Monday : Some of the ways kids bully other people are by hitting, kicking, calling them names, saying or writing nasty things about them, leaving them out of activities, not talking to them, making them feel uncomfortable or scared, and taking or damaging their things. Sometimes it comes in the way of threats, or teasing. This can become more damaging than just hitting or kicking. QUOTE: Recent bullying statistics admit that half of all bullying incidents go unreported. You are NOT Alone! It’s NOT Your Fault! You CAN DO Something About It!

Tuesday: The basic elements of bullying are: Unequal power: One child has more power than the other child (or at least it seems that way to the children involved) Hurtful actions: Physically or psychologically harmful behavior takes place Direct and indirect actions: The behavior may be face-to-face or behind one’s back Repetitive behavior: The hurtful actions keep happening so the child being hurt finds it more and more difficult to escape Teasing, rough housing, or even play fighting are not considered bullying when both children are having fun. S tay away from bullies. T ell someone. A void bad situations. M ake friends. P roject confidence. OUT BULLYING!!! QUOTE: 90% of 4 th through 8 th graders report being victims of bullying.

Wednesday: Types of Bullying Not all children are directly involved in bullying incidents, but many get involved in other ways – some watch, some encourage the bullying, and some try to stop it. QUOTE: According to bullying statistics, one out of every 10 students who drops out of school does so because of repeated bullying. QUOTE: 1 out of 5 kids admits to being a bully or doing some “Bullying.” PhysicalVerbalSocial Hitting Kicking Punching Pushing/Shoving Stealing Insults Name-calling Threats Comments about how someone looks or talks Comments about someone’s ethnicity (culture, color, or religion) Gossiping Rumors Ignoring Not including someone in group activities Results Can hurt a child’s body, damage belongings (clothes, toys, etc) or make a child feel badly about himself or herself Can make a child feel badly about himself or herself. Can make a child feel alone and not part of the group.

Thursday: Children must learn that they need to communicate, communicate, and communicate! It is essential that they tell their parents, teachers, and friends, what is going on! That is the first step. Ignoring the problem doesn’t fix it. It will only get worse! What NOT to do: Fighting back – If a child were to fight back, he or she is the one who will typically get in trouble at school or he or she may also get beat up. Ignoring the bully – The bully wants a reaction. He or she will continue to bully another child even if the bully doesn’t get a reaction out of the person. Walking Away – The reason this doesn’t work is because the bully made the child react and it makes the bully feel more powerful. Contacting the parents of the bully – Many bullies are abused at home and the parents of a bully will simply defend the bully and possibly try to retaliate. Let the police handle things. QUOTE: Playground statistics – Every 7 minutes a child is bullied. Adult intervention – 4%, Peer intervention – 11%, and NO intervention – 85%

Friday : Practical Advice for dealing with a bully If a child is being bullied, they can: Stay calm and try not to show they are upset. Try to respond to the person bullying them without anger. Look the other person in the eye and say they don’t like what the bully is doing. As soon as they can, find an adult they trust and tell the adult what happened. Stay close to children you can count on to stick up for you. Stay away from places where you know bullying happens. If the child sees someone being bullied, they can: Speak out and help the person being hurt. If it is hard for you to speak out against bullying on your own, ask a friend to do it with you. Comfort the person who was hurt and make it know what happened was not fair or deserved. If this does not work right away or if you are afraid to say or do something on your own, find an adult you trust to help you. Help a child who is bullied by being a friend. Remember: If you speak up or get help, you are part of the solution. If you stay and watch, you are part of the problem. QUOTE: 74% of 8-11 year old students said teasing and bullying occur at their schools.