Presented by Alyson Blotcky, LMSW

Lovett Social Worker

ablotcky@houstonisd.org

• Define Bullying and Cyberbullying

• Discuss warning signs a child is being

bullied or is bullying others

• Give parents strategies on what to do if

their child is bullied or is bullying others

• Provide resources in order to gain more

information on bullying issues

“Bullying among children is commonly defined as intentional, repeated, hurtful acts, words or other behavior, such as name-calling, threatening and/or shunning committed by one or more children against another.” U.S. Department of Education Bullying Prevention Manual

“Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional and that

involves an imbalance of power or strength. Often it is repeated over time. Bullying can take many forms, such as hitting, kicking, or shoving (physical bullying), teasing or name-calling (verbal bullying), intimidation through gestures or social exclusion (nonverbal bullying or emotional bullying), and sending insulting messages by text messaging or email (cyberbullying).” www.education.com

• Hitting, kicking, shoving

• Spitting

• Tripping

• Threatening, obscene gestures

• Taking, defacing or breaking someone’s property

• Sexual harassment

VERBAL/WRITTEN SOCIAL/RELATIONAL

Repeated teasing

Name-calling

Inappropriate sexual

comments

Taunting

Threatening to harm

Mean or intimidating notes

Leaving someone out on

purpose

Telling other children not to

be friends with someone

Gossiping or spreading

malicious rumors about

someone

Embarrassing someone in

public

Circulating hate petitions

Takes place using electronic technology including cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools such as social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites.

Examples include: • mean text messages or emails

• rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites

• embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles

• Sending insulting or threatening emails or messages

24/7

Can be done anonymously and widely

distributed quickly

Deleting inappropriate or harassing

messages, texts, and pictures is

extremely difficult after they have been

posted or sent

All the different forms of bullying

can and often do occur together.

All of these behaviors can be

interrelated.

An isolated acts of harassment, aggressive

behavior, intimidation or meanness

An accidental act

Choosing not to be friends with

someone/not liking someone

Arguments

A single act of telling a joke about someone

Expression of unpleasant thoughts or

feelings about someone

Suddenly doesn’t want to go to school Has unexplainable bruises and does not want to

talk about them Suddenly can not sleep Becomes moody and withdrawn Feels sick often and with vague symptoms Change in eating patterns – eating more or

eating less Coming home from school late and/or hungry Shows a lack of interest in activities Becoming upset after receiving a text or going

online

Have friends who bully others Gets into fights at school Increasingly aggressive Always blame others for his/her problems Are competitive and worry about their

reputation Frequently get sent to the principal’s office Shows little concern for the feelings of

others

Talk to their teacher!

Parents need to teach their students to be an “anti-bully”.

This is a person, who instead of being mean and ugly to another person, chooses to be kind. He or she makes sure that shy and lonely students are treated right.

If a student doesn’t have anyone to eat or play with, this person will befriend him/her. He or she will step in and help a student who is being mistreated by a bully.

An “anti-bully” needs to be taught to be brave enough to do the right thing, and will need to understand that their actions will gain them respect from others and for themselves.

IMPORTANT: THIS MUST BE MODELED BY THE PARENT!

Encourage your child to talk to you – remain calm and nonjudgmental and try to find out as much information as possible

Validate your child’s feelings

Brainstorm solutions: avoidance, playing with different friends, speaking up against the bully, having friends stand up for the child, or getting involved in new activities

Do not confront the bully or the bullies' family

Give numerous positive comments to your child

Teach positive self-talk

Teach strong body language

Avoid labeling or name-calling

Teach your child how to express their anger in healthy ways

Contact the school starting with the student’s teacher

Stopbullying.gov

Pacer.org

KidsAgainstBullying.org

Family.go.com

McGruff.org – click on “Parents &

Educators”

Cyberbullying.us

Commonsensemedia.org

The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander by Barbara Coloroso – teachers adults to empower students against mistreatment

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish – practical suggestions and examples on how to talk with kids of all ages

Little Girls Can Be Mean: Four Steps to Bully-Proof Girls in the Early Grades by Michelle Antony and Reyna Lindert – practical tips and personal anecdotes aimed at alleviating female “relational aggression” in elementary grades