Tag Archives: anti-bullying

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.

 

Bullying, Discipline, SYN Digital Enrollment Director, SYN The Bully Expert

One city’s fight to criminalize bullying

Carson City California is working to pass an ordinance making the act of picking on others a crime.

This is just the latest in a trend over the last few years to pass legislation aimed at putting a stop to bullying, including a similar ordinance that was passed in a Wisconsin city.

What city officials hope to achieve with the ordinance is “intervening in both the bully’s life, who is a person who is hurting too, and the victim’s life,” said Carson City Mayor Jim Dear.

If passed, parents who’s kids are accused of bullying would be required to attend a juvenile court hearing and an offender could face jail time.

Opponents say that ordinances like this go too far in trying to curb the verbal and physical abuse so many children are facing, and an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California noted that the ordinance doesn’t outline the amount of jail time an offender could face.

Do you feel an ordinance like this would help curb bullying in your community? Would you support such an ordinance?

 

Anti-Bullying, Bullying, SYN Digital Enrollment Director, SYN The Bully Expert

Bullying: When to involve the police

Hearing that your child is being bullied can be heartbreaking – especially when it’s severe. If the bullying your child is experiencing escalates to being threatened or physically assaulted,  you should involve the police to help resolve the situation.

 

Taking threats seriously

If a bully threatens your child, it should not be taken lightly. The bully may have said something threatening just to intimidate your child but it might also be a warning that they plan on carrying out that threat.

Not only could it lead to physical harm, the act of making a threat is against the law.

 

Act immediately to a physical attack

No one ever has the right to attack your child. When bullying becomes physical, it is time to act quickly and decisively before it happens again. Contacting the police will allow them to handle the situation and can be a strong deterrent  for bullies to continue harming your child.

 

Damaging property

Vandalism, theft and destruction of property are all crimes, so don’t let it go unaddressed just because it was done by a bully. If your child is mysteriously losing or breaking personal belongings, ask them if it was caused by a bully.

 

Next steps

If you’ve determined that a bully has crossed the line and is committing crimes against your child, you should contact the school and make them aware of the situation. They may wish to contact the police on their own, or you may have to report the incident to the police yourself.

You can simply call your local police department and explain that you wish to sign a complaint against a juvenile who has been bullying your child and has broken the law in doing so.

It is important to act quickly so the bully does not get another chance to target your child. But most of all, your child will be looking to you for reassurance that everything is going to be okay. Let them know that the bully has been brought to the attention of the school and the police and that it will be taken care of.

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

Ohio bullying case shows need for change

A sad story out of an Ohio school involving a substitute teacher and several students facing charges of bullying highlight the need for anti-bullying programs aimed at adults as well as students.

You can read the story here: Ohio students, teacher charged in bullying case.

What do you think should happen with the teacher and the students?

Bullying, Discipline, SYN Digital Enrollment Director, SYN The Bully Expert

Bullying Suicides: Is there a correlation?

Everyone knows that bullying has been around as long as there have been children and playgrounds in school yards. In today’s modern world however, you can be bullied in every way from emotional bullying to what is known of as cyber bullying.

As proven by the tragic death of young Rebecca Sedwick, a 12-year old who jumped to her death after being bullied by former classmates, bullying can lead to tragic results. Though two of the main participants have been arrested in relation to her death, this really does nothing to stop bullying.

It is suggested by the experts that there is a strong link between bullying and suicide, below you will find some of the statistics that support this claim.

 

Bullying suicideteen-attitude

In recent years there has been a rash of what is now known of as bullying suicide in America, and in other countries as well.

While most adults tend to brush bullying off as something that just happens when you are in school, it is becoming increasingly apparent that brushing the problem under the rug is doing no good.

Statistics show that of the many suicides that happen every year, children that are being bullied are two to nine times more likely to consider suicide than their classmates who are not being bullied. If the bullying of Sedwick had been taken seriously by people with the power to stop it, she might still be alive today.

Bullies need to be made to face the consequences of their actions, and the arrest of the two girls who allegedly bullied Rebecca the most is considered a good place to start making a stand.

 

Bullying suicide

A study that was conducted in Britain showed that at least half of the reported suicides among teens are related in some way to bullying whether it is in school, online, or through texting.

The fact that over 160,000 kids find a reason to stay home from school every day to avoid bullying should be a wakeup call for everyone in America, and around the globe. Something has to be done to stop bullies, and the time to act is now. It is also been proven that girls from the age of 10 to 14 are more likely to try to commit suicide as Rebecca Sedwick has proven.

