Transcript Bullying and Belonging - Rockingham County Schools

Bullying:
Information for Parents
Toni McDaniel, School Counselor
Huntsville Elementary
Presented by Kristy Ellison and Toni McDaniel
Title 1 Parent Meeting
March 15, 2012
What is bullying?
“Bullying is
unfair and one-sided.
It happens when
someone keeps
hurting, frightening,
threatening, or leaving
someone out on purpose.”
*Repetitve and Intentional*
As of June 2009, all forms of bullying are punishable by law in the State of
North Carolina.
NC School Violence Prevention
General Statute
Article 29C §115C-407.15
Bullying and harassing behavior:
As used in this Article, "bullying or harassing behavior" is any
pattern of gestures or written, electronic, or verbal communications, or any
physical act or any threatening communication, that takes place on school
property, at any school-sponsored function, or on a school bus.
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/ByArticle/Cha
pter_115C/Article_29C.pdf
Who does the bullying and why?
Bullies come in all
shapes and sizes…big
or small, old or young,
rich or poor, boy or
girl.
They want to have
power and control
over others. They do
this by making others
feel bad about
themselves.
What do bullies look for and why?
Differences: Bullies look for someone
who is different in some way—hair
or skin color, accent, disability,
religion, gender, academics, physical
appearance….any difference.
What do bullies look for and why?
Helplessness: Bullies need a target
that will feel scared or upset and
maybe even cry. They want their
target to feel helpless because it
makes them feel powerful and in
control.
What do bullies look for and why?
Isolation: Bullies want their target to
be alone. It may keep them out of
trouble and make them feel more
intimidating.
How does bullying make
children feel?
When a child is bullied at school they
may:
Make up excuses for not going to school
Develop sleeping or eating problems
Have unexplained bruises or torn clothes
Continually lose things or need extra money for
school supplies
Be unusually quiet or isolate themselves as
soon as they get home
So………..
can parents do?
What
"Do what you can, with what you
have, where you are."
~ Theodore Roosevelt
If you suspect a problem…..
Talk with your child about school every day
Ask specific questions, such as “Is there
someone in your class, at recess, or on the bus
that picks on others?”
Let the school know your concerns
Do not advise your child to ignore the problem
Do not advise your child to physically handle
the problem
Listen by HEARing:
Helpfulness
*listen first and get all
the details; don’t rush
Empathy
*try to understand and
not criticize
Attentiveness
Responsiveness
*don’t get distracted
*show interest and
concern; if needed,
report incident to
school officials
Help your child build positive social
skills….
Encourage friendships
Arrange weekend play dates to promote
friendships
Teach your child self-respect and the
importance of “standing tall”
If your child is shy, role play situations that
have occurred previously
Teach your child to share, compromise, and
apologize to help avoid conflicts
Teach your child to handle bullying
situations by:
Staying with others: bullies are usually more
aggressive with kids who are alone
Controlling their reactions: a bully feels “big”
if the target gets upset
Learning to respond with humor and
assertiveness: the bully may not know what to
say or do next
Knowing who to report to when bullied: a
situation may arise that requires adult
intervention
What is a bystander?
An innocent person that sees bullying happen.
Bystanders have the responsibility of intervening by…
Standing up to the bully: “Stop it!”, “That’s not
funny!”, “How would you feel if someone said/did that
to you?”
Getting the help of an adult immediately
What can students do?
What to do if you find out that your
child bullies others
Evaluate whether the behavior is a problem at home. Do parents model
bullying behavior? Does child exhibit bullying behavior toward younger
sibling(s)? Family therapy may be needed.
Provide as much parental supervision as possible.
Put an immediate stop to any bullying behavior you observe.
Avoid physical punishment as discipline; this may encourage your child to
hurt others. Instead, take away privileges or add extra jobs around the
house.
Always reward your child with lots of praise and positive feedback when
caring and appropriate behaviors are exhibited.
Huntsville’s Action Plan
This school year:
Character Education Lessons
Anti-bullying Week April 10-13
Next school year:
Character Education Lessons
Anti-bullying Month—October
Include Bully Prevention in PBIS Program.
Questions?
Sources/Parent Resources for Bullying
Information
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PD
F/ByArticle/Chapter_115C/Article_29C.pdf
http://www.pbis.org/common/pbisresources/publications/bully
prevention_ES.pdf
http://www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org/
http://www.bam.gov/sub_yourlife/yourlife_bullyroundup.html
http://www.kidpower.org/resources/articles/preventbullying.html?gclid=CNb3sPSqxKcCFQXu7QodgESaDg
Bullyproofing Your School: a Comprehensive Approach for
Elementary Schools, published by Sopris West, Longmont,
CO copyright 2000 (second edition)