BULLYING PREVENTION, RESPONSE, AND SUPPORTMary Combi

What is Bullying? Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged

children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems. 

In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include: An Imbalance of Power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical

strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people.

Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.

Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.

Effects of Bullying Bullying can affect everyone—those who

are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance use, and suicide. It is important to talk to kids to determine whether bullying—or something else—is a concern.

Prevention Programs for the Community

Community Action Planning The Community Action Toolkit includes

materials to create a community event using the research, ideas and bullying prevention and response strategies (http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/in-the-community/community-action-planning/index.html)

Prevention in Schools "Matt's Safe School Law," a law passed

in 2011 to address bullying in schools. The law requires districts to have a bullying

policy in place and calls for informing parents of both parties involved in a bullying incident.

Prevention in Schools Bullying can threaten students’ physical and

emotional safety at school and can negatively impact their ability to learn.

The best way to address bullying is to stop it before it starts. Assess Bullying in Your School   Engage Parents and Youth   Create Policies and Rules   Build a Safe Environment   Educate Students and School Staff 

(http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/at-school/index.html)

Prevention in Schools Guide for Educators

(http://www.bullyfree.com/site/files/BullyFree_EducatorGuide.pdf) Ready, Set, Respect! - A toolkit for elementary educators

Developed to help elementary educators ensure that all students feel safe and respected and develop respectful attitudes and behaviors. This resource provides a set of tools to help educators prepare themselves for teaching about respect to students at the elementary school level. (

http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2833.html?state=tools&type=educator)

Safe Space Kit Designed to help educators create a safe space for LGBT youth in schools, this

guide provides concrete strategies for supporting LGBT students, educating about anti-LGBT bias and advocating for changes in your school. The kit also shows how to assess the school's climate, policies and practices and outlines ways to advocate for change inside the school. (

http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/1641.html?state=tools&type=educator)

Cyberbullying There are two kinds of cyberbullying, direct

attacks (messages sent to your kids directly) and cyberbullying by proxy (using others to help cyberbully the victim, either with or without the accomplice's knowledge). Because cyberbullying by proxy often gets adults involved in the harassment, it is much more dangerous. http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/how_it_works/in

dex.html http://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/how-t

o-report/index.html

Responding to Bullying When adults respond quickly and

consistently to bullying behavior, they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time.

Responding to Bullying

Intervene immediately. It is ok to get another adult to help.

Separate the kids involved. Make sure everyone is safe. Meet any immediate medical

or mental health needs. Stay calm. Reassure the kids

involved, including bystanders. Model respectful behavior

when you intervene.

Don’t ignore it. Don’t think kids can work it out without adult help.

Don’t immediately try to sort out the facts.

Don’t force other kids to say publicly what they saw.

Don’t question the children involved in front of other kids.

Don’t talk to the kids involved together, only separately.

Don’t make the kids involved apologize or patch up relations on the spot.

Do: Don’t:

Resources for Students Guide for Elementary Students

(http://www.bullyfree.com/site/files/BullyFree_ElementaryStudentGuide.pdf)

Be More than a Bystander (

http://www.stopbullying.gov/respond/be-more-than-a-bystander/index.html)

Beyond Bullies – Teen Confidential Chat with Youth Mentors (http://beyondbullies.tumblr.com)

Resources for Families Guide for Parents

(http://www.bullyfree.com/site/files/BullyFree_ParentGuide.pdf)

Tips for Parents (

http://www.bullyfree.com/free-resources/tips-for-parents)

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) (http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=194&srcid

=-2)

Books About Bullying

Billy Bully - by Ana Galan Alvaro Galan

The Bully Blockers Club - by Teresa Bateman

Bully Trouble - by Joanna Cole Bye-Bye, Big Bad Bullybug! - by Ed

Emberley Chrysanthemum - by Kevin Henkes Pinky & Rex and the Bully - by James

Howe Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon - by Patty

Lovell Stephanie's Ponytail - by Robert N.

Munsch Stop Picking on Me - by Pat Thomas

Lesley Harker Trouble in the Barkers' Class - by

Tomie dePaola

Agnes Parker...Girl in Progress - by Kathleen O'Dell

Big Bad Bruce - by Bill Peet Bozo the Clone - by Dan Greenburg The Bully from the Black Lagoon -

by Mike Thaler The Dodgeball Chronicles - by

Frank Cammuso Jake Drake, Bully Buster - by

Andrew Clements Secret Identity - by Wendelin Van

Draanen Super Emma - by Sally Warner

Grades 1-2 Grades 3-5

www.scholastic.com

Citations Aftab, Parry. (n.d.). How cyberbullying works. Retrieved from

http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/how_it_works/index.html Aftab, Parry. (n.d.). Report cyberbullying. Retrieved from

http://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/how-to-report/index.html Beane, Allan L. (2011). Together we can be bully-free : A mini-guide for

educators. Retrieved from http://www.bullyfree.com/site/files/BullyFree_EducatorGuide.pdf

Beane, Allan L. (2011). Together we can be bully-free: A mini-guide for elementary school students. Retrieved from http://www.bullyfree.com/site/files/BullyFree_ElementaryStudentGuide.pdf

Bully Free Systems. (n.d.). Tips for parents. Retrieved from http://www.bullyfree.com/free-resources/tips-for-parents

GLSEN, Inc. (2013). Ready, Set, Respect! - A toolkit for elementary educators. Retrieved from http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/news/record/2833.html

GLSEN, Inc. (2012). Safe Space Kit. Retrieved from http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/1641.html?state=tools&type=educator

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). (2012). Retrieved from http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=194&srcid=-2

Citations cont’d. Scholastic. (n.d.). Books about bullying: Grades 3-5. Retrieved from

http://www.scholastic.com/resources/booklist/books-about-bullying-grades-3-5/

Scholastic. (n.d.). Books about bullying: Grades 1-2. http://www.scholastic.com/resources/booklist/books-about-bullying-grades-1-2/

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Bullying definition. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/definition/index.html

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Effects of bullying. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/effects/index.html

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Stop bullying on the spot. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/respond/on-the-spot/index.html

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Respond to bullying. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/respond/index.html

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Be more than a bystander. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/respond/be-more-than-a-bystander/index.html

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Community action planning. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/in-the-community/community-action-planning/index.html

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Prevention at school. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/at-school/index.html