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

Why Parents Should Not Rely On Shool Anti Bullying Programs Alone

Bullying at school has reached epidemic levels according to the National Education Association (NEA). In fact, figures from NEA show that 160,000 children miss school every day for fear of bullies. In addition, the National School Safety Center reckons that there are 2.1 million bullies in American schools.

To counter this problem, many schools have resorted to various anti bullying programs. The problem with these programs is they may be fueling bullying instead of stopping it according to a study published in the Journal of Criminology in December 2012. Results from this study show that students who attend a school with an anti bullying program are 1.2 times likely to be bullying victims.

 

Bullying program shortfalls

This has prompted Stuart Twemlow, an authority in the field of school violence and bullying to weigh in on the subject. Twemlow reckons that such programs fail because they rarely address issues such as the school environment, resources required to run such programs, and failure to reform the entire school culture.

Furthermore, many schools rush to roll out the latest anti bullying programs without considering whether such programs have worked elsewhere. However, Twemlow warns that one should be careful when assessing such studies because increased awareness and reports of bullying incidences may make it seem like the problem is on the rise when this is not the case.

 

Bullying programs need to train the individual

Instead of relying on blanket programs that put culture change ahead of training the individual, parents need to take charge in protecting their child from bullying by teaching them how to properly respond to a bully and ways to avoid becoming a victim in the first place.

Teaching them how to project confidence

Bullying, Discipline, SYN Digital Enrollment Director, SYN The Bully Expert

Understanding Bullying: Verbal Bullying

Welcome to the second in a series of blogs aimed at shedding some light on the types of bullies and providing strategies for solving the problem.

My name is Ed, and today I want to speak with you about verbal bullying.

 

Background

Of the many types of bullying, verbal bullying is typically where problems with a bully begin. The verbal bully wants to bring down your mood and shake your self-confidence by mocking, taunting and teasing relentlessly. Through sharp words and unyielding messages, this type of bully’s goal is to embarrass, humiliate and degrade their victim for personal gain.

Often, this type of bully is looking for an easy way to:

  • impress others
  • feel better about themselves
  • compensate for a feeling of inequity in their own life

The victim of choice is someone who will present an easy target and not resist.

 

What can be done

Conventional wisdom is to simply ignore such a bully, after all “sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Alas, there are several problems with this approach.

First off, that’s just foolish.  No one should have to subject themselves to verbal abuse and emotional distress in the hope that it resolves itself. Standing up for yourself will not only help your self esteem, it will also show bullies that you are not going to be the easy target they pegged you for.

Which brings me to the next point. If a bully puts you down and they get away with it, don’t you think they’re just going to keep on doing it because they CAN? Staying quiet against verbal bullying is akin to a boxer refusing to defend their body against another boxer in the hopes that their opponent just gets tired of punching and gives up.

Lastly, verbal bullying can escalate. It might start with a threat of violence, then progress to a physical attack. Nipping the problem of verbal bullying in the bud may prevent more serious forms of harassment from progressing.

 

The Wrap-up

The effects of emotional bullying can be quite serious. Bruising will fade and embarrassment will subside, but the emotional toll of repeated verbal abuses can last a very long time and crush your self esteem. Don’t be fooled; just because verbal bullying doesn’t leave any physical scars doesn’t make it harmless.

 

 

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

Understanding Bullies: Cyberbullying

Hello, my name is Ed and for the next few weeks I would like to devote every Monday to shedding a little more light on the types of bullying, what causes it and what can be done if it happens to your child.

I’d like to begin with the newest form of bullying.

 

Background

Cyberbullying involves repeated harassment or threats online. This can also spill over into the real world and has caused a number of high-profile suicides with many more being tied – at least in part – to cyberbullying. Although it is done online, the effects can be just as devastating as when endured in person.

Born from the digital revolution, cyberbullying is a truly unique problem faced by the current generation. And therein lies one of the biggest challenges in addressing the issue: the generation gap between parent and child can make it difficult for both sides to relate to what is happening when someone is facing cyberbullying attacks.

What is important for parents to understand is that kids are very emotionally invested in what happens online because:

  • what they post about themselves reflects who they truly feel they are
  • what is posted about them is always accessible through the proliferation of mobile devices
  • the eyes of their entire peer group is on them

Just like in the real world, most kids are eager to tell others about their interests with the thought and hope that others will be as excited about a topic as they are. When that doesn’t happen, it not only opens the possibility of ridicule, but also plants in the child’s mind that the things they enjoy are in one way or another socially unacceptable.

