Monthly Archives: September 2014

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

Stop Bullying in 10 Steps

The following 10 steps can play a role in reducing or even eliminating bulling altogether for your child.

1. Never Ignore Bullying
Never brush off behavior as kids playing or as something harmless. Any type of bullying should be addressed in the appropriate fashion.

2. Look For Signs of Bullying
Children may be afraid to come forward about being bullied. Therefore, it is important for adults to look for signs of bullying like anxiety, decreased appetite or unexplained injuries.

3. Intervene Right Away
Adults who notice bullying have a responsibility to intervene. Sometimes, a small action taken early on can prevent months or years of bullying that may lasting effects for students.

4. Be a Good Role Model
It is important to model good behavior when bulling is noted. Adults shouldn’t get angry, yell or place blame. Instead, they should calmly direct everyone involved to move along, expect to be spoken with later or disperse.

5. Deal With Children One-on-One
Trying to deal with the bullying in a public space rarely works. Speaking to children individually ensures that everyone gets to speak their mind and be heard.

6. Don’t Try to Solve the Problem on the Spot
Adults shouldn’t get children to apologize on the spot or try to deal with bullying in a matter of minutes. Expect to consult with each party and think carefully about the consequences before saying them out loud.

7. Give Bystanders Responsibility for Their Behavior
Remember that it is rarely just a problem with two children. Bystanders should also be told that simply watching bullying is wrong, and they should be told how to better handle the situation.

8. Don’t Be Afraid to Seek Out a Professional Opinion
If the bullying won’t stop after intervention, or it is not clear how to continue, then bringing in outside help is appropriate. School counselors, teachers or nurses are all viable options.

9. Be Fair to Both Parties
A bullying situation is rarely as clear-cut as it first appears. Listening to and empathizing with both parties can help reveal the cause of the bullying as well as how best to handle it without seeming unfair.

10. Learn How to Deal With Bullying
No one inherently knows how to handle bullying perfectly, so it is okay to need advice and training. Seeking out additional resources may make it easier to handle instances of bullying in the future.

 

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

Four Steps to Report Cyberbullying

Due to the increased use of the Internet and social networking sites, bullying has moved beyond school halls and playgrounds into homes all around the world. Cyberbullying occurs when one individual threatens, harasses or attempts to intimidate another person through online sources such as email or other types of messages.

Parents and victims of cyberbullying can take these four simple steps when a problem arises.

 

Record the Cyberbullying Incidentcyberbullying

Responding to cyberbullies usually only makes the situation worse. Instead of responding, victims and their parents should carefully document each action and comment from cyberbullies.

Most email programs and social networking sites also let users block other users from contacting them again. Depending on the severity and frequency of the bullying, the social networking site may ban the person from using the site or place the individual’s account on probation.

 

Contact Service Providers

Comcast, Time Warner Cable and other providers have adopted policies to ban cyberbullying. Therefore, it is important to immediately contact service providers and report details of the harassment.

Many companies will take steps to address the problem and warn the individual or outright ban the IP address associated with the account involved in the bullying incident. Providers will often ask parents to show any documentation or evidence of the incidents, including harassing emails or threatening messages posted via a social networking site.

 

Contact Law Enforcement

Certain types of cyberbullying break federal and state laws. If the bullying escalates to threats, the the harassment may violate the law.

Using the Internet to commit a hate crime or stalk someone is another violation of the law. Other crimes include sexual harassment or violating someone’s privacy. In these cases, parents or guardians should contact the police or local law enforcement for help.

Federal law also bans the manufacturing, possession or distribution of child pornography, which refers to nude photographs or photographs that depict a sexual act of anyone under the age of 18.

 

Talk to the School

School faculty should know about cyberbullying incidents to prevent further incidences on campus.

Online harassment can often lead to harassment at home or in school. Many states have adopted new laws that require schools to have policies on cyberbullying.

If a school has a zero-tolerance bullying policy, then a student who bullies another student online may face expulsion. The school may also take steps to separate the two children or punish the bullying student.

 

Anti-Bullying, Child Health, Child Safety, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Back-to-School Safety and Health Tips

Parents today need to keep a closer eye on their children than ever before. It seems like the news reports on missing children and sexual predators nearly every day, and many parents find themselves frequently worrying about what their kids are doing throughout the day. Though parents cannot keep an eye on their kids every hour of the day, they can work with their kids on these back-to-school safety and health tips.

 

Traveling Safely

Kids can walk to school, take a bus, ride their bikes or go with their parents or the parents of their friends. Those who take the bus should know that horseplay is dangerous and that they should wait carefully for the bus to come to a complete stop before moving towards the vehicle.

Bike riders should always wear a helmet and other protective gear, have lights and reflectors on their bikes and obey the rules of the road. Anyone who drives one or more students to school must ensure that those 13 or under sit in the backseat and that everyone wears a seatbelt or sits in a booster or car seat.

While walking to school, it’s helpful to outfit children in bright colors and make sure they understand when and where to cross the street.

 

Healthy Eating Habits

Most schools plan menus well in advance and inform parents of what it plans to serve every day. This lets parents decide if they want to give their children money to buy a school lunch or send them to school with a bagged lunch.

If the school has vending machines available for students, parents should look closely at the items inside and encourage their kids to choose healthier snacks and drinks such as bottled water, milk, wheat crackers or fruit.

 

The Dangers of Bullying

Students all across the country face bullying from their peers. Something as simple as a child wearing a certain type of shoes can lead to bullying. Parents need to talk with their children about the dangers of bullying and what to do when they feel harassed by another student.

Talking to a teacher or the principal is the best option, but kids should also feel comfortable enough to open up to their parents and talk with them about the problem. Kids deserve the right to feel safe in school without worrying about bullying or other issues.

With some help from parents and teachers, kids can increase their school safety and health, letting them focus on learning.