Dear Parents,
It's important for families and schools to work together to put an end to bullying. Please review this "Bullying" fact sheet with your child. Together, we can make a difference!
Bullying...what is it?
*when a person or group harasses, intimidates, hurts or embarrasses another person on purpose
*happens more than once and has the potential to continue if it is not addressed
*comes in different forms
*involves an imbalance in power
Forms of bullying include...
*Physical - hitting, tripping, pushing, kicking, spitting, destroying personal property
*Social/emotional - gossiping, spreading rumors, making threats, inappropriate comments (sexual, ethnic/racial slurs), teasing, blackmail, purposeful exclusion
*Cyber - the use of technology to intimidate, harass or embarrass - includes things such as emails, text, IM, negative posts on social media
Bullying is not...
* a single, isolated incident
*a mutual conflict - which involves a disagreement, but not an imbalance of power
*students choosing not to be friends - all students have the right to choose their own friends, however, if they choose not to be friends, they still need to be respectful to one another
What can students do if they are being bullied?
STOP - WALK - TALK
*Tell the bully to stop
*Walk away
*Tell someone - don't keep it a secret - talk to a trusted adult
Research shows, that prolonged bullying has long-term negative effects on both the victim and bully.
Let's put an end to bullying!
