Bullying

When Your Child is the Bully

June 29, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Physical bullying at school, as depicted in th...

Having your child be subject to teasing and bullying while at school can be heart-breaking for most parents. The feelings of helplessness often overwhelm parents and leave them unable to assist their child in coping with and solving the problem. However, the situation can be even more difficult for parents who discover that it is their child who is doing the bullying. When kids bully others at school, daycare or in other situations, parents often fail to recognize the signs. They may even praise their children for ”standing up for themselves” or ”not taking guff” from other kids. When they are forced to realized that their child’s behavior is unacceptable, they often blame themselves.

Of course, applying blame isn’t helpful and only diverts attention from the real issue, which is responsibility. When parents take responsibility for what they are teaching their children, they are also helping kids take responsibility for their own actions. This cycle is much more conducive to interrupting the trend of bullying and related school violence and is much healthier for all parties involved.

If your child is exhibiting bullying behavior, you must take immediate steps to stop this. Once you feel you have convinced the child that what he is doing is wrong, take a look at some possible causes for his behavior. You may need to consider counseling or at the very least schedule some conferences with his teachers, principal or guidance counselor. Your child needs to understand that bullying is a serious problemand that you are committed to helping him stop.

Filed Under: School Violence, Students Tagged With: Bullying, Child, Parent

School Violence and Bullying

June 16, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Image via Wikipedia

School violence came to the forefront of the news when two students brought guns to Columbine High School in Colorado and opened fire on the students, faculty and staff. Thirteen people were killed in the attack and another 21 individuals suffered injuries of varying degrees. This wasn’t the first incidence of school violence, nor was it the last, but it did focus America’s attention on the need for better prevention of bullying and other types of school violence.

Since then, the Columbine tragedy and other similar instances have initiated questions concering the causes of this type of behavior, including violence in movies and video games, medications for juvenile depression or attention-deficit disorders and even the discipine that American children do and do not receive at home. So far, there have been no definitive causes and thus no absolute solutions. What we do know is that horrific school violence situations can stem from what was previously considered to be ordinary bullying.

There is no such thing as harmless bullying. Not only does this type of behavior do massive amounts of harm to the victims, but also those guily of the bullying. When parents send the message that bullying is a part of growing up or should be handled by the children themselves, they are validating the emotional causes in the bully. When kids grow up believing that ”might makes right,” they have a difficult time adjusting to situations in which they enjoy little power, and may even have a higher incidence of adult criminal behavior.

Filed Under: School Violence, Students Tagged With: Bullying, Columbine High School, School violence

Books on School Violence

March 22, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Because violence in public schools has become such a huge problem, it can be helpful for teachers and administrators to have a reading list handy on the subject. There have been a great deal of books published on the subject that deal with the causes, prevention tips and potential fallout of school violence.

Fear Versus Facts, by Dewey Cornell: A forensic psychologist discusses a number of myths identified from his work with children including those about bullying and armed violence.

Reducing School Violence Through Conflict Resolution, by David Johnson and Roger Johnson: The authors of this book go into great detail explaining what conflict is, how it happens and when it is necessary. They also explore a number of useful methods for resolving conflict before it escalates into violence.

Stopping School Violence, by Derek Randel: This book mainly deals with bullying and is written for both parents and teachers. Randel also discusses several tools for victims of bullying to help bolster self-esteem and better understand the nature of problem.

We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver: This novel explorers the mindset of a sociopathic young man and the efforts of his mother to understand and cope with him. Even though it is entirely fictional, the novel does provide readers and opportunity to look at the problem of school violence from the perspective of the bully’s parents, one of which is supportive while the other is in terror.

Deadly Lessons – Understanding Lethal School Violence, by National Research Council: This book is composed of case studies and research results concerning school violence, both small and large scale. While the causes and results are thoroughly explored, the authors maintain that there is no one definitive reason behind school violence.

These titles should provide parents, teachers and administrators with a grasp of the causes of bullying and school violence, as well as provide some useful information for dealing with the problem.

Filed Under: School Violence Tagged With: Bullying, School violence, Violence

A Principal Responsibility

March 7, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

As the leadership of the school goes so goes the school, could be an accurate statement as to the importance of the position held as that of principal of an educational institution.

School violence is not a rare occurrence any longer and must be an issue that is addressed early and at every level of grade within the educational system.

Being concerned, attentive and taking the pulse daily of the school is a necessary part of the duties of well connected principal.

Understanding the socio-economic structure of the community will help the principal in their ability to assess the potential for violence within their schools but cannot be taken as a sole indicator of it.

Violence in schools is and should be a concern of that of every educational institution where there is evidence of students being continually bullied.

Some children are singled out early on and bullied; this should be of concern and helped deal with the situation before the escalation of feelings become irreversible.

The initiation of hotlines is a tool and resource of information for a principal and can help diffuse potential problems.

