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Jonni Carroll BonnetKhanh VuPaige BriggsPhuong TranRebecca StephensTake a Stand ??????????Every day on the school grounds of America, young children are physically threatened, socially harassed, mentally abused and embarrassed all because of what we call bullies. Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Kids who are both bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems (Stopbullying par. 1). Bullying can often be ignored because people dismiss it as part of growing up. According to the Sacsheriff website, one in four children who bully will have a criminal record before the age of thirty. This shows us that bullying may not be a problem that children can grow out of. Instead bullying is a problem that needs solutions to help fix. Recently last year in the Taylorsville area, a ninth grader shot and killed himself outside of his school. As the school investigated, they found results in which this had been caused from him being bullied. (Wells, et al par. 1). “Over 19,000 kids attempt suicide because of bullying each year” (Lett 1). It is very tragic to hear these stories knowing our very own children could be going through the same thing. We need to be more aware of bullying throughout our schools, homes and community. In order to stop bullying, we need to look within ourselves; what can we do to help and prevent this problem?????????There are many different types of actions that may be considered bullying. They usually break into three different categories. The first is verbal bullying; saying or writing rude things about someone (Buzzle par. 1). ?The second is physical bullying; harming a person’s body or possessions (2). The last but not least is social bullying; intentionally ruining someone’s relationship or reputation (3). Bullying can start at a very young age, but when you start to notice it’s a problem is during the years of elementary and middle school. It can sometimes even progress into your struggles of adulthood. The most curious question about bullying is why people, especially young children, would do it. The simple answer is to show that they have power and control over someone other than themselves. Most children who bully are known to have various problems of their own. These problems include domestic issues, being the victim of bullying, low self-esteem, lack of empathy, anger, peer pressure, and even getting bullied at home. When young kids start to bully others, it makes them begin to feel better about themselves. It may build their confidence and make them feel like they are the best, and at that age, that’s what you always strive to be. At a young age, you don’t have a smart enough conscious to know right from wrong. Some kids don’t even think they are being a bully when they are one. This is why it is so important to inform and teach your child what bullying is and why they don’t want to become a bully.The number of bullying incidents increases every month, because bullying occurs everywhere in many different type of forms. The National Education Association reports that about 160,000 children miss school every day because they are afraid; having a fear of being bullied is too much (Lett 3). ?One out of seven students from grades K-12 is either a bully or a victim of bully harassment (3). Also one out of twenty students admitted seeing a student with a gun at school. Looking at numbers like these, is terrifying for anyone going to a public place or going to school. We think this is why some school dropouts occur, because of the fear of bullying and harassment. According to the MBNBD website, more bullying happens in middle school than any other grade levels. “282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month; 90% of 4th through 8th graders report being victims of bullying; 54% of students said witnessing physical abuse at home can lead to violence in school” (16). Another researched show “About 77% of all students being bullied verbally in some way or another including mental bullying or even verbal abuse” (Bullying Statistics par. 3). Lower grade levels are not as violent as middle school grade levels, but verbal assault is still a type of bullying; it hurts other people’s feelings and makes school a less enjoyable place for them to learn. During an interview with an assistant principal, Justin Welsh, at South Hills Middle school, we found that they do many things regarding bullying in their school:The first two weeks of school year they focus on bullying a lot. Homeroom teachers are given topics. They generate a lesson plan to teach the students about bullying. The school also holds two big assemblies at the beginning of the year and several more throughout the year. They use a wide variety of methods to teach the students what bullying is, how to stop it, what to do if they are bullied, what to do if they see someone else being bullied and how they can report it. At this school they have referral slips the students can fill out to meet with a counselor or one of the principals. The counselors or principals then meet with everyone involved; the students have to write their statements or they may ask for help in writing the statement. The counselor or principal will assess the situation and apply the appropriate consequence, the severity of the action will determine the severity of the consequence. The school has policies and guidelines they have established as well as following the district policies and guidelines. If the bullying happens in a classroom, the teacher usually handles it and contacts the parents via phone or email depending on the