Parent's Guide to Bullying Prevention
Parents Guide to Bullying Prevention
Bullying Facts
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Many students miss school because of fear (Olweus).
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Boys are more likely to bully others.
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Girls and boys bully differently (boys-physical; girls-social).
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19% of students in grades 6-9 reported bullying others "sometimes" or more often during the school term (Nansel, 2001).
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23% reported being bullied "several times" or more frequently (Melton, 1998).
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Older students and boys are less likely than younger students and girls to report victimization.
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Most bullying is verbal rather than physical (Mullin-Rindler 2001).
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60% of bullies in grades 6-9 had a criminal conviction by age 24.
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Victims fear retaliation, so very often they do not report acts of bullying.
If Your Child is Being Bullied
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Don't panic. Listen before you react.
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Avoid blaming your child.
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Don't tell your child to fight back; instead, teach them to be assertive and use words to stand up for themselves.
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Help kids learn strategies to avoid encounters with bullies (safety in numbers).
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Instruct your child to walk away and get adult help.
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Tell the school immediately and keep a written record of what happened.
If Your Child Bullies Others
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Take the problem seriously.
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Supervise your child's activities/computer use more closely.
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Don't tolerate behavior that hurts others and respond swiftly and consistently by restricting time with others.
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Help your child make amends.
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Be a good role model-avoid using bullying behaviors at home.