Anti Bullying

Cyber-Bullying

1. What type of bullying is this? What happens?

Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. According to StopBullying.gov, cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.

The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are:

• Social Media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok

• Text messaging and messaging apps on mobile or tablet devices

• Instant messaging, direct messaging, and online chatting over the internet

• Online forums, chat rooms, and message boards, such as Reddit

• Email

• Online gaming communities

2. When does it occur?

https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it

It is important to understand how children are cyberbullied so it can be easily recognized and action can be taken. Some of the most common cyberbullying tactics include:

• Posting comments or rumors about someone online that are mean, hurtful, or embarrassing.

• Threatening to hurt someone or telling them to kill themselves.

• Posting a mean or hurtful picture or video.

• Pretending to be someone else online in order to solicit or post personal or false information about someone else.

• Posting mean or hateful names, comments, or content about any race, religion, ethnicity, or other personal characteristics online.

• Creating a mean or hurtful webpage about someone.

• Doxing, an abbreviated form of the word documents, is a form of online harassment used to exact revenge and to threaten and destroy the privacy of individuals by making their personal information public, including addresses, social security, credit card, and phone numbers, links to social media accounts, and other private data.

3. How can it affect the people who are being bullied?

https://www.stopbullying.gov/bullying/effects

Bullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance use, and suicide. It is important to talk to kids to determine whether bullying—or something else—is a concern.

Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical, social, emotional, academic, and mental health issues. Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience:

• Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood.

• Health complaints

• Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.

A very small number of bullied children might retaliate through extremely violent measures. In 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a history of being bullied.

4. What are some strategies to stop this from happening?

If you notice warning signs that a child may be involved in cyberbullying, take steps to investigate that child’s digital behavior. Cyberbullying is a form of bullying, and adults should take the same approach to address it: support the child being bullied, address the bullying behavior of a participant, and show children that cyberbullying is taken seriously. Because cyberbullying happens online, responding to it requires different approaches. If you think that a child is involved in cyberbullying, there are several things you can do:

• Notice – Recognize if there has been a change in mood or behavior and explore what the cause might be. Try to determine if these changes happen around a child’s use of their digital devices.

• Talk – Ask questions to learn what is happening, how it started, and who is involved.

• Document – Keep a record of what is happening and where. Take screenshots of harmful posts or content if possible. Most laws and policies note that bullying is a repeated behavior, so records help to document it.

• Report – Most social media platforms and schools have clear policies and reporting processes. If a classmate is cyberbullying, report it to the school. You can also contact app or social media platforms to report offensive content and have it removed. If a child has received physical threats, or if a potential crime or illegal behavior is occurring, report it to the police.

• Support – Peers, mentors, and trusted adults can sometimes intervene publicly to positively influence a situation where negative or hurtful content posts about a child. Public Intervention can include posting positive comments about the person targeted with bullying to try to shift the conversation in a positive direction. It can also help to reach out to the child who is bullying and the target of the bullying to express your concern. If possible, try to determine if more professional support is needed for those involved, such as speaking with a guidance counselor or mental health professional.

Physical-Bullying

1. What type of bullying is this? What happens?

Physical bullying is using one's physical body and bodily acts to exert power over peers. Physical bullying includes:

• Hitting/kicking/pinching

• Spitting

• Tripping/pushing

• Taking or breaking someone’s things

• Making mean or rude hand gestures

2. When does it occur?

Physical bullying can begin as early as the preschool years. Bullying behaviors can become more intense during middle school and can continue into high school. Bullying can happen anywhere groups of kids meet, like at school, camp, or in an after school or daycare setting.

3. What are some ways to recognize if someone is being bullied?

• Unusually sad, moody, anxious, angry, or depressed

• Loss of interest in favorite activities (avoidance of attending school)

• Signs of physical abuse, like bruises and scratches

• Starts doing poorly in school

4. What should you do if you experience or know of bullying happening at our school?

If you experience bullying or see someone else being physically bullied, the best thing is to tell an adult or teacher nearby.

5. What are some strategies to stop this from happening?

Bullying stops us from being who we want to be, and prevents us from expressing ourselves freely, and might even make us feel unsafe. If you are bullied, say something! If you are bullying, it’s not cool!

• SPEAK UP: If you feel uncomfortable with the comments or actions of someone… tell someone! It is better to let a trusted adult know, than to let the problem continue.

If a child is being bullied in school, contact these people, in this order:

1. Teacher

2. School counselor

3. School principal

4. School superintendent

5. State Department of Education

By Alex Ramirez

Verbal-Bullying

1. What type of bullying is this? What happens?

Verbal bullying means bullying someone using their voice, not actions. Verbal bullying can mean someone calling someone else names or even teasing them about something that happened to them.

2. When does it occur?

It can happen all the time, and no one might even notice, as this is easier to hide. Here are some signs that could mean someone is bullying others:

• Get into physical or verbal fights

• Have friends who bully others

• Are increasingly aggressive

• Get sent to the principal’s office or to detention frequently

• Have unexplained extra money or new belongings

• Blame others for their problems

• Don’t accept responsibility for their actions

• Are competitive and worry about their reputation or popularity

3. How can it affect the people who are being bullied?

It can make someone not feel good about themselves, and may even make them depressed, enough of this, that person who is being bullied could commit suicide. Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood.

• Health complaints

• Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.

4. Have you seen or experienced this happen in our community?

It has happened to me, and I did try to stop it, but it still continued. It wasn't that bad, just here and there as I walked by the person, they whispered "Crybaby." Then continued to keep walking, as if it never happened. The bullying still does happen, here and there, but that was only one example of it happening. I just avoided that person, and when i did try to tell a adult, they tried to stop it, but it kept happening.

5. What are some strategies to stop this from happening?

Try to talk to a adult about it, even if it would be considered "Tattle Tailing" to the bully. Trust me, it will help a lot, and do good for your mental health, as that is important.

Social-Bullying

1. What type of bullying is this? What happens?

Social bullying is not like physical bullying where we get harmed. With Social bullying the bully might make you feel self conscious or exclude you from a group of friends.

2. When does it occur? And to whom?

Social bullying can occur in places where there are a lot of people so that the bully can embarrass you in public. For example it might happen when a teacher is making groups or on a recces field. Social bullying can happen happen to children with disabilities and socially isolated children in short children with extra needs.

3. How can it affect the people who are being bullied?

Social bullying can affect the people who are getting bullied in a lot of ways so here are a few: extreme shyness, being self conscious, having trust issues, and feeling alone. Depression and anxiety can occur along with increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns and loss of intertainment in activities they used to enjoy.

4. How do we create a safe environment where bullying does not occur?

Make sure students interact safely. Monitor bullying “hot spots” in and around the building. Students may be at higher risk of bullying in settings where there is little or no adult monitoring or supervision, such as bathrooms, playgrounds, and the cafeteria.

5. What are some strategies to stop this from happening?

If you are getting socially bullied than the best thing to do is go to an adult. Another good thing to do is talk to a sibling or friend that is close to you. You should really do what makes you feel the safest or most comfortable.

Stop bullying! It is hurting people both physically and emotionally!