Information for school newsletters 8/6/08 _____________________________________________________
What is Bullying?
Students cannot learn when they are afraid. So, as we start the new school year, we want to make sure that school is a safe place for all students. One way to do this is to eliminate bullying. Bullying has existed for generations, but that does not mean that it is a normal behavior. It is, in fact, a learned behavior. As a result, by working together, we can eliminate it from our schools. First, it is important to know what bullying is. In general, bullying is: Using social or physical power against another person. Examples of this would be shoving, hitting, or intentionally keeping someone out of a popular social group. Hurting, scaring, or being mean to someone on purpose. Examples would include teasing in a mean way or spreading rumors about someone. A behavior that happens over and over. Bullying can also take many forms. It can be physical (shoving, hitting, tripping), verbal (name calling, teasing, racial slurs), and non-verbal (nasty looks, excluding on purpose). A newer form of bullying is cyber-bullying where individuals use emails, blogs, websites and other electronic means to inflict harm on someone. To eliminate bullying, we need everyone’s help. First, talk to your child about bullying and encourage him/her to share concerns with you. It is important that we all recognize bullying behaviors and take action when we see it. It is just as important to help the child who is the target of bullying behavior. If you have questions or concerns about bullying, want to report something you are aware of, or are concerned that a student is being bullied, please contact Calvert Elementary School at 410-535-7811. More information is available through the following websites. Together we can make a difference for students.
www.ncpc.org www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov www.cyberbullying.org