NEVER BELIEVE THAT A FEW CARING PEOPLE CAN’T CHANGE THE WORLD. FOR, INDEED, THAT’S ALL WHO EVER HAD. Margaret Mead

CONCEPTS OF THE WEEK Week 10 – Link Crew

A BULLYING QUIZ Answer True or False for each item.

A BULLYING QUIZ - ANSWERS 1. True: in a recent survey, 13% admit to bullying, 11% admit to being bullied, and 6% have been bullied and also bully others. 2. False. 3. False: Students targeted by bullies sometimes avoid school or have trouble concentrating. 4. False: Most bullies have confidence and high self-esteem. 5. False.

A BULLYING QUIZ - ANSWERS 6. True: Witnessing an act of bullying has negative consequences even if you are not directly involved. 7. False: Bullies seem to make friends easily. 8. True: The problem behaviors associated with bullying include impulsiveness, disliking school and getting in trouble often. 9. False: 60% of bullies have at least one criminal conviction because the behavior carries over into adulthood. 10. False: Putting an end to bullying requires a commitment from everyone in a school, including teachers, custodians, students, administrators, cafeteria workers and crossing guards.

1. BULLYING Definition Unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a power imbalance and could lead to 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.  Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once Stopbullying.gov

1A. TYPES OF BULLYING 1. Verbal bullying:  Saying or writing mean things  Teasing, name-calling, taunts, threats, etc. 2. Social bullying:  Involves hurting someone’s relationships or reputation.  Leaving someone out on purpose, rumors, public embarrassment, etc. 3. Physical bullying:  Hurting a person’s body or possessions.  Hitting, kicking, tripping, pushing, spitting, breaking someone’s things, etc.

1B. REASONS WHY PEOPLE BULLY The Feeling of Power Misunderstanding Differences  Ignorance/misinformation/lack of education about differences between people Craving Attention  Some may just not know how to make friends! A Reflection on Family Life A Reflection on Their Own Self-Worth The Entertainment Industry Research has shown that bullying has significant short-term and long-term effects that impact EDUCATION, HEALTH, and SAFETY.

CLOSING QUESTIONS 1. Do you think bullying is a serious problem in our school/community? Why or why not? 2. What kind of interventions can young people use to prevent or stop bullying? List three things you could do to defuse a bullying situation.

2. BYSTANDER EFFECT Phenomenon where people are less likely to help those in need when there is a greater number of people present  Famous psychology studies:  Latane and Darley – curtain study with injured woman & smoke study. People were more likely to help when alone.  Catheriune Genovese murder – attacked and murdered late at night in her apartment building. Took 30 minutes for anyone to report it. Studies have shown that schools with student intervention during acts of bullying have less reports of bullying. When students do nothing, bullies feel more empowered! Bullies enjoy a crowd, but if a crowd shows DISAPPROVAL, they are more likely to stop.

3. DIFFUSION OF RESPONSIBILITY Explanation for the Bystander Effect States that the presence of other observers leads to individuals feeling less pressure to take action, since responsibility is divided among all those who are present. (They figure someone else will do something) Some may look for reactions from others in the crowd – if no one is reacting, they will not either!

HOW TO PREVENT THE BYSTANDER EFFECT What if you’re in a crowd and you need help – how do you get it? 1. Being aware of the tendency may break the cycle (educate others). 2. SINGLE OUT A PERSON FROM THE CROWD. 3. MAKE EYE CONTACT AND DIRECTLY ASK THAT INDIVIDUAL FOR HELP. It’s harder for people to turn you down when it becomes personalized.

4. HOW TO FIGHT BULLYING 1.Take charge of the situation. 1.Actively discourage it and avoid “group mentality” – suggest other things for the bully to do if you are peers. 2.Be directive and speak up 1.Call for help, yell at the person to stop, say that an adult is coming, etc. 3.Avoid physical confrontation and walk away 1.Bullies love a crowd. Walking away is not cowardly, it’s telling the bully they don’t matter. 4.Be assertive and talk about it 1.Talk to the bully or get them counseling; make friends with the victim and protect them. 5.Raise awareness 1.Anti-bullying programs; stop being a bystander