cycle of bullying
First Leydi
Bullying is technically defined as an unwelcome hostile action by another teenager or group of youths (not siblings or dating partners) with a perceived or observed balance of power. These ongoing practices harm communities, people, families, and schools. By the eighth grade, up to 90 percent of pupils had reported being bullied. This comprehensive resource list should serve as a guide for educators and parents looking to put an end to bullying in our schools and communities (Saracho, 2017).
It is the mission of the Committee for Children to ensure the safety, well-being, and success of children in school and in life. With the help of these resources, students and those around them may better understand what bullying is, who it affects, how to avoid it, and what they and others in the community can do about it. It is difficult to break the cycle of bullying once it has started. Teaching empathy, training employees, and improving the way people deal with bullying are the responsibilities of educators and parents. Parents, schools, and communities can get information from the federal government on how to prevent bullying and deal with it when it occurs. Definitions, data, targeted audiences, and laws can all be found on this single page.
The StopBullying.gov resources encompass the detection, prevention, and effective responses to cyberbullying and harassment. How can you tell if a child is being bullied? Look out for these warning signs. If so, you’ll need to know exactly what to do next. Take a look at these examples of successful responses and prevention strategies against bullying. The “Myths and Facts about Bullying” guidance sheet included in the American Psychological Association’s “Bullying: A Module for Teachers” debunks common myths about bullying in schools. To avoid bullying in schools, it is important to be aware of the locations where it occurs.
Resources for Parents
For parents, “Creating a Safe and Caring Home” from NSCC offers advice on how to make children feel safe and how they may assist create a safe environment. Find out what parents should expect from schools and what parents can do to stop bullying by reading “What Can Be Done to Stop Bullying?” on NBC News’ Education Nation (Levine & Tamburrino, 2014).
Communicating With Schools
GreatSchool’s “Making Your Child’s School Safe and Supportive” gives specific questions parents should ask administrators or other school authorities about how a school addresses issues such as social and emotional learning, teaching respect, and eliminating bullying, harassment, and exclusion. Parental notification of bullying incidents to school administrations can be as simple as filling out a template letter provided by Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center, which also includes information for parents of children with special needs. “Notifying the School About Bullying — Using a Template Letter”
Restorative Justice
Approaches to justice that place an emphasis on healing rather than punishment are known as restorative justice. There are numerous instructions and links to important resources and publications in “Restorative Justice: Resources for Schools (Levine & Tamburrino, 2014)” by Matt Davis, the author of the book. According to an Edutopia Schools That Work resource called “Using Discussion Circles to Support Classroom Management,” the restorative justice program at Oakland, California’s Glenview Elementary School has used dialogue circles to foster student cooperation, respect, and good behavior. Additionally, Suffolk University’s Center for Restorative Justice has useful material on the topic.
2nd Belkys
The U.S. HHS (2021) delineates bullying as aggressive behavior due to perceived or actual power imbalance among school-aged individuals. Both the victims and perpetrators of bullying are at risk of a wide range of adverse emotional, social, mental health, academic, and physical outcomes. For example, Kudzama (2018) reports that bullied kids are susceptible to anxiety and depression, diminished academic achievements, and social isolation, whereas CDC (2021) warns of bullied children’s possible violent retaliation- 80% of those who perpetrated school shootings in the 1990s had once been victims of bullying. Likewise, children who bully show more tendencies towards violent and risky behaviors (such as alcohol and drug abuse, criminal behavior, domestic abuse, and dropping out of school) than those without such experiences (HHS, 2021). The NCES (2022) reported that approximately 23% of children aged 12 to 18 experienced bullying in 2019 in the U.S. These outcomes suggest a critical need for broader access to information on bullying prevention and how to assist bullied children.
Bullying prevention is a collective issue that requires a community-wide approach to identifying children exposed, controlling perpetrators’ behavior, and transforming the attitudes of youth and adults who tolerate such behavior in communities, schools, and peer groups (HHS, 2021). Despite the possible relationship between the high prevalence of bullying and the lack of adequate school reporting and monitoring systems, bullying may occur outside school (In Stamatis & In Nikolaou, 2018). Considering prospective partners such as mental health specialists, local associations, religious establishments, service groups, and law enforcement in discussions helps establish workable and targeted solutions to bullying (HHS, 2021).
Various programs currently function to prevent and help children who have been exposed to bullying. Local and state-wide programs can benefit from OJJDP’s support to reinforce juvenile justice systems and protect children from the adverse effects of bullying. For example, OJJDP published an MPG (model program guide), a resource that guides communities and practitioners concerning best practices in child safety and protection (Rachel, 2018). Likewise, the Three Bold Steps toolkit for School Community Change provides information to guide partnerships that can develop a safe environment for children in schools (Education Development Center, 2013). STRYVE (Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere), on the other hand, delineates a nationwide initiative that provides access to tools and information, technical assistance and training, online community forums, and practical strategies for youth violence prevention (CDC, 2021).
In conclusion, bullying is a widespread and critical problem affecting U.S. children and youth. Importantly, empirical findings link bullying to various psychological, emotional, behavioral, physical, and mental health issues that may last throughout a child’s lifetime. A call for a community-wide approach towards preventing and helping children exposed to bullying comes with the increased realization that bullying may occur in various settings, in and outside of schools. Society effectively prevents bullying and assists children exposed to bullying through multi-level partnerships. Schools, parents, mental health service healthcare providers, religious establishments, and other community stakeholders can use available resources to identify best practices in bullying prevention. The Three Bold Steps toolkit for School Community Change provides partnership guidelines. At the same time, national and local initiatives (such as the STRYVE) give access to information, tools, training, and technical assistance in preventing and helping children exposed to bullying.
