What Is Bullying?
Dan Olweus, creator of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, provides us with this commonly accepted definition for bullying in his book, Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do:
"A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself."
This definition includes three important components:
1. Bullying is aggressive behavior that involves unwanted, negative actions.
2. Bullying involves a pattern of behavior repeated over time.
3. Bullying involves an in-balance of power or strength.
Types of Bullying
1. Verbal bullying including derogatory comments and bad names
2. Bullying through social exclusion or isolation
3. Physical bullying such as hitting, kicking, shoving, and spitting
4. Bullying through lies and false rumors
5. Having money or other things taken or damaged by students who bully
6. Being threatened or being forced to do things by students who bully
7. Racial bullying
8. Sexual bullying
9. Cyber bullying (online, email, social networking sites)
Student Bill of Rights
All Kids:
Have the right to feel safe at school
Have the right to feel good about themselves
Have the right to keep their property
Have the right to be treated fairly
Our school has made a promise:
THE PROMISE
I WILL speak up instead of acting as a bystander.
I CHOOSE to participate in activities that don’t involve teasing.
I FORGIVE others if they make poor choices.
I MODEL good behavior.
I ACCEPT others for their differences.
I INCLUDE others in group situations.
I WILL talk to an adult when there is a problem I cannot manage on my own.
I AM powerful in making a difference in my school.
By making “The Promise” to stand up against bad behavior, we can put an end to bullying.
STAND UP!
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