Providing student programs that encourage talking and opportunities for expressing their emotions, issues and situations is a step in the right direction.

The responsibility of a principal as the leadership of the educational institution is not one of warden but of educator and example. But with the changing and sometimes volatile world we live in a principal’s responsibility is that of accountability where the safety of the children are concerned.

Addressing specific issues quickly and effectively will be an important factor in keeping the environment of the school one of a safe place. Staying in touch with faculty and listening closely to the students will help the principal to provide the strong leadership.

Filed Under: Administration, Education Tagged With: Bullying, Education, Head teacher

How Teachers Can Help to Stop Bullying

February 23, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Often, a teacher has more contact with a child than anyone else in the school or even the child’s parents. Because of this, teachers can play a large part in helping to stop bullying behaviors. In some respects, it may seem unfair that a teacher should have to address this type of issue on top of everything else she is doing. Teaching classes and making sure that children are ready for standardized tests is a large enough load. Adding a counseling component to the job may seem like overkill. Still, there are things that teachers can do to keep a classroom bully from gaining power.

Treat Everyone Equally and With Respect

Children who are bullied often share similar traits. They do not defend themselves. They may be shy or smaller in size. It may also be that they do have characteristics that other children might consider unattractive or odd. The role of the teacher in the classroom is to treat everyone equally. A teacher who bullies an odd child sets a precedent that someone who doesn’t fit in should be dealt with aggressively. By treating all students with an equal amount of respect, the teacher sets the standard in the classroom that aggressive behaviors will not be tolerated.

Address Bullying Problems Immediately

Teachers can sometimes be so overwhelmed with their responsibilities that they overlook certain bullying behaviors. Allowing an aggressive child to continuously make fun of another child in the classroom only perpetuates the behavior. Some children with bullying tendencies might be attractive or funny and have followers. Other children may laugh at their jokes because they do not want to be the next victim. The task of the teacher in these situations is to curb the behavior early on. Those who bully lack empathy and need to learn this quality. Sending a bullying child to the school counselor right away is one way to keep the problem from snowballing.

Filed Under: Students, Teachers Tagged With: Bullying, Child, Teacher

It Will Take the Efforts of the Entire Village to Gain Control of School Violence

December 30, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

School violence is a growing concern for school administrators, faculty and parents. Violence among youths is increasing exponentially and this violence is spilling into the school system. This continuing problem has inspired the Center of Disease Control to conduct studies on prevention and offer the results of their studies to the public and educators.

School administrators struggle to develop effective methods to reduce school violence. Most of the policies schools have in place are effective. There are many schools that provide a safe environment and have not experienced an increase in violence. Much of the violence will occur at the end of the school day, once the children have left school premises.

For many school administrators providing a safe environment is a top priority. However, with dwindling budgets, growing class size and staff cuts it is difficult to monitor all of the activities that occur throughout the school day. This problem is compounded by the fact most children are afraid to let and adult know he or she is being bullied or threatened in school. While much of the violence is initiated during school hours, the most serious threats are typically carried out after school.

For schools that are experiencing an increase in violence, administrators have responded with a no tolerance policy to weapons and violent behavior. The offenders are suspended or expelled. Many of them end up in juvenile facilities. However, the more subtle violence such as bullying is often over looked and goes unnoticed until tragedy strikes. At this point, the bully is expelled and may not be allowed to return to school.

Preventing school violence is the responsibility of school administrators; however, the problem is rooted within the community and in the homes of children. Parent and community involvement is crucial in gaining control of this growing problem.

Filed Under: School Violence Tagged With: Bullying, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, School violence, Violence

Bullying is Violence

December 26, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

There are usually a few bullies to contend with in most schools. Unfortunately, in many cases bullying is not addressed quickly enough. Many children suffer fear and humiliation each day they attend school. While most bullying involves taunting and picking on another child, it is also accompanied by threats of physical violence. In many cases, children endure physical abuse. Bullying has often been overlooked, and now school administrators are classifying this as violent behavior whether the abuse is mental or physical. Most bullying occurs between classes, on the playground and during lunch. It is the responsibility of the school administrators and teachers to pay attention to such behavior. Many schools have instituted anti-bullying policies with specific protocols to address the situation effectively. In some areas of the United States, many schools are now required to report any activity of violence to the authorities. School administrators have recognized bullying leads to physical violence and have acknowledged the responsibility of the school administration to provide a safe environment. Many schools have instituted policies in which the parents of the victim and offender are immediately notified of the situation. Parental involvement is critical for both the victim and the offending bully. Disciplinary action is immediate and includes suspension and expulsion. In addition, the children and parents may be required to take courses such as anger management. Such policies are effective if the victim comes forward to report the bullying. However, in most cases, the victim is fearful of reporting such an incident. While school administrators are developing policies to address school violence, many children still suffer humiliation and threats. This not only impacts the child’s ability to learn it also diminishes the child’s self-esteem. It is important to let children know that bullying will not be tolerated. It is also important to let victims know when they report bullying, they will not have to fear retaliation.

