National Bullying Prevention Month: Tips on How to Deal With Bulllying

Dear York Prep Community,

As we move right along into another school year, we’d like to highlight that October is National Bullying Prevention Month. National Bullying Prevention Month was founded in 2006 by PACER’s National Bully Prevention Centers. Throughout the month of October, communities nationwide unite together to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention. 

The first step in addressing any problem is awareness. Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among students that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.  Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.  Bullying can also take place through technology, known as cyberbullying.  Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles.

At York Prep we have a zero tolerance policy for bullying. We encourage an inclusive community in which students support and motivate one another. However, if a student has experienced some of these unwanted actions towards them, we highly encourage them to speak up. The school counselors and deans work closely to address and find solutions to any instances of bullying. If you or someone you know may be a victim of bullying, please consider the following: 

  • Bullying directly affects students’ ability to learn. According to the Center for Disease Control, students who are bullied are more likely to experience low self-esteem and isolation, perform poorly in school, have few friends in school, have a negative view of school, experience physical symptoms, and experience mental health issues.
  • Bystanders can be powerful allies. More than half of bullying situations (57 percent) stop when a peer intervenes on behalf of the student being bullied. With that statistic, students have a unique power to prevent bullying.  
  • Bullying is not a “rite of passage” but a serious threat to student’s safety and well-being.  Some say bullying makes children tougher and is not a serious problem, but the reality is that students who are bullied are more likely to report increased negative effects to their emotional and physical health.  
  • Anyone can bully, and anyone can be bullied. Students can have multiple roles: they can be the ones subjected to bullying and the one who bullies. Strategies that focus on holding students accountable for their behavior- but also empower them to change that behavior- are more effective than punitive punishments and peer mediation in bullying situations.  
  • Bullying isn’t about resolving conflict; bullying is about control. In conflict, children self-monitor their behavior and generally stop when they realize they are hurting someone. When bullying, children continue their behavior when they realize it is hurting someone and are satisfied by a feeling of power and control.  
  • Effective bullying prevention efforts involve students, parents, teachers, and community members.  Involving community members allows school officials and parents to address the bigger issues of disrespect, bias, etc. that can contribute to bullying issues in schools. A community-wide effort shows students that adults care about what happens to them and that they are not alone.  
When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior, we send the message that it is not acceptable. It is our goal as a community to create an environment where students feel safe, secure and invested in their friendships and education. Please reach out to the counselors or deans if you need support in this area. We are here to help!
For more information on bullying awareness & prevention, please visit: Pacer's National Bullying & Prevention Center.

Warmly,
The Wellness Team 
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