severity. The teacher also notifies the other faculty and administration about the event as well as the consequence. This is done so everyone is aware of a problem and is more alert to the students’ needs. The school has bullying problems on a weekly basis, sometimes more than once a week. They also have mean acts which may or may not be the same as bullying. They are aware of the problem and are always looking for new ideas to promote anti-bullying (Welsh).According to the Stop Bullying website, kids that witness bullying may also experience negative effects. They are not the one that was bullied or was bullying others, instead they witness with their own eyes what bullying is all about. They may also have an increased use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs (Stopbullying par. 4). Like the kids that are being bullied, they become afraid of being bullied so they might buckle to peer pressure to fit in so they won’t get bullied. Also, some may have an increase in health or mental problems, depression, and are more likely to miss or skip school (4). As you can see, students who witness bullying may have the same or little side effects as someone who is being bullied.So, how can you tell that your child is a bully? ?Sadly, you are not going to like the answer as it lies within yourself. ?Studies have shown that the number one sign that your child is being a bully is to look at yourself. Do you bully over your child to try and get things done? ?Do you use bullying behavior around others? Do you raise your voice frequently at home or in public situations? Do you let your kids get away with a lot? (Myers 1) These are hard questions to answer for yourself, but the truth is, children act as they see. If you are being a bully, that is what they may be as well. Other signs include looking at your child’s friends. Are they acting as bullies? ?Do they feel as though they are above other students? ?How important is popularity to them? Also, take a look at how your child reacts to everyday situations. ?If they are getting upset over small things that happen in the home, they may be reacting in a bigger way at school (Stopbullying par. 5).But, what if your child isn’t being the bully? ?How can you tell if he/she is being picked on or bullied? ?Many parents don’t believe that their child is being bullied, because they are only looking for the obvious signs (such as torn or ripped clothing, unexplained bruises, and lost, stolen, or damaged items at school). However, there are less obvious signs that you might want to look for:Your child is coming home hungry.Your child isn’t socializing with friends as frequently.Your child is claiming that after school activities were cancelled or ended earlier than expected.Your child does not mention anything significant about his/her day but rather says phrases such as “nothing happened” or “not much”.Your child is complaining about frequent headaches or stomach aches in order to stay home from school.(Borba 1, Papandrea 1, Zeff 1) ?Bullying is not always physical but often mental and may show less signs. ?If you suspect something is going on at school, don’t approach your child in an aggressive way or poke them for too much information. ?Try engaging your child in general conversation and let them open up to you. ?Being too “upfront” may push your child further away. We talked to someone who was cyber bullied about how she felt at school and she expressed, “I felt pretty safe at school but I was really embarrassed. It made me feel that people looked at me different, so that made me feel uncomfortable. After this happened, I never wanted to go to school” (Carter).Many students are afraid of going to school because they might get picked on or are being bullied. The kids that get bullied are likely to experience depression, sadness, loneliness and have difficulty enjoying what they love to do. We believe that bullying will soon become one of the only things some kids can focus on. For example: how to deal with it, or how to avoid it. Some children will never have a normal life style because they are too worried about being bullied at school or even at their own home. School becomes more difficult and less fun for the students. They will start skipping class to stay away from bullying or lie to parents, saying that they are sick so they do not have go to school. This can result in bad grades, a decrease in their GPA, test scores, and school participation. We don’t believe students should be dealing with this issue on their own, but some students are too scared to ask for help. Instead they just keep it to themselves, and eventually, the side effect will catch up to them.Bullying has become such a serious, pressing problem in America that many people have begun to search for solutions to prevent and halt the spread of this growing issue. Through our research, we’ve seen many different websites and various schools throughout America that has attempted anti-bullying campaigns. However, those campaigns are not world wide spread and seems to be not effective. We feel that if all schools would unite to do the same campaigns level, we might be able to make an impact on how to prevent bullying from happening. Many solutions can be implemented as an attempt to combat bullying and the dangers associated with it. Of these solutions, some are short-term, others are long. Bullying is most commonly seen among school children and teenagers; therefore, short-term solutions to prevent bullying can take place in school and at home. What can the school do? Schools in America are the place where most adolescents are prone to bullying. In order to