Bullying

Communities can stop bullying

Bullying can take on many forms: emotional, physical, verbal, sexual, racist and cyber (spreading hurtful rumors and/or images across electronic platforms).

Kids that are victims of bullies may become depressed, anxious and develop low self-esteem. They will suddenly not want to go to school, where most bullying takes place.

A school bus ride, a trip to their locker, recess or lunchtime may become a fearful part of their daily school life. And sadly, there is little being done to address this issue.

The Highmark Healthy High 5 Bullying Prevention Poster Contest is one way we are raising awareness of this important children's health promotion issue.

Tips for parents

Our partners at the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program have produced a series of helpful guides, including the following "Tips for parents" documents.

• What to Do If Your Child Is Being Bullied
• What to Do If Your Child Witnesses Bullying
• What to Do If Your Child Bullies Others

Bullying Resources

For more information on the topics of bullying, bullying prevention and education, visit the following links. For printed publications, please refer to the list below, which features books written by Bullying Prevention Institute speakers.

Online

• Center for Safe Schools
• International Bullying Prevention
• Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
• PCCD (Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency)
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Stop Bullying Now
• Wired Safety - the world's largest Internet safety help group

In print

Aggression in the Schools (The Series in Clinical & Community Psychology)
by Dan Olweus, 1978.

And Words Can Hurt Forever: How to Protect Adolescents from Bullying, Harassment and Emotional Violence
by James Garbarino and Ellen deLara, 2001.

Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do (Understanding Children's Worlds)
by Dan Olweus, 1993.

Bullying Prevention Program (Blueprints for violence prevention)
by Dan Olweus and Sue Limber, 1998.

Empowering Bystanders in Bullying Prevention
by Stan Davis with Julia Davis, 2007.

Lost Boys: Why Our Sons Turn Violent and How We Can Save Them
by James Garbarino, 2000.

The Mentor's Guide to Promoting Resiliency
by Horacio Sanchez, 2006.

The Parent's Guide to Protecting Children in Cyberspace
by Parry Aftab, 2000.

Schools Where Everyone Belongs: Practical Strategies for Reducing Bullying
by Stan Davis and Julia Davis, 2007.

See Jane Hit: Why Girls Are Growing More Violent and What
We Can Do About It
by James Garbarino, 2006.

Did you know?

• Every day, 160,000 children miss school because of a fear of being bullied. (U. S. Department of Justice, National Association of School Psychologists)
• When there is a school-wide commitment to end bullying, it can be reduced by up to 50 percent. (Olweus, D., Limber, S., & Mihalic, S., 1999)
• Half of all students report being bullied at some time and 15 percent of students are bullied on a daily basis. (freefrombullies.com, 2005)
• More than 13 million children in the United States, aged 6 to 17, are victims of cyber bullying. One-third of all teens and one-sixth of all pre-teens have had mean, threatening or embarrassing things written about them online. (Opinion Research Corporation for Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, August 2006)

U.S. Department of Justice Statistics

• Every seven minutes a schoolchild is bullied. Adults intervened in 4 percent of those situations, and peers intervened 11 percent of the time, leaving 85 percent of incidents with no intervention at all.
• 30 percent of U.S. students in grades six through 10 are involved in moderate or frequent bullying, as bullies, as victims or both.
• 77 percent of students are bullied mentally, verbally and physically.
• 8 percent of students miss one day of class per month for fear of bullies.

Highmark Healthy High 5 can help prevent bullying by providing grants and supporting programs that address bullying.

Have a greater hand in raising happier, healthier kids.