Bullying and U.s. Department

Bullying
Bullying in schools is considered to be a normal part of any school day, however, when people begin to think like this, it is easy to forget that bullying is mentally and physically hurtful to both the bully and the victim; therefore, bullying must be stopped. More than 150,000 children miss school each year due to bullying (Billitteri, “Preventing Bullying”). “Half of high school students said they bullied someone in the past year, and 47 percent said they had been bullied, teased or taunted in a way that seriously upset them in the past year” (Billitteri, “Preventing Bullying”). Many problems with bullying have arisen through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Another example of bullying is sexting. Sexting is taking in appropriate pictures of yourself or texting sex terms and sending them to other people or friends (Estrata, “Lake Parents Who Lost Son Speak out against Bullying”). “Tyler Clementi, 18, committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge after two classmates allegedly used a hidden webcam to transmit images of him having a gay encounter in his dormitory room” (Billitteri, “Preventing Bullying”). Many people face bullying each year. In fact,” in 2009, nearly 14 percent of U.S. high school students reported that they had seriously considered attempting suicide during the preceding year, and more than 6 percent said they had made at least one attempt” (Billitteri, “Preventing Bullying”). Bullying must end.
Bullying is a problem in epidemic proportions. Bullying causes teens to experience low self- esteem and problems relating to other individuals. Bullying also has caused teens to commit suicide. According to Nancy Bertuleit, the student assistance coordinator at Warren County Public Schools, bullying is “an imbalance of power which means the person is powerless to defend themselves” (Harvey, “Bullying Problems Play’s Theme”). In severe cases, “bullying can lead to depression and suicide” (Harvey, “Bullying Problems Play’s Theme”). For this reason alone, there needs to be a way to stop bullying. Denise Houchins, Community Health Specialist at the Barren River District Health Department in Kentucky says that “bullying has been taken to a whole new level because of social web pages, emails, and texting. It is easier now that it is not face-to-face. You say things you’d never dream of saying face-to-face” (Harvey, “Bullying Problems Play’s Theme”). Basically, bullying has become easier to carry out and is now more subtle.
Bullying has been around since the beginning of time, but that doesn’t mean bullying needs to continue. In order for things to change, people need to be educated; this includes parents, teachers, students and all adults. Adults need to teach kids to report bullying when kids see it happening and to step up and get involved. “If teens all band together to address these issues, they really don’t have to worry about being the target of a bully since most bullies really only attack those that are weaker than them. By standing together to prevent bullying in every school, the number of depressed and suicidal teens can drop along with those who fear for their life while attending school” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Stop Bullying”). Adults need to help kids understand exactly what bullying is and how to stand up to bullies safely. Adults need to make sure that kids know how to get help. Adults also need to keep communication open and encourage kids to talk about what happens during the day. Adults need to check in with kids and ask how things are going. When kids start talking, adults need to really listen to what the kids are saying. Another thing adults can do is encourage kids to find a hobby the kids enjoy doing. This will boost kids’ self-esteem, as well. Lastly, Adults need to “model how to treat people with kindness and respect” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Stop Bullying”). By modeling this behavior, children are taught what is acceptable behavior and what is not acceptable.
Prevention works. Schools and institutions around the world have successfully “implemented a program called “the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program”. A school in Fairfax Station, Virginia, has had great improvements. “In the beginning of the program, 42.3 percent of students reported being bullied. After one year of implementation of the program, 33.9 percent of students reported being bullied, a marked improvement” (Olweus, “Olweus Success Stories: Violence Prevention Works”). School violence declined by 40% in Western Pennsylvania within one year of implementing a bullying prevention policy. Chula Vista, California, reported the following statistics after implementing a bullying prevention program: 21% decrease in reports of being bullied within the first year and a 14% decrease of reports within the second year; 8% of bullies stopped within the first year and 21% stopped within the second year (Olweus, “Olweus Success Stories: Violence Prevention Works”). Change can happen with prevention and education.
One solution to bullying can be found by parents educating and talking to their own children about the subject. In an article entitled “How to Talk About Bullying”, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has listed four necessary ways to start to put an end to bullying: understanding what bullying is, how to communicate effectively, helping kids find something the kids love to do, and to teach children how to treat others. “Kids who know what bullying is, can better identify it. They can talk about bullying if it happens to them or others. Kids need to know ways to safely stand up to bullying and how to get help” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “How to Talk About Bullying”). The article suggests encouraging kids to report bullying when bullying is happening. Step two is teaching kids to communicate effectively. “Sometimes spending 15 minutes a day talking can reassure kids that they can talk to their parents if they have a problem. Start conversations about daily life and feelings with questions like these: What was one good thing that happened today? Any bad things?” