Anti-Bullying HB 1942 Bettye Myers Middle School How Reports of Bullying Behaviors are Handled at BMMS O Notify an Administrator, a Counselor, or a O O O O Teacher An Investigation will be conducted Correction/ Re-Direction of behaviors will be addressed to stop the bullying behaviors The person who participates in bullying behaviors could be removed from the class or campus as is necessary In some cases, criminal charges may be filed What is Bullying? O Unwanted, Okc.gov aggressive behavior O An imbalance of power O Repeated behavior Types of Bullying O Verbal O Social O Physical O Cyber-bullying Types of Bullying Verbal: saying or writing mean things O Teasing O Name-calling O Inappropriate sexual comments O Taunting O Threatening to cause harm dswalkerauthor.com Types of Bullying pbskids.org Byuicomm.net Social: hurting someone’s reputation or relationships O Leaving someone out on purpose O Telling others not to be friends with someone O Spreading rumors O Embarrassing someone in public Types of Bullying Physical: hurting a person’s body or possessions O Hitting, kicking, pinching O Spitting O Tripping/pushing O Taking/breaking someone’s things O Making mean or rude hand gestures Types of Bullying Cyber-bullying: bullying behaviors through electronic technology O Text messages/emails O Social networks O Fake profiles O Videos/pictures O Website What’s Different About Cyber Bullying? o Anonymity – identity of the person who bullies can be kept secret. The target of the behavior experiences increased stress and anxiety due to the “unknown”. o Accessibility – the technology used to cyber bully can be accessed any time, day or night. o Punitive fears for reporting – parents often remove the technology when they discover how their child is being bullied. o Number of “bystanders” – can quickly reach into the thousands depending on the forum (ex. Youtube) o Disinhibition –secrecy of internet encourages those who might not otherwise bully. o No observable response – the person who bullies is not usually present to observe the impact their words or actions have on others. *Olweus.net Bullying vs. Conflict Conflict O Equal power O Happens occasionally O Accidental O Equal emotional reaction O Not seeking power/attention O Remorse – takes responsibility O Effort to resolve the problem Bullying O Imbalance of power O Repetitive negative actions O Purposeful O Strong emotional reaction from the target O Seeking power/control O No remorse – blames target O No effort to solve the problem Do you engage in bullying behaviors? O Most students have been both: a person who bullies or the target of bullying behaviors in their lifetimes. O Many students do NOT realize their behavior is bullying. O Consider your own behavior over the next few slides and evaluate yourself…. Students who engage in bullying behaviors…. When compared with students who don’t, students who bully others are more likely to: O Get into frequent fights O Steal and vandalize property O Drink alcohol and smoke O Report poor grades O Perceive a negative climate at school O Carry a weapon *OLWEUS.NET What are bullying behaviors really about? The person who participates in bullying behaviors usually want to feel: O Important O Popular O In control O A sense of belonging in a group O A release of anger or hostility (misplaced) What motivates a person to engage in bullying behaviors? O Seeks to intimidate others (by making them feel inferior or less than) O Seeks to have power (through force) over a student or others O Seeks to embarrass a student or others O Seeks to instill fear in a student or others Students who are targets of bullying behaviors….. When a student is the target of bullying behaviors, the effects can be long term: O Depression O Low self-esteem O Health problems O Poor grades O Suicidal thoughts O “Bullycide”: suicide connected to being the victim of bullying/harassment *OWLEUS.NET *BULLYCIDE IN AMERICA Bystanders Students who witness others being bullied often feel: O Afraid for their own safety O Powerless and powerless to act O Guilty or ashamed for not intervening O Tempted to participate *OLWEUS.NET What to do…. What to do…. If you are the target of bullying behavior O Don’t ignore the whole situation O Always tell an adult you trust (teacher, principal, counselor) O Keep in mind that no one deserves to be a target of bullying behavior If you observe bullying behavior O Talk to a teacher, a principal, a counselor, or a trusted adult O Go to ChooseToCare.com to make an anonymous report or call 877.277.2812 What can you do? O Report what you witness to an adult O Report what you witness on Choosetocare.com O When someone brags or laughs about insulting O O O O O O or harming someone, do not go along with it. Do not spread embarrassing pictures or video. Do not laugh Do not cheer Do not congratulate someone for causing harm Say something to stop the person Be kind and show empathy If you are being bullied O Reach out: tell a trusted adult, ask your friends to help you (there’s safety in numbers), practice what to say the next time you’re bullied with your parents, teachers or friends O Be cool in the moment: stay calm and confident, don’t show the person who bullies that you’re sad or mad, ignore the person and walk away. Remember fighting back can make bullying worse. O Change the school community: work with others to stop the bully behavior; this benefits the whole school. O Remember – a lot of kids have to cope with bullying. You are not alone. No one deserves to be bullied. *Teachingtolerance.org If you witness bullying…. O Interrupt it: stand next to, or speak up for the person being bullied O Ask the bully to stop O Comfort the person being bullied and offer friendship O Get help: walk away and get help. Find an adult to intervene *Teachingtolerance.org If you are the person who bullies…. O Make a commitment to change: talk to an adult/teacher/parent about how to get along with others. Ask a friend to help you stop your bully behavior. Apologize to the kids you have bullied. O Focus on EMPATHY and RESPONSIBILITY: Think about what it feels like to be bullied. Would you want to be treated that way? Before you speak, think about whether your words will help or hurt another student. O Change your behavior: resist peer pressure to bully. If you start to bully, walk away and find something else to do. O Remember: You do not have to like everyone around you, but you have to treat everyone with respect *Teachingtolerance.org References and Resources Where to go for help: O Your BMMS Counselor, Student Assistance Counselor, Administrator, SRO or Teacher O A parent or trusted adult O www.ChooseToCare.com or 877-277-3812 O http://www.oag.state.tx.us/criminal/cybersafety.shtml O http://www.stopbullyingnow.gov/kids/ O http://www.schoolclimate.org/bullybust/ O http://www.stopbullying.gov O http://www.teachingtolerance.org O http://www.olweus.net