Bullying in Schools

Inquiry Question How can teachers effectively address bullying amongst girls in school?

Overview:
What is bullying? Bullying is a pattern of aggressive behavior meant to hurt or cause discomfort to another person. Bullies always have more power than their victims. Their power comes from physical size, strength, status, and support within the peer group. How do girls bully differently than boys? Girls bully and experience bullying very different than boys. Girls engage in relational aggression where as boys bully with physical aggression. Girls bully through peer groups, spread nasty gossip or share private embarrassing stories about supposed friends. This form of bullying is called social aggression. Social aggression involves social exclusion of or spreading rumors about someone, which undermines the targeted girl's self-esteem or social status. Social aggression manipulates the targeted girl's social status by clouding the view that others have of her and subsequently the way they respond to her. Unfortunately other girls go along with the bullying of others even close friends because of fear of being excluded by their peer group. In todays technological driven society, cyber bullying is the number one form of social aggression used by girls to bully. Cyber bullying happens through: Email Instant messaging Text or digital imaging messages sent on cell phones, Web pages, Web logs (blogs),

 Chat rooms or discussion groups How is Cyber bullying different than bullying in the past? Cyber bullying can occur any time of the day or night. It is 24 hour harassment. The spread of nasty rumors, images and gossip