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “How to Talk About Bullying”). The article also suggest talking to kids directly about the topic of bullying. The article says this will help parents understand exactly how bullying might affect their child. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service also suggest reminding kids that kids are not alone and that it is important to talk about these kinds of issues. The fourth step is helping kids find something the kids love to do and are good at doing. “These activities give kids a chance to have fun and meet others with the same interests. They can build confidence and friendships that help protect kids from bullying” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “How to Talk About Bullying”). The last step is modeling for kids how to treat others with respect and to be kind. “By treating others with kindness and respect, adults show kids in their lives that there is no place for bullying. Even if it seems like they are not paying attention, kids are watching how adults manage stress and conflict, as well as how they treat their friends, colleagues, and families” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “How to Talk About Bullying”). The best part about all of these solutions is that the solutions are cost-free and able to be carried out in every home.
A second solution for bullying involves schools. In an article entitled “Prevention at School”, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says “that the best way to address bullying is to stop it before it starts. There are a number of things school staff can do to make schools safer and prevent bullying” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Prevention at School”). The article lists five steps schools can do to accomplish this goal. These steps include: assessing bullying in the school, engaging parents and kids, creating policies and rules, building a safe environment, and educating staff and students. The first step is to figure out what bullying looks like in school. “How often does it happen, where does it happen, how students and adults intervene, and whether the prevention efforts are working” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Prevention at School”). Next, schools need to get help from parents and students. “It is important for everyone in the community to work together to send a unified message against bullying. Launch an awareness campaign to make the objectives know to the school, parents, and community members. Establish a school safety committee or task force to plan, implement, and evaluate your school’s bullying prevention program”( U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Prevention at School”). Step three is to create policies regarding bullying. “Create a mission statement, code of conduct, school-wide rules, and a bullying reporting system. These establish a climate in which bullying is not acceptable (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Prevention at School”). Step four involves building a safe place for kids. Schools need to reach out to kids. “Use staff meetings, assemblies, class and parent meetings, newsletters to families, the school website, and the student handbook to establish a positive climate at school. Reinforce positive social interactions and inclusiveness”(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Prevention at School”). The last step involves training students and staff on how intervene when they see bullying taking place. This step also involves training teachers and staff on how to handle bullying and to build a prevention program into the school curriculum. The article also suggests building school activities around the subject of bulling. This is another cost-effective solution. It shows a way to make a difference without costing money. Bullying should not be considered normal school behavior and needs to be stopped. The question that begs to be answers is this: what can regular people do to help with this problem? According to the Great Schools.org website, a number of things can be done. “The most important thing you can do is listen to your child. Ask about how things are going at school. Ask if your child has had any experience with bullies or has seen other children experience bullying” (Great Schools, “What You Can Do to Stop Bullying”). The article states that most kids are too embarrassed or scared to bring up the topic of bullying but will be more open to share when the subject is brought up by an adult. The responsibility to change things doesn’t lie with adults, but with fellow students. The article “advises encouraging the majority of students who are not victims or bullies to stand up to bullies, to ask adults for help and to reach out as friends to isolated students” (Great Schools, “What You Can Do to Stop Bullying”). Bullying does not have to continue to dominate schools. Children should feel school is a safe environment, but it takes all people to stand up and say “no” to bullying.

Works Cited
Billitteri, Thomas J. "Preventing Bullying." CQ Researcher 10 Dec. 2010: 1013-36. Web. 26
Nov. 2013. http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2010121000&abstract=false#.UpViHCfZWwM.

Estrada, Heron M. "West Metro." Ham Lake Parents Who Lost Son Speak out against Bullying.
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Harvey, Alyssa. “Bullying problems play’s theme.” Bowling Green Daily News (KY) 06 May
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"How to Talk About Bullying." Stop Bullying.Gov. U.S. Department of Health and Human
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"Olweus Success Stories | Violence Prevention Works." Olweus Success Stories | Violence
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"Prevention at School." Stop Bullying.Gov. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.
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Cited: Billitteri, Thomas J. "Preventing Bullying." CQ Researcher 10 Dec. 2010: 1013-36. Web. 26 Nov "School Bullying Statistics." - Bullying Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. . "What You Can Do to Stop Bullying." GreatSchools. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. .