Take Action to Stop Bullying
As the following statistics show, bullying is widespread and touches someone we all know. It is increasingly important that parents and educators talk to their students about bullying.
Be aware of the signs of bullying, pay attention to your students, and check in frequently to ensure their safety. One of the best ways to prevent and reduce bullying is to talk about it.
Be sure students have a trusted adult and encourage them to let someone know if they witness or experience bullying.
Every seven minutes a child is bullied.
1 out of 4 children are bullied.
77% of students are bullied mentally, verbally, & physically.
Cyber-bullying statistics are rapidly approaching similar numbers, with 43% experiencing cyber-bullying.
Each day 160,000 students miss school for fear of being bullied.
1 out of every 10 students who drops out of school does so because of repeated bullying.
Harassment and bullying have been linked to 75% of school-shooting incidents in the United States alone.
If you are being bullied, ask for help.
- Tell a trusted adult.
- Ask a friend for help (there is safety in numbers).
- Stay calm and confident. Walk away or ignore the behavior. Don’t show your anger or fear. Fighting back can make the bullying worse.
If you witness bullying:
- Do not join in. Stand up for the person being bullied or find someone who can.
- Get help. Ask an adult to intervene.
- Comfort the person being bullied and offer your friendship and support.
If you are a bully:
- Make a commitment to change.
- Talk to an adult about working on friendships and positive interactions.
- Apologize to those you have bullied.
- Remember, you don’t have to like everyone, but you do need to treat everyone with respect.
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Let’s all work together and make a commitment to erase bullying and keep students safe.
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Amy LaGrasta, Flex School Counseling Senior Manager, helps students make informed decisions about courses, career and college options, and the study habits needed for online success. Prior to joining FLVS, she served as the guidance director at Estero High School in Lee County, FL where she was honored with the Teacher of Distinction award.
View all posts by Amy LaGrasta
Never going to happen until parents get their rights back to be able to punish their kids. Tired of hearing it all starts at home, no it starts with the government taking parenting away. Never was like this when we were kids.
0.o… That is actually a very great point. But they did that so there would be less abuse, it’s still not really working. DHS needs to do their job.