Bullying Podcast Interview

The following is an interview about bullying, conducted with a school counselor:

http://kcortes.podbean.com/

Bullying: A Survivor's Story

Bullying Parent Workshop

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Bullying Parent Workshop

View more presentations from Kathy Cortes.

Bullying in Schools

According to the National Mental Health Center, every day in our schools and communities, children are teased, threatened, or tormented by bullies. Bullying in schools is a worldwide problem that can have negative consequences for the general school climate and for the right of students to learn in a safe environment without fear. Bullying can also have negative lifelong consequences, both for students who bully and for their victims. Bullying occurs a lot more than people think. Studies show that between 15-25% of U.S. students are bullied with some frequency, while 15-20% report they bully others with some frequency (Nansel et al, 2001).

Bullying involves intentional aggressive behavior, an imbalance of power or strength in a relationship, and usually occurs over time. Direct bullying involves hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting, taunting, teasing, racial slurs, verbal harassment, threatening, and obscene gestures. Indirect bullying involves getting another person to bully someone for you, spreading rumors, deliberately excluding someone from a group or activity, and cyber-bullying. Whether the bullying is direct or indirect, the important factor is that the bullying occurs repeatedly over time to create an ongoing pattern of harassment and abuse.

Research shows that bullying can be a sign of other serious antisocial or violent behavior. Children and youth who frequently bully their peers are more likely to get into frequent fights, be injured in a fight, vandalize or steal property, drink alcohol, smoke, be truant from school, drop out of school, and carry a weapon (Nansel et al., 2003; Olweus, 1993). Possible warning signs that a child is being bullied are that; a child comes home with torn, damaged, or missing pieces of clothing, books, or other belongings; has unexplained cuts, bruises, and scratches; has few, if any friends, with whom he or she spends time; seems afraid of going to school, walking to and from school, riding the school bus, or taking part in organized activities with peers (such as clubs); and even sudden loss of appetite or appears anxious.

If you suspect a child is being bullied, talk with staff at the child’s school. If you are a parent, call or set up an appointment to talk with your child’s teacher and share your concerns about your child. It is imperative to understand bullying and what it consists of. It can lead to huge problems later in life. It can affect the way a person’s personality is developed; in a positive or negative way. If the problem is tackled early on, it can prevent long term effects.