That feeling can be crushing to a child who gets all excited about posting something only to discover that they seem to be alone in that train of thought. Then there’s the scope of the ridicule and embarrassment.a stop bully

Earlier I wrote about how I had a childhood bully who liked to tease me in front of the rest of our classmates. When a joke was made at my expense to a classroom of 25, it really hurt. Now imagine that multiplied to the thousands.

The level of embarrassment and the many directions that the insults come from give cyberbullying some serious emotional punching power. And because everyone and everything is connected to the web, those reminders are always on hand and always capable of being updated minute-by-minute.

That presents a lot of pressure on a child to either endure or conform.

 

What can be done

The occasional hurtful comment or putdown can and should be ignored. Don’t encourage others by posting a response to a negative comment, tempting though it may be. But if things become more serious, it is not an overreaction to bring it to the attention of others such as other parents, the school or even the police. So how do you know if this is happening to your child?

As with any problem, communication is key.

Talk with your children and ask about their day. Are they having problems with bullies at school, on the playground or on the bus? Chances are those same bullies and more are also giving them problems online.

Check your child’s phone for mean or threatening messages. Same goes for their social media accounts. If your child suddenly tries to avoid using the computer or phone, it may be a clue that they are being victimized.

Cyberbullying may often times be anonymous, but it is very easy to keep a record of. If your child is repeatedly being harassed online, keep a log of what is being said and where it is coming from. It may be useful down the road and at a minimum establishes the fact that there is a real problem that needs to be addressed.

Learn how to tell when a comment or picture crosses the line and becomes criminal. Sending a message to someone saying “I hate you!” may be mean, but a message saying “I will kill you!” becomes criminal. Your children should also know how to spot when something becomes more serious than just another mean comment and bring it to the attention of an adult.

 

Wrap-up

Although the delivery method may be different, it is important to recognize that the impact on a child is no less real than “traditional” schoolyard bullying. It is also not something to be taken lightly. If the messages your child receives turn from hostile to violent or threatening, it’s time to contact the school and potentially even the police.

There is no doubt that the Internet  has the potential to educate and entertain, but it also provides easy access to targets for a bully. And it’s important for adults and children to recognize that whether it’s said in person or online, no one deserves to be put down and verbally abused.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Bullying – What Can You Do?

Recently I saw another story on the local news about a teenager committing suicide because of bullying.

Unbelievable! Isn’t the school supposed to be watching what’s going on with these kids?

And just last week there was another story about a Dad who had enough of kids bullying his crippled daughter. He actually got on the bus and threatened the bullies.  Kids bullying a cripple, can you believe that?

I mean, how low can you sink when you feel the need to pick on someone that’s sitting in a wheelchair?

As a parent I’m not sure what to think of that.  Didn’t the other kids see what was going on and say something? The sad fact is that nowadays kids are too afraid of what the others kids will think of them to even get involved. After all they don’t to become the next victim.

My first reaction to hearing about the Dad who confronted the bullies on the bus was that of support. Then as I thought about it more I said to myself he should have went to the principal of the school and the bus company first before taking matters into his own hands.  The problem was that he did. He contacted the principal not once, but several times in an effort to get help for his daughter. Nothing was done and the problem continued.

It would be easy for us to just blame the school officials but I’m sure that would not solve the problem. The truth of the matter is that we need to educate our kids about bullying. Yes, even the bullies need to be taught more about the damage that they are doing to others and how really wrong it is.  Most times the damage goes much deeper than what we see on the news. Children are actually afraid to go to school because of what happens to them while they are there. Instead of a fun learning experience many of our children are subject to verbal abuse and intimidation to the point that it starts to affect their grades and emotional stability.

The atmosphere in our schools needs to be changed. When a child is exposed to bullying in school their ability to learn and trust in their teachers’ is dramatically reduced. Solid evidence from national research has shown that students will learn more, and be physically and emotionally healthier, when nurtured in positive a social environment.

Now when I refer to “The School atmosphere” I’m talking about the unique social character of school as perceived by students. After all if the students do not feel they are in a safe environment they can’t concentrate on their studies and achieve their potential.

So what can we do? As parents we need to make sure the lines of communication are open and that our children feel that they can talk to us about anything. Teach your kids that if anyone is bothering them at school that they can and should immediately let you know.

Secondly, as a parent you need to learn everything that you can about bullying. The better Kids Institute is here to provide you with valuable insight that you can use to help protect your kids. Learn to recognize the telltale signs of bullying and talk to them about it.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You say that to your kids and sometimes as parents we need help too.