What Parents Need to Know About Bullying

A recent study by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids - a group that lobbies government to fund national bully prevention - shows there's much that parent's need to know about bullying. Here's the inside scoop.

WHAT IS BULLYING?
Bullies are people that pick on others less powerful than they. Bullying can be anything from teasing, to threatening, to seriously injuring another child.

IS BULLYING REALLY A PROBLEM?
For children in grades 6 through 10, the Fight Crime report shows that one in six - or 3.2 million - kids nationwide are victims of bullying each year. There are about 3.7 million bullies.

WHY IS BULLYING SO DANGEROUS?
A National Institute for Child and Human Development study shows that bullies are far more likely to engage in violence and criminal activity as adults. Victims of bullying, according to the Fight Crime study, also suffer more frequently from adulthood "loneliness, depression, and suicidal tendencies." Sanford Newman, President of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, says "The problems often turn around and hit us in the head...Three-quarters of the kids involved in Columbine and other school shootings were found by the Secret Service to have been seriously bullied themselves."

HOW TO MAKE SCHOOLS SAFE:
The government suggests anti-bullying programs must have certain characteristics:
-- The schools' principles must be involved.
-- A "Whole School" approach and established anti-bullying rules: All the children have to know bullying will not be tolerated and must be aware of its consequences.
-- A whistle-blowing environment: "Too often," Newman says, "there is a code of silence." Schools must encourage kids that it's not only okay, but also necessary, to report bullying.
-- Children should feel empowered to fight bullying, but adult involvement is tantamount to success.
-- A maintenance program: reward children for taking action to stop bullying, monitor anti-bullying progress, and punish bullies with increasing strictness for each successive offense.

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD?
If your child becomes the victim of bullying, remind them of these important points:
-- Being bullied is not their fault.
-- It's not a battle they have to fight on their own - you're there to help.
-- They are capable of showing the bully that they're not afraid; they can see to it that the bullying stops.
-- You have already informed the school of the problem.
-- They should never resort to using violence against the bully - being strong means doing what's right, not stooping to the bully's level.

IS YOUR CHILD A BULLY?
Ask your child the following questions:

-- Have you and your friends ever kept one or more kids from hanging out or playing with you?
-- Is there a boy or a girl (or maybe more than one) whom you've repeatedly shoved, or punched or physically pushed around in a mean way just because you felt like it?
-- Have you ever had someone else hurt someone you don't like?
-- Have you ever spread a mean rumor about someone?
-- Have you ever teased other kids, calling them names, making fun of their appearance, or the way they talk or dress or act?

If your child answers yes to any of these questions, you might want to talk to them about the dangers of being a bully.

For more information, visit www.nichd.nih.gov or www.fightcrime.org.