Filed Under: School Violence Tagged With: Bullying, Child, School violence, United States, Violence

The Power of School Assemblies Against Bullies

December 19, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Schools across the country have recognized that bullying is a serious offense. With school violence increasing, many schools and communities are implementing programs to end school bullying. School administrators in many parts of the country are empowering children with tools to protect themselves and others against bullies. In addition, many educators are receiving much needed training in recognizing that teasing and taunting is a painful experience for any child. In the past, bullying has been treated lightly. Today, school administrators have developed policies and procedures to address bullying with immediate action.

Children can report bullying and remain anonymous without fear of retaliation. School administrators have realized they must create trust among their students and provide a safe avenue for children to report offenses. Many schools have developed mandatory education classes to educate children on bullying and why it is wrong. One of the most effective tactics has been school assemblies. Gathering the students in an auditorium to discuss bullying has proven to be quite effective. Most bullies come from home environments where they are being bullied or they bully to gain notoriety and become popular. This public discussion of bullying often embarrasses bullies and empowers other students with the knowledge that a bully is not cool at all, but a sad individual that needs help.

Bullies try to impress their friends by taunting other children. They want to be noticed and recognized. School assemblies that focus on the subject of bullying, have effectively diminished the power of bullies. This creates an environment where bullies are viewed as undesirable individuals instead of popular. These assemblies empower other children with knowledge and tools to prevent bullying. It has also created an environment in which victims have a voice and gain the support of their fellow students. These assemblies have inspired students to develop student groups committed to protecting and helping fellow students that are being bullied.

Filed Under: School Violence, Students Tagged With: Bullying, Child, School bullying, Student

A Child is Bullied Every Seven Minutes

December 18, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

The increase of violence among youths is troubling and disturbing. Unfortunately, this violence is often perpetrated in school. This has caused an environment to develop in which some children fear attending school. Statistically, a child is bullied every seven minutes. Creating a safe environment for children to be educated is a challenge in many schools. The role of school administration has changed from providing a good education to combating school violence. Many schools have recognized the emotional and physical abuse that occurs in schools daily. Thousands of children dread attending school for fear of being bullied.

Many children will miss school because they are so fearful of being bullied. At least eight percent of children miss at least one day per month because they are afraid to attend school. Over 43 percent of children are terrified of using the restrooms at school because they are more likely to be harassed in the school restrooms. Many children are harassed or bullied on school playgrounds. Sadly, over 85 percent of the time, there is no intervention by teachers or peers. The problem is compounded by staggering statistics that indicate an argument with a bully results in physical violence 80 percent of the time.

School administrators find themselves scrambling to provide solutions for this growing problem. Many children suffer silently at the hands of a bully for fear of retaliation if they report the incident. Many schools have instituted confidentiality policies to encourage students to report bullying. Many schools have instituted policies of immediate expulsion and reporting the violent behavior to local authorities.

While many schools struggle to prevent school violence, children continue to be bullied and tormented. This growing problem not only causes harm physically and emotionally, it prevents children from obtaining an education. It makes learning difficult because many children dread and fear attending school.

Filed Under: School Violence, Students Tagged With: Bullying, Child, School, School violence

A Parent’s Guide to Helping a Child Cope With Bullying

December 16, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

While schools struggle to provide a safe educational environment, many children continue to be afraid of going to school. School administrations across the country are beginning to address bullying with stricter disciplinary acts in an effort to make attending school safe and enjoyable for children. However, these efforts are only effective if children come forward to report bullying. Most children are afraid that the bullying will become worse if they report it. Many parents are unaware that their child is being bullied. There are several warning signs and many things a parent can do to help their child.

The fist warning sign that your child may be taunted by a bully is the child’s unwillingness to go to school. The child may attempt to fake an illness so he or she can stay home from school. While this is a warning sign that is often over looked, it is important for a parent to question and investigate why their child does not want to attend school. If your child is adamant about not attending school one day, allow your child to stay home. If you can, spend the day with your child, begin a conversation with your child about why they do not want to go to school. Above all, let your child know that you love him or her. Allow your child to talk and assure your child you are there to help. If you child confides in you that he or she is being bullied, immediately contact school officials to file a complaint. These complaints are handled in a confidential manner. You child’s teachers will be made aware of the situation and will monitor the situation closely. Talk with your child daily and let your child know that he or she is not to blame.

Protecting children from bullying is a challenge that many parents face. Developing open communication with your child will help him or her feel more secure knowing you are there to help.

Filed Under: School Violence, Students Tagged With: Bullying, Child, Parent, Violence and Abuse