Facts about bullying:
- Only 15 percent of students bully; 85 percent do not.
- Bullying involves more than hitting, punching, and kicking. Children who are shunned by others or deliberately excluded from groups are victims of bullying as well.
- The frequency of bullying decreases in high school but can become more severe.
- There is a correlation between bullying, date rape, and domestic violence.
- Girls can be bullies. Shunning, malicious gossiping, and other forms of verbal or relational harassment can be just as emotionally harmful as more physical forms of bullying.
- Students who are bullying or being bullied may face bullying by older siblings or have other problems at home.
Tips and strategies for educators:
- Teach students how to intervene when they witness bullying. Statistics show that when students intervene, even humorously, bullying decreases. Without the proper instruction, students may intervene aggressively, and this can exacerbate problems.
- Provide students who bully and students who are bullied with positive older role models when possible. Connecting a child with someone who shares the same experiences or interests can do a lot to reduce bullying.
- Create a "Share Your Skills" program. In an elementary school of 600 students, for example, 40–50 students in grades 4 and 5 can work under the leadership of a teacher to find children who are by themselves on the playground during recess and then help them connect with others. The students' role may be extended so that they become welcome ambassadors at the school, assisting students who are new to the school by ensuring that someone will sit with them at lunch, talk with them, and play outside on the playground with them.
- If parents must be notified that their child is being a bully, draw them in to help rather than place blame. Parents, like students, need to be educated about bullying and its harmful effects.
Tips and strategies for parents:
- Be watchful for warning signs indicating possible bullying. Children who complain of frequent stomachaches, headaches, or health problems may be facing bullying at school and could be developing stress-related illnesses as a result. The reason that young children (K-3) have these complaints is often that they lack the language skills to describe what is actually happening to them.
- If a child is bullying or being bullied, find out what the child's interests are and try to find a positive role model with similar interests.
- Help children who are being bullied cultivate some friends that they can connect and talk with. Research shows that if a child has at least one good friend, the effects of bullying are reduced.
- Approach schools constructively to help with bullying problems when they occur.
- Educate children at young ages about what bullying is, so that they can understand why it is wrong and why it is harmful.