According to the National Association of School Psychologists, bullying is the most common form of violence in our society. In a national survey of students in grades six through ten in 2001, 13% reported bullying others, 11% reported being a victim of bullies, and another 6% said that they both bullied others and were bullied themselves. These numbers mean that over five million children are affected by bullying.
"Don't show you're angry or upset. If you don't care, the bully can't get to you." The advice from BBC is excellent, but a few of their resources (such as a local help line phone number) are not applicable in the states. Best reasons to click are How to Get the Better of Bullies Guide, Bullying Dilemmas Quiz, and the thirty-minute television video about e-bullying (under the title Interactive.)
"Bullying stops in less than 10 seconds, most of the time when peers intervene on behalf of the victim. Intervene does NOT mean taking on or trying to confront or fight the bully, but rather, befriending the victim, ignoring the bully, talking and walking away with the victim." This Canadian site urges kids to take a pledge to stick up for those being bullied, and supports their Peer Support Approach to Bullying with extensive FAQ's and downloadable PDFs.
"Don't give up. Your happiness is important!" Colorado's Anti-Bullying Project stresses the importance of making friends and joining clubs. "Bullies pick on kids who are alone." Its resource pages are divided into separate sections for parents, teachers, and kids in elementary, middle, and high school. Visit Resources for K-6 book recommendations, Links for a hotlist of more anti-bullying websites, and try your hand at the Quiz.
"Take a stand. Lend a hand. Stop bullying now!" SBN (a production of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration) is my pick of the day because of the twelve animated webisodes. "Watch how bullying affects different characters, and how they learn to deal with it. Maybe they can help you too!" Other goodies are eleven interactive games, and a handful of downloadable PDF guides for teachers, parents and organizations wanting to mount a local anti-bullying campaign.
Buy Bullying Printable for $2.00
or try a FREE trial of the Printables ClubThe following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
AntiBullyAnti-Bullying Network | Bully PoliceBullying at School |
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