Ed White Middle School Bully Prevention Program

1. Ed White Middle School Bully Prevention Program

2. What is Bullying? • Making the CHOICE to: • Hurt • Threaten, or • Frighten someone • Targeting someone for repetitive negative actions • An imbalance of power • APATTERN of behavior!

3. There are 2 Types of Bullying- 1.) Indirect Bullying which is convincing others to tease or call names, spreading rumors making anonymous threats and excluding others from activities.

4. 2.) Direct Bullying is: • Physical violence and attacks, • Verbal taunts, name-calling and put downs • Threats and intimidation • Stealing money or possessions • Exclusion from a peer group • Name Calling • Unfair criticisms • Stare Downs

5. Dynamics of Bully-Victim Situations • A power differential exists between the bully and the victim • Bullies tend to be confident, aggressive and usually do not feel bad for their victims • Bullies come from homes where there is poor supervision and statistically has more modeling of and tolerance of aggressive behavior

6. Some Characteristics of a Bully Are… • Strong need for power and dominance • Enjoy being in control • Have greater physical strength than their victims • Average to good self-esteem • Are usually average students • Little anxiety or insecurity • Often older and larger than their victims

7. Generally have at least a small following of students • More likely to engage in other problem behaviors later in life, such as criminal activity, alcohol and drug use • Good at talking their way out of situations • Show little empathy and compassion for the feelings of others

8. Where does the bullying happen? In the hallway, classroom, school grounds, gym and on the bus!

9. The “Power Imbalance” A power imbalance is found at the heart of the bullying dynamic. A student who is stronger, more aggressive, bolder and more confident than average typically bullies other students who are weaker, more timid and don’t react in an assertive manner.

10. Sometimes older students bully younger ones or upper year students bully new students. Bullies also pick on students who are disadvantaged by being new immigrants or are from a cultural minority group.

11. Where do you fall? If you think that you are a victim of bullying, SPEAK UP! Talk to a parent, teacher, counselor or other adult that you can trust. You do not have to suffer in silence.

12. If you are a victim of bullying, you might feel… • Angry, sad, lonely or depressed • Feel like you have no friends • Find that you are always getting into fights • Want to hurt someone else or yourself • Feel like taking steps to defend yourself • Feel hopeless to stop the bullying • Feel hopeless that anything can be done • Be afraid to go to school ,or feel anxious all of the time • Feel bad about yourself.

13. You are NOT alone! • 3 out of 4 students report that they have been bullied at some time while they were in school. • Bullying is reported as most severe in grades 7-9. • 60% of victims/targets report being bullied by boys, and 40% report being bullied by boys.

14. Being bullied is not your fault, and it is wrong. Nothing that you say, the way you look or what you believe in gives anyone the right to make fun of you or hurt you. Tell a teacher,counselor, or your school’s principal. Try to walk away from the bullies. Try to stay in areas where other students and teachers are around. Get Help!

15. What if You’re the Bully? If you think that there have been situations where YOU have been the bully, remember that words and taunts are hurtful. Here at Ed White Middle School we have a no-bully policy that means that bullying is NOT tolerated. All students have the right to come to school and feel safe.

16. What Now? If you find it hard to resist the temptation to bully, you might want to talk with someone you look up to. Try to think about how others feel when you tease or hurt them. If you have trouble figuring this out (many people who bully do), you might ask someone else to help you think of the other person's side.

17. Bullying behavior backfires and makes everyone feel miserable - even the bullies. People might feel intimidated by bullies, but they don't respect them. If you would rather that people see your strength and character - even look up to you as a leader - find a way to use your power for something positive, rather than to put others down.

18. Do you really want people to think of you as unkind, abusive, and mean? It's never too late to change, although changing a pattern of bullying might seem difficult at first. Ask an adult you respect for some mentoring or coaching on how you could change.

19. What can be done to make our school safer? • Because a lot of bullying takes part in the presence of peers (the bully wants to be recognized and feel powerful, after all), enlisting the help of friends or a group is a good way to change the culture and stand up to bullies. • Point out to the bully that his or her behavior is unacceptable and no way to treat another person. This can work well in group situations, such as if you notice that a member of your group has started to pick on or shun another member.

20. Help Someone Else.. If you see bullying happen at school, YOU can help put a stop to it. • Refuse to join in if a bully tried to get you to tease someone • Get a teacher, parent, or another adult to come help. You won’t be snitching; you’ll be taking a stand against bullying, • Talk to the person being bullied and try to get them to talk to an adult. Offer to go with them. • Always report bullying to an adult that you trust!