www.thebullyproject.com/
This site is so cool! There is even a special section where they provide tools for parents!
Vital information is included such as: tips for parents, sample letters to send to school, advice for parents on cyberbullying and much more is offered to allow communication and be prepared. It even provides resources in Spanish if needed.
PLEASE visit this site!
Thanks!
References
References
Arnett, J.J. (2013). Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach 5E. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Berk, L.E. (2010). Development through the lifespan (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Smokowski, P. R., & Kopasz, K. (2005). Bullying in School: An Overview of Types, Effects,
Family Characteristics, and Intervention Strategies. Children & Schools, 27(2), 101-110.