immediately stop this issue from happening, preventive measures in schools can be taken by the administrators and staff. Short-term solutions against bullying in school should include the act of teachers and staff stopping bullies and making them face consequences if they are caught in the act. Bullying should never be ignored, because if not stopped, the behavior may continue and grow more violent, which in turn causes harm to more victims. Many victims of bullying are afraid to speak up and tell an adult if they have been abused by their peers, and others tend to put up a front and hide their emotions. Therefore, schools and classrooms should adopt anonymous comment boxes where students can write about issues that they are facing without having to unmask their names. In addition, schools can also hold anti-bullying campaigns and programs, which can serve as both a long-term and short-term solution. These campaigns help raise awareness among students about the severity of bullying. Effective anti-bullying campaigns include holding assemblies where families and victims of bullying come and talk about their experiences. After learning about the reality of the effects of bullying, many students can learn that their actions do make a difference, and this can immediately stop bullies from hurting others.What can another student do? Refuse to join in if someone is being bullied. “Don't laugh or encourage the bully in any way” (Stompoutbullying par. 7). “Don’t become an "audience" for the bully” (7). “Be more than a bystander” (7). Stop the action of harassment without putting yourself in danger. Report the action to a teacher, counselor, principal or any other adult that will help stop the harassment. If you think that person is not doing anything about it, or the situation gets worse, tell another adult. Keep telling adults until someone does something to help. Help the victim take a stand; they may be weak or afraid. “Reach out in friendship. Include the victim in some of your activities. There is strength in numbers. Together, you can STOMP Out Bullying - but only if you do something!” (7).What can parents do? Explain to your children what bullying is. Teach them how to handle the situation if they are bullied or if they witness someone else being bullied. They need to understand how important it is to report bullying. Role play different scenarios at home so they feel comfortable in handling different situations. They need to feel comfortable in talking to you or other adults about what is going on and not be in fear. Be aware of the warning signs if your child is being bullied and also the warning signs if your child is the bully. One of the most important things you can do is stay connected with your children. Know who their friends are and what their friends are like. Ask them specific questions regarding their day. You showing sincere care about their day will build trust. When a child has trust and is comfortable talking about anything, they will feel comfortable talking to you about the harassment. ?Have an open communication with them; let them know you will listen and that you will assist them with any problems they may be facing with friends, peers, and teachers. Another way parents can help is by volunteering at your child’s school. The schools are always looking for playground aids, hall monitors, lunchroom monitors. Can you spare one or two hours a week to be an influence in your child’s school to help stop bully crimes? This will also show your child you want to be involved with them, and you can see firsthand what happens in their school. During an interview with a bully victim, we asked how she coped with what happened; she stated, “My parents helped me out a lot. They always reminded me how great of a person I was and that’s what made me feel good” (Carter). All of these short-term solutions can effectively hinder the spread of bullying. Respect amongst one another is easy to achieve if lessons about the negativities of bullying are learned at a young age. No one should feel inferior to another, and no one has the right to feel superior either. This is why it is important not only to recognize bullies, but to notice victims as well. Helping victims learn how to face bullies and conquer their fears can be an important measure to stop bullies from picking on the same children over and over. The problem can be prevented by starting at the source. We believe that the best way to solve this problem is to raise more awareness about the issue overall. ?Basically, we want to take anti-bullying campaigns in Utah to the same level as is breast cancer awareness. Make anti-bullying something “cool” to do. We are suggesting that schools take and follow four easy steps:Step one:??????????Talk about the issue of bullying throughout the year. ?It is one thing to mention it at an assembly, but not every student goes to every assembly and talking about it once is not going to change anyone’s mind. ?Bullying is a huge problem in schools today and needs to be talked about at least twice a year if not more in a big way. ?By all schools having at least two assemblies a year, the idea will begin to plant in student’s minds and stick.???????Step two:??????Have an anti-bullying week. ?We have weeks devoted to school spirit, drug awareness, and homecoming, why not has one for anti-bullying? ?By having a week each year devoted to anti-bullying, students will have a greater opportunity to learn about the effects of bullying and what bullying really does in today’s society. ?It also gives students different ways to recognize bullying. ?Many students get bored hearing the same information presented in the same way time and time again. ?By having a week long program you are able to reach students on multiple levels and even add fun into the mix.???????????Step three: Pass out anti-bullying merchandise. ?Kids love to get free stuff no matter what the occasion. Getting free merchandise is also something “cool” to have. ?We suggest that schools should start passing out anti-bullying merchandise on numerous occasions. ?Pass out “Stomp out Bullying” bracelets for an assembly. ?Have teachers give out anti-bullying stickers whenever they see a student in an act of kindness. ?Pass out T-shirts at football games. ?The more items you pass out, the more students will wear them throughout the year, and the more often the anti-bullying message will be seen. ?The best part is that many items such as bookmarks, lanyards, key chains and bumper stickers can be purchased, or custom made, for less than a few dollars and in some cases even for pennies a piece. ?It’s a great way to spread a message and make anti-bullying the cool thing to do. ?One of our suggestions is to make a simple bookmark to pass out. ?We recommend passing them out in student’s English classes simply because this is where the most reading is going on. ?If they use this bookmark in their English books they will be seeing an anti-bullying message come through every time they go to do their homework. ?Bookmarks are also easy to pass out and once again very inexpensive to make. ?Step four:Have schools put anti-bullying information on their websites. ?By making the information more accessible for students and parents, they will know exactly what to do if they suspect bullying going on with another student or with their own child. By having links in place, kids are more likely to find help if needed. ?Knowing where to turn for answers is usually the first step.To get this message out there and share our ideas, we have put together a pamphlet for both parents and local school districts to read and consider. ?We are hoping that by reading our information, school districts help their schools share the message and talk about bullying more throughout the year. ?We also hope that they will strongly consider putting links to anti-bullying websites up on each school’s website for parents and students to reference with questions. ?We have also created bookmarks to give to each school to pass out to their students. ?These bookmarks have links to anti-bullying websites as well as key phrases that remind students to report bullying when they see it and help stop it in its tracks. ??Hopefully, by spreading the information given more widely, more people will recognize bullying when they see it and feel more confident in reporting it or talking to their children about it. ???In conclusion bullying in our homes, our schools and other community areas has become a bigger problem and we all need to take action to put a stop to it. Children, parents, and schools we cannot stress enough about the importance of knowing the signs of a bully or bullying, know what to do, and how to do it. Children don’t live in fear, report what you see or if something has been done to you. Parents be involved with your children, know the ins and outs, be a parent not their friend. Schools take action, get the message out loud and clear. Together we can all take a stand and kick out bullying. Make a pledge now, to kick it out! Works CitedBorba, Michele. "19 Signs Your Child Is Being Bullied and What to Do about It." CEP Blog. N.p., 6 Mar. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. <;. "Bullies: A Serious Problem for Kids." Sacramento County Sheriff's Department - Sheriff Scott R. Jones - Sacramento, California. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013. <;. "Bullying ." Buzzle. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. <, Summer. Personal interview. 2 Apr. 2013Darcy Knapp Consulting, Inc. "STOP The Drama... END The Hate... STOMP Out Bullying." Stomp Out Bullying. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. <aboutbullying_bystanders_upstanders.php >. "Effects of Bullying ." Home . N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. <at-risk/effects/>. Gurian, Anita. "The Emotional Toll of Bullying." NYU Child Study Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. <articles/emotional_toll_bullying>. Lett, Jeff. "Bully Facts & Statistics." Welcome to MBNBD. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. ????<;. Myers, Wyatt. "7 Signs That Your Kid's a Bully - Back to School Center - Everyday Health." Health Information, Resources, Tools & News Online - . N.p., 9 Aug. 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. <;. Papandrea, Dawn . "8 Sneaky Signs Your Child’s Being Bullied." Women's Day. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. <sex-relationships/family/signs-of-bullying >. "School Bullying Statistics - Bullying Statistics." Bullying Statistics - Teen Violence, Anger,Bullying, Treatment Options. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. <;. "Warning Signs ." . N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. ??<;. Wells, David, Max Roth, Meredith Kulwicki, and Brittany Green-Miner. "14-year-old Bennion Jr. High student commits suicide" . N.p., 30 Nov. 2012. Web. 30 Apr. 2013. <, Justin. Personal interview. 11 Apr. 2013"What is Bullying ." . N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. <;. Zeff, Ted. "Six Warning Signs that Your Child Is Being Bullied." Dr. Ted Zeff. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. <news/warningsigns.php>. ................
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