Parents Guide to Bullying Prevention

Many students miss school because of fear (Olweus).
Boys are more likely to bully others.
Girls and boys bully differently (boys-physical; girls-social).
19% of students in grades 6-9 reported bullying others "sometimes" or more often during the school term (Nansel, 2001).
23% reported being bullied "several times" or more frequently (Melton, 1998).
Older students and boys are less likely than younger students and girls to report victimization.
Most bullying is verbal rather than physical (Mullin-Rindler 2001).
60% of bullies in grades 6-9 had a criminal conviction by age 24.
Victims fear retaliation, so very often they do not report acts of bullying.

Don't panic. Listen before you react.
Avoid blaming your child.
Don't tell your child to fight back; instead, teach them to be assertive and use words to stand up for themselves.
Help kids learn strategies to avoid encounters with bullies (safety in numbers).
Instruct your child to walk away and get adult help.
Tell the school immediately and keep a written record of what happened.

Take the problem seriously.
Supervise your child's activities/computer use more closely.
Don't tolerate behavior that hurts others and respond swiftly and consistently by restricting time with others.
Help your child make amends.
Be a good role model-avoid using bullying behaviors at home.