Bullying Prevention and Intervention
BULLYING/CYBERBULLYING PREVENTION & INTERVENTION
What is Bullying?
Bullying is defined as a deliberate, repeated act with intention to hurt, insult or threaten another person in school, on school grounds, in school vehicles, or at school events. Bullying consists of an imbalance of power.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (Nansel et al., 2001), Approximately 30% of all children and youth in grades 6 through 10 have been bullied or have bullied other children “sometimes” or more often within a semester. Think about it like this, in a class of thirty students, approximately 10 students have bullied or been bullied. Children who are bullied are more likely to be depressed, lonely, anxious, low self-esteem, feel unwell, and think more about suicide. They may not want to come to school and do poorly in school.
Bullying can take many forms such as: hitting or punching (physical bullying); teasing or name-calling (verbal bullying); intimidation through gestures or social exclusion (nonverbal bullying or emotional bullying) and sending insulting messages by e-mail (cyberbullying).
BULLYING, PEER CONFLICTS & TEASING
Friendly Teasing | Hurtful Teasing | Peer Conflicts | Bullying |
Equal power | Unequal power | Equal Power | Imbalance of power |
Neutral | Sensitive topic | Occurs occasionally | Occurs repeatedly |
Purpose is to be playful | Purpose is to upset | Accidental | Intentional and serious |
Joins relationships | Excludes | Negotiations and options | Seeks to gain power |
Funny to both parties | Sarcastic | Withdrawing and options | Victim is vulnerable |
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| Relationship is valued | No remorse |
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| Effort to resolve | No effort to resolve |
Friendly Teasing: One student comments to another student that he should turn his/her jersey inside out because his favorite team lost last night. | Hurtful Teasing: One girl comments to another girl that she looks fat in the outfit she is wearing | Peer Conflict: Two students have a disagreement on the playground about which one will be the pitcher in kickball | Bullying: One student repeatedly threatens another student that if he walks down a specific hallway he will get "beat up." One student repeatedly calling another a name. |
Signs a Child is Being Bullied
Look for changes in the child. However, be aware that not all children who are bullied exhibit warning signs. Some signs that may point to a bullying problem are:
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
Feelings of helplessness or decreased self-esteem
Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide
What to Do
If You Are Being Bullied
Tell an adult that you trust.
Do not show anger or fear.
Calmly tell the bully to stop or say nothing and walk away.
Avoid situations where bullying is likely to happen.
If Someone You Know is Being Bullied
Don't encourage the bully by laughing or joining in.
If you feel safe, tell the bully to stop!
Encourage the person who was bullied to talk to someone they trust about what happened.
If you or someone you know has seen or been a victim of cyberbullying, or any sort of harassment, contact your school administrator or school counselor.
You can also contact Security and Emergency Management Director Tim Knight or call the anonymous tipline: 1-855-OK-SAY-IT
Tim Knight
Security & Emergency Management Director
843-899-8330
Digital Citizenship/Cyberbullying
At Berkeley County School District, we strive to help protect our children from the dangers present in today's world. As new technologies emerge, there is an ever increasing risk to the safety and well-being of our students. Below you can find resources on some of the current internet safety threats to our children.
What is Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is an intentional electronic act or series of acts directed at another student or students that creates substantial interference with a student’s education, creates a threatening environment, or disrupts the orderly operation of school. These acts include, but are not limited to:
Sending hurtful, rude, or mean text messages, images, or videos.
Spreading hurtful messages, rumors or lies about others by e-mail or on social networks.
Creating websites, videos, or social media profiles that embarrass, humiliate or make fun of others.
Cyberbullying is strictly prohibited by Berkeley County School District and will result in disciplinary action. Any student who witnesses, or has reliable information that a student has been subject to harassment, intimidation, or bullying (includes cyberbullying) should report the incident to the principal or the designated school contact person. Reports may be anonymous; however, formal disciplinary action will not be taken solely on the basis of an anonymous report.
Parents and school staff should be vigilant and look for warning signs that a student might be a target or perpetrator of cyberbullying.
What is Sexting
Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit messages, photos, or video images on cell phones or through computer webcams. Sexting is strictly prohibited by Berkeley County School District and will result in disciplinary action. The sending and receiving of these sexually explicit images and videos among minors can also sometimes result in legal ramifications.
Please review the resource below for more information on these topics and more...
Quicklinks
Parents
Teachers
Students
The content of these links are not controlled by Berkeley County School District. While school staff members review links when they are inserted on district or school pages, the contents of the linked page can change at any time. Furthermore, school staff members may not have reviewed links found within the linked page. If you find linked content that you consider inappropriate, please email webmaster@bcsdschools.net. Explore the link(s) at your own risk.