Prevention and Wellness
October is Bullying Awareness Month
Signs and Symptoms of Physical and Verbal Bullying
- Unexplainable injuries
- Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry
- Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick of faking an illness
- Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating. Kids may come home from school hungry because they did not eat lunch.
- Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares
- Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school
- Feelings of helplessness or decreased self esteem
- Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide
Signs of Social Bullying
Leaving someone out on purpose
· Telling other kids not to be friends with someone
· Spreading rumors about someone either in person or online
· Embarrassing someone in public
· Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations
How Parents Can Help
· Be Supportive
· Talk with your teen about bullying
· Model tolerance and compassion
· Teach your teen positive conflict resolution skills
· Encourage your teen to stand up for others in a non-aggressive manner
· Speak up if you are concerned about your child being bullied; Talk with school administration, teacher or student service staff member
· Talk with your teen about cyberbullying
Teaching Empathy Decreases Bullying
- Make sure your child's emotional needs are met.
- Ensure they can identify and share their own feelings.
- Encourage them to explore other people's perspectives.
- Teach them to come to common ground with others.
- Encourage teens to imagine how someone else feels.
- Talk with them about how their behavior impacts others.
https://www.verywellfamily.com/teach-empathy-and-prevent-bullying-460744
Contriubutions made by
Maura has been an employee for McHenry High School District 156 for 15 years. This is her 5th year in the position of Prevention and Wellness Coordinator. Previously she was a School Social Worker at West Campus in McHenry for 10 years.
Email: reidmaura@dist156.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/dist156.org/warriortogo/home
Location: 4724 West Crystal Lake Road, McHenry, IL, USA
Phone: 815-759-5557
Twitter: @mchs_156s