"The single factor most responsible for putting children at risk for mental health problems is peer rejection"

Is there a definition of bullying?

• Bullying occurs when an individual is the target of any behavior that is meant to harm, is repeated over time, and is characterized by an imbalance of strength or power
• There are four types of bullying behavior:
  1. hitting, kicking, or shoving
  2. teasing or name-calling
  3. rumor starting
  4. leaving someone out on purpose
• Incidents of bullying may be defined as gaining control over another through the use of force, threats, teasing, or exclusion
• Bullying victims are characterized as individuals who experience such incidents three or more times in a 30- day period

What are the effects of bullying?

• The effects of Bullying are Systemic
• perpetrators, victims, and those who witness bullying suffer from the effects
• for victims, symptoms include heightened anxiety, depression, and lower sense of self-worth, in addition to chronic absenteeism, reduced academic performance, increased apprehension, loneliness, abandonment from peers, and suicide
• bullying behavior has been correlated with fighting, alcohol abuse, smoking, loneliness, abandonment from peers, and suicide

What interventions work?

• Effective programs are comprehensive, targeting students, families, and the community
  • attending to the needs of victims is as important as intervening with bullies
  • programs addressing bullying should include realistic presentations of bullying situations, role-play, and follow-up discussions
  • in a 2001 study, a 20% decrease in bullying was attributed to the following measures:
    • a whole-school approach led by the principal
    • data collection via student and teacher surveys
    • adoption of a school-wide code of conduct
    • development and implementation of a set of planned consequences for bullying
    • a written student pledge
    • increased supervision in high incidence areas
    • dramatic program depicting bullying
    • structured classroom discussion on identifying and dealing with bullying behaviors

    

  Book THE BULLY PLAN today!

  Call 301.371.8509 or email paulhadfield@comcast.net