Bullying Prevention
Bullying PreventionLindero Canyon is dedicated to promoting a safe and nurturing environment where all students can learn. We foster a climate that is conducive to building character and to respecting the rights of others. The development of each child's self worth and self-image is central to our mission and will lead to the academic excellence we seek. Bullying behaviors limit our mission and aim. To prevent bullying we must:
Working together with students and their families, we can end bullying at Lindero Canyon. |
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WHAT IS BULLYING?
*Bullying among children is aggressive behavior that is intentional and that involves an imbalance of power or strength. A child who is being bullied has a hard time defending himself or herself. Bullying can take many forms, such as: hitting and/or punching (physical bullying); teasing or name-calling (verbal bullying); intimidation through gestures or social exclusion (nonverbal bullying or emotional bullying); and sending insulting messages by phone or computer e-mail (cyber bullying). Usually, bullying is repeated over time. Many children, particularly boys and older children and youth, do not tell their parents or adults at school about being bullied. It is important that adults are vigilant to possible signs of bullying.*
*No-Name Calling Week Resource Guide Copyright ©2004 by GLSEN, Inc
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT YOUR CHILD IS BEING BULLIED
Talk with your child. Tell your child that you are concerned about him or her and that you’d like to help. Here are some questions that can get the discussion going:
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“I’m worried about you. Are there any kids at school who may be picking on you or bullying you?”
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“Are there any kids at school who tease you in a mean way?”
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“Are there any kids at school who leave you out of things on purpose?”
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“Do you have any special friends at school this year? Who are they? Who do you hang out with?”
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“Who do you sit with at lunch/on the bus?”
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“Are there any kids at school who you really don’t like? Why don’t you like them? Do they ever pick on you?”
Talk with staff at your child’s school. Call or set up an appointment to talk with your child’s teacher. He or she will probably be in the best position to understand the relationships between your child and peers at school. Share your concerns about your child and talk to the teacher and/or Assistant Principal.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE CERTAIN YOUR CHILD IS BEING BULLIED
Focus on your child. Be supportive and gather information about the bullying.
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Never tell your child to ignore the bullying. What the child may “hear” is that you are going to ignore it. If the child were able to simply ignore it, he or she likely would not have told you about it. Often, trying to ignore bullying allows it to become more serious.
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Don’t blame the child who is being bullied. Don’t assume that your child did something to provoke the bullying (“What did you do to aggravate the other child?”)
Contact your child’s teacher and/or principal.
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Parents are often reluctant to report bullying to school officials, but bullying probably won’t stop without the help of adults at your child’s school.
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Keep your emotions in check. Give factual information about your child’s experience of being bullied—who, what, when, where, and how.
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Emphasize that you want to work with the staff at school to find a solution to stop the bullying, for the sake of your child as well as others.
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Do not contact the parents of the student(s) who bullied your child. This is usually a parent’s first response, but sometimes it makes matters worse. School officials should contact the parents of the child or children who did the bullying.
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Expect the bullying to stop. Talk regularly with your child and with school staff to see if the bullying has stopped. If the bullying persists, contact school authorities again.
Help your child to become more resilient to bullying from others.
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Help to develop your child’s talents and positive attributes. Doing so may help your child be more confident among his/her peers.
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Encourage your child to make contact with friendly students in class. Your child’s teacher may be able to suggest students with whom your child can make friends, spend time, or collaborate on work.
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Help your child meet new friends outside of the school environment. A new environment can provide a “fresh start” for a child who has been bullied over and over by classmates.
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Teach your child safety strategies. Teach him/her how to seek help from an adult when she/he feels threatened. Talk about whom she/he should go to for help and rehearse what to say. Assure your child that reporting bullying is not the same as tattling.
Keep the communication lines open!
PROACTIVE STRATEGIES
Internet Resources
Bullying
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/se/bullyfaq.asp
The Frequently Asked Questions about bullying are extracted from key concepts presented in the California Department of Education's publication titled "Bullying at School."
http://www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org/
Learn about how to respond to bullying by participating in games, viewing webisodes, and listening to real life stories.
http://www.stopbullyingnow.com/
The Stop Bullying Now intervention is based on the work of many researchers in bullying prevention including England's Smith and Sharp.
https://www.verywellfamily.com/bullying-prevention-and-coping-4157337
Bullying is a problem all over. Many children and teens have to deal with more than one school bully, and sometimes even friends can bully.
https://www.wristband.com/content/bullying_by_the_numbers_a_breakdown_of_bullying_s
Bullying by the Numbers: A Breakdown of Bullying Statistics and Facts
Cyber Bullying
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html
What cyberbullying is, how it works, and how to understand and deal with cyberbullies.
Provides cyber bullying statistics, downloads, fact sheets, stories, cases, research, resources, strategies, and solutions to help you stop online cruelty.
http://www.cyberbullyingprevention.com/
Bullying is no longer on the playgrounds -- it has moved to cyber space.