Bullying Prevention
Bullying is defined as deliberate or intentional behavior using words or actions, intended to cause fear, intimidation, or harm. Bullying may be a repeated behavior and involves an imbalance of power. Furthermore, it may be serious enough to negatively impact a student’s educational, physical, or emotional well-being.
What is Bullying?
Bullying implies an imbalance in strength or power.
The student who is bullied may have difficulty defending him/herself.
Bullying Behavior Includes:
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Direct Bullying
- Hitting, kicking, shoving, etc.
- Threatening
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Indirect Bullying
- Taunting, teasing, making degrading comments
- Spreading rumors
- Excluding someone on purpose, in a hurtful way
- Cyber bullying
What to Do When Your Child is Bullied
- Offer your support to your child. Let him/her know you will be discussing this matter with the school. Try to alleviate worries about this.
- Communicate with the school about your suspicions.
- In your discussion with staff, try to give helpful information: who is involved? what happened, etc.
- Form a partnership with the school to solve the issue together.
What to Do When Your Child Bullies Others
- Listen to the school's concerns.
- The most helpful thing you can do is to allow your child to experience the consequences set forth by the school.
- Decrease the influence of violence (i.e. video games, role models the child has who display aggressive behaviors, etc.).
- Research shows that children who bully lack empathy (ability to understand how someone feels). Do what you can to build your child's skills around understanding how others feel about or are affected by their behavior (both negative and positive).
Who to Contact for Help
Staff are available at each school to assist you and your child. We want to help; communication from you is vital.