THE DAYBREAK BULLY BLOCKER PLEDGE:

  1. I agree to not BULLY other students.
  2. I will help students who are BULLIED by speaking out and getting adult help.
  3. I will include students who are left out.

What is Bullying?  Bullying is one-sided.  It is intentional and repeated.  It happens when someone purposely hurts, frightens, or threatens another.  It happens when someone purposely and repeatedly excludes others, ridicules, spreads rumors, or makes offensive comments.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Although specific situations such as repeated verbal abuse and physical harm require adult intervention, it is important for children to handle as much as they can on their own.  It is also helpful to consider bullying on a continuum of mild to extreme behaviors that include teasing, excluding, spreading rumors, and physical aggression.

It is important to teach all of our children social skills that will help them make friends and maintain friendships, to increase relational skills in children who are targeted as victims of bullying, and to augment a classroom climate in which peer acceptance and inclusion of others are emphasized and positively reinforced.

If You Suspect a Problem:

  • Make it a habit to talk to your child about school
  • Ask pointed questions such as “Who is a bully in your class?” “Who bothers kids at recess and on the bus?”

Tips For Parents of Victims To Give Their Children:

  1. Don’t react emotionally.
    1. Assist your child in knowing who the safe people ware within the school to go to when bullied.  Help them practice not showing strong emotions in front of the bully.  This only excites the bully more.  Instead tell them to quickly go to someone identifies as safe.
  2. Be assertive.
    1. This works best is the bully is aloe and not with a group of other children who will hive him or strength.  If assertiveness is appropriate, tell your child to simply state that he or she does not like the bullying behavior, this is not allowed, and the he or she intends to tell someone if it does not stop.
  3. Stay with others.
    1. Reinforce for your child that bullies are most likely to act aggressively with a child who is alone.
  4. Do something unexpected.
    1. This is specifically effective if the child can turn the bullying situation into something humorous.  Encourage the child’s sense of humor and creative problem-solving skills.
  5. Own the put-down.
    1. Remind your child that a bully often does not know what to do or say next if the victim simply agrees with him or her.

FOR YOUR CHILDREN:
Who’s Who:

  • Bully: One who is oppressive to others weaker that him/herself.
  • Victim: One who is injured, subject to suffering, or tricked.
  • Bystander: A person or persons who watches an event or action.

Tips for Joining In:

  1. Think about someone you might want to play with (think about friendly kids), You might pick one person or a small group.
  2. Watch what they are playing.  Is it something you like to do?
  3. Before asking to join, look at the person and greet them in a friendly way.
  4. Ask if you can join.  Say, “That looks fun.  Can I play?”
  5. Wait for the answer before playing.

(from Bully Proofing Your School by Garrity, C., Jens, K., Porter, W., Sager, N., and Short-Camilli, C. (2000).)