Russell County Public Schools Bullying Prevention What Is Bullying? “Bullying” means any aggressive and unwanted behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate the victim; involves a real or perceived power imbalance between the aggressor or aggressors and victim; and is repeated over time or causes severe emotional trauma. “Bullying includes cyber bullying. A student, either individually or as a part of a group, shall not harass or bully others either in person or by the use of any communication technology including computer systems, telephones, pagers, or instant messaging systems. Prohibited conduct includes, but is not limited to, name-calling, insults, and any combination of prohibited activities. (Code of Virginia 22.1-276.01)

What To Do If You Suspect Your Child Is Being Bullied • • • •

Contact your child’s teacher, counselor, or principal Share your concerns with school personnel Work closely with school personnel to help resolve the situation Teach your child safety strategies and how to seek help from an adult

Bullying is Not • • • • • • • •

Not liking someone Being excluded Accidentally bumping into someone Making other kids play things a certain way A single act of telling a joke about someone Arguments Expression of unpleasant thoughts or feelings regarding other Isolated acts of harassment, aggressive behavior, intimidation or meanness

Signs That May Point To Your Child Being Bullied • Unexplainable injuries • Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry

• Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness

• Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating. Kids may come home from school hungry because they did not eat lunch.

• Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares • • •

Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations Feeling of helplessness or decreased self esteem

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Signs Continued, Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide

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Kids who are bullied may already feel socially isolated. They may feel like no one cares or could understand.

Be Aware Of What Your Kids Are Doing Online • Know the sites your kids visit and their online activities. Ask where they’re going, what they’re doing, and who they’re doing it with.

• Tell your kids that as a responsible parent Signs That May Point To Your Child Bullying Others • • • • • • • •

Getting into physical or verbal fights Have friends who bully others Are increasingly aggressive Get sent to the principal’s office or to detention frequently Have unexplained extra money or new belongings Blame others for their problems Don’t accept responsibility for their actions Are competitive and worry about their reputation or popularity

Why Don’t Kids Ask For Help? •

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Bullying can make a child feel helpless. Kids may want to handle it on their own to feel in control again. They may fear being seen as weak or a tattletale. Kids may fear backlash from the kid who bullied them. Bullying can be a humiliating experience. Kids may not want adults to know what is being said about them, whether true or false. They may also fear that adults will judge them or punish them for being weak.

you may review their online communications if you think there is reason for concern. Installing parental control filtering software or monitoring programs are one option for monitoring your child’s online behavior, but do not rely solely on these tools.

• Have a sense of what they do online and in tests. Learn about the sites they like. Try out the devices they use.

• Ask for their passwords, but tell them you’ll only use them in case of emergency.

• Ask to “friend” or “follow” your kids on social media sites or ask another trusted adult to do so.

• Encourage your kids to tell you immediately if they, or someone they know, are being cyberbullied. Explain that you will not take away their computers or cell phones if they confide in you about a problem they having.

Russell County Public Schools Bullying Prevention Coordinator Cathy Gent [email protected] 276-889-6505