Negative Effects of Bullying

Warning Signs of Being Bullied Reports losing items such as books, electronics, clothing, or jewelry Has unexplained injuries Complains frequently of headaches, stomachaches, or feeling sick Suddenly has fewer friends Often feels they are not good enough Has a change in eating habits Loses interest in school and after school activities Avoids certain areas of the school Has trouble sleeping or frequently has bad dreams Blames themselves for their problems

Negative Effects: Victim Higher risk of depression or anxiety Decreased academic performance More likely to retaliate through violent measures: in 12 of 15 school shootings in the 90’s the shooters had a history of being bullied More likely to drop out of school or not pursue further education More likely to run away from home Alcohol and drug use Eating disorders Increased thoughts of suicide: suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents, about 4,400/year

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Negative Effects: Bully More likely to – Abuse alcohol and drugs – Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school – Engage in early sexual activity – Have criminal convictions: in one study 60% of people who bullied had a criminal conviction by the age of 24 – Be abusive towards romantic partners or children as adults

What to do if Bullying gets Worse If in immediate risk contact local police Thoughts of suicide develop contact suicide prevention hotline: talk (8255) If its occurring on school contact local school administrator (principal or superintendent) Health concerns (constant stomach pains, sleep disturbances, etc…) contact a health professional If bullying is occurring because of race, ethnicity, disability or sexual preference contact US Department of Educations office for Civil Rights

Anti-bullying Websites ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

School and Community Help

What can Schools do to Help? Create a bullying hotline Make a “bully-box” for students to report incidents but stay anonymous Change school culture: hang anti-bully poster and banners around the hallways and classrooms Hold assemblies with guest speakers Give each student a school handbook with all the policies inside Have extra staff on the playground, in the cafeteria, or monitoring hallways

STRYVE “Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere” CDC’s online initiative to preventing bullying in the community Offers effective strategies based upon the best available evidence Offers online training webinars and videos Provides a calendar list of national conventions that deal with bullying related topics Gives people the option to join an existing community or to start up their own

Homework ● Look through some of the websites provided on the previous PowerPoint slide and/or other websites you come across ● Review the material covered in previous classes on bullying to prepare for summative assignment to be given next class period