Monthly Archives: February 2014

Bullying, SYN Digital Enrollment Director, SYN The Bully Expert

Impact of bullying increases as exposure rises

A new study indicates that not only does bullying affect a target in the near term, the longer the bullying persists the more of a toll it takes.

bullying_1The study, called Healthy Passages, tracked Alabama students in fifth, seventh and tenth grade students by reviewing the results of surveys given to over 4,000 children about the amount of bulling they endured and then evaluated their physical and mental health.

It concluded that students who were bullied in the past scored better on the health measurements than those who were currently being bullied. Those who had been bullied throughout their school career scored lowest.

Researchers determined physical health by assessing abilities such as distance a student can walk and the ability to lift heavy objects. Mental health was determined by feelings of sadness, anger and fear.

“I think this is overwhelming support for early interventions and immediate interventions and really advancing the science about interventions,” said Laura Bogart, the lead author of the study.

The study highlights just how critical it is for good physical and mental health to address and end bullying situations for students as early as possible.

 

 

Child Health, Child Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Kids with diabetes

In the United States alone, there are over 200,000 kids with diabetes according to the Centers for Disease Control. If not well managed, diabetes can cause a lot of health problems, but if you and your child are good about keeping their symptoms in check, your child can live a healthy and normal life.

Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar isn’t being absorbed into the cells of the body because either the body isn’t making a chemical called insulin, or it is being produced but the body is unable to use it.

Adults and kids with diabetes need to monitor what they eat and the amount of exercise they get because if the blood sugar levels get too high it can cause serious illness and even death.

Although diabetes is a serious condition, there are a few things that kids can do to keep their symptoms in check.

  • check blood sugar levels often
  • give themselves insulin shots as needed
  • eat healthy
  • exercise daily
  • regularly check in with their doctor to monitor any changes in health

With a little discipline and guidance from a doctor, kids with diabetes can enjoy their childhood happy and healthy.

 

 

ADHD & Focus, Bullying, SYN Digital Enrollment Director, SYN The Bully Expert

Bullying and the cognitively disabled

Bullying shouldn’t happen to anyone, but sadly, those with physical or cognitive disabilities are at an especially high risk of being targeted by bullies.

The observable differences between the target and the bully make for easy insults and little chance of reprisal by the targeted child. It is heartbreaking and could do serious damage to the self-esteem of your child.

Below is a great article that any parent, guardian or educator who deals with students who have learning disabilities or ADHD should read.

Understanding Bullying and Its Impact on Kids With Learning Disabilities or ADHD

When we understand the problem – why it happens, what can be done to stop it – and learn to recognize the warning signs, what we learn are the tools we need to put a stop to the problem. Armed with the right tools, we can help put an end to bullying of all students.

Child Fitness, Martial Arts, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Recess is necessary for proper child development

Schools are in a tough spot these days.

Between the pressures to meet minimum student performance standards and needing to work within slimmer budget constraints, recess has become an expendable program. More time is spent in class and fewer resources are needed for playground supervision and maintenance.

It is a decision that seems straightforward on the surface but, as it turns out, could have a host of negative unintended consequences.

 

Grades could suffer

Many studies have been conducted on the relationship between recess and grades. The results indicate that a mental and physical break from classes helps to refocus the kids’ attention span and burn off extra energy that is distracting in the classroom.

Kids are naturally active and curious about the world around them. They are not well suited to extended periods of prolonged concentration such as sitting in a classroom without some form of mental and physical break.

After sitting for a while kids (as well as adults) start to get fidgety and cannot concentrate on what they should be. The mind starts to wander and the lessons being taught in the classroom become

Recess is also the time where kids can interact with their peers, learning through shared experience and building social development skills. These are lessons that can’t be taught from a book. They have to be experienced to learn from.

 

Improved health

Another huge concern for schools these days is the physical health of their students. Recess affords kids an opportunity to run and play which helps to burn calories, build muscle and provides aerobic exercise.

With concerns over childhood obesity and related illnesses, providing a health school lunch does very little good if they aren’t allowed time to exercise. And with gym classes being cut as well, some students don’t get any physical activity at all while at school.

Schools across the country are starting to realize that eliminating recess is a poor option for them and their students. In some cases, recess is making a comeback which is good news for the overall happiness and well being of the students.

 

Bullying, Online Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director, SYN The Bully Expert

New app hopes to stop cyberbullies

A new app for Android and Apple devices was recently released with the goal of putting an end to cyberbullies.

The app is called StopIt and has four different features designed to allow the victims of cyberbullies to respond in various ways.

  1. StopIt saves messages the child feels is mean or offensive and forwards it to an adult the child has chosen. If that message is reported, an automatic message is sent to the cyberbully telling them to stop.
  2. HelpIt gives the child access to groups that will help the child deal with the emotional effects of the bullying.
  3. FriendIt lets children anonymously report acts of bullying that they witness.
  4. ReportIt gives victims an easy way get protection from serious cases of cyberbullying and can alert the authorities if deemed necessary.

Of course relying on an app to stop a child from being bullied is not a standalone answer. Other measures need to be taken to address bullying, prevent it from happening and educating children on how to respond if they are bullied.

There is also no word on how effective it actually is at stopping online bullying. But hopefully the StopIt app can be a useful tool in the fight against cyberbullies.