1. Bullying Presented by: Felice Williams & Terri Hicks

2. Bullying A SERIOUS PROBLEM….!!!! COULD YOUR CHILD BE A VICTIM OR EVEN A BULLY?

3. What is bullying? Intimidation of a weaker person. It is the process of intimidating or mistreating somebody weaker or in a more vulnerable situation.

4. Five kinds of bullying Physical- hitting, poking, tripping, pushing etc… Verbal- use of negative words repeatedly etc… Social- lying, spreading rumors, etc… Psychological- intimidation, manipulation, stalking etc… Cyber- use of technology to verbally, socially or psychologically bully.

5. Putting a stop to bullying…!!! An aggressive negative behavior that is repeated and involves unwanted actions and displays an imbalance of power and strength between the individuals is known as bullying. Bullying is an issue that has been receiving more and more attention in the past few years. It is a topic that we feel strongly about and one that we think parents, students and fellow teachers need to take more seriously. As educators, we believe it is important to keep people informed on such a topic. Children of all backgrounds are subject to being harassed. There have also been circumstances where parents have removed their children from schools. Bullying has no preferences. Adults can find themselves being the target of bullying. There are many different types of bullying and one could never be too educated on this subject matter.

6. Our Message…!!! B- Be involved U- Understand the signs L- Learn the characteristics L- Listen to the victim Y- Yield to the warnings

8. Nakeesha’s Story Nakeesha, age fourteen, is a new student at middle school. Although she’d had quite a few good friends at her old school, she feels lonely among her new classmates. For reasons she doesn’t understand, she is on the “outs” with several popular girls and boys in her class. They roll their eyes and laugh whenever she tries to speak up in class. They exclude her from the lunch table and tape mean notes and drawings of her on her locker. For Nakeesha, the final straw comes when a classmate takes an unflattering picture of her on his cell phone and then sends the picture to other students in their class with the heading “Ugliest girl in school!”

9. Michael’s Story Michael, age ten, is bullied at school nearly every day. Boys punch and kick him on the playground (just out of the sight of teachers). They steal his lunch money and call him names. Michael frequently complains to his parents and the school nurse about stomach pains and headaches. He often stays home from school, but for months he has said nothing about the bullying.

10. Opposing Viewpoints Teachers, principals and other school administrators are the biggest opponents of anti-bullying. They feel it will add more paper work and stress to their already hectic school day. Most educators feel they do not have the resources or knowledge to deal with bullying. Cyber bullying is often seen as an outside issue. This is due mainly because most cyber bullying takes place outside of school and educators feel it is not a school issue. One final viewpoint is “kids will be kids”. Some do not see children’s behavior as bullying, but merely rough and tumble play. They feel as if the parents are the ones who should be addressing the matter at home.

11. Collaboration Resources & Groups U.S. Jaycees Rotary International Kiwanis International United Way of America Lions Clubs International Association of Junior Leagues International Association of Junior Leagues International

12. For more information visit… www.olweus.org www.adcovocate.com www.stopbullying.gov www.stopbullyingnow.com www.ncpc.org/topics/bullying

13. So lets all join together and take a stand against bullying before the push comes to shove!