Bullying, Engaging Families, Teachers and Community Members to Take a Stand!
I think more than any other the number 1 question we are asked by parents are what can we do about the bullying problem in our school?
By definition bullies are children who intentionally and repeatedly inflict psychological or physical damage on other, less-powerful children in order to inflate their own sense of self-worth.
Bullying is an age old problem that seems to be getting more widespread, more dangerous and with the new technology bullies have an avenue to do more damage than ever before. Even if the act of bullying does not turn violent it can still affect someone for their entire life. I am sure most adults that were bullied in school still remember every detail of their experience and carry it with them throughout their adult life.
In the wake of the most recent tragedy revolving around bullying I thought it would be a good idea this month to write about some tools and resources your schools can use to help prevent bullying in your schools.
According to a study 80% of students report being bullied during their school years and students report that 71% of teachers or other adults in the classroom ignore bullying activity. More than 30 percent of students report being cyber bullied. If your child reports being bullied at school chances are that there are other students being bullied as well. Remember, the effects of cyber bullying can last forever.
Every child is entitled to courteous and respectful treatment by students and staff at school. Several states have anti-bullying laws…currently Massachusetts does not. We encourage you as parents to advocate for your children, get involved and contact your legislator and support the anti–bullying bills that are in the works right now.
Studies show the most effective ways of attacking bullying are increasing awareness and getting involved. Involve students, parents and community members. Create awareness and educate students about the effects of bullying.
You must also have committed school staff and administrators to combat the issue of bullying.
Some anti bullying websites you can familiarize yourself with are…
http://www.pta.org/bullying.asp
http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adults/default.aspx
http://www.community-matters.org/safe-school-ambassadors
http://webhost.bridgew.edu/marc/
http://www.oochworld.com/positivespin_schools.php
If you need more help and resources about bullying please contact us at the Massachusetts PTA or if you have experience with any programs that have been successful please contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Together we can work towards making ALL of our schools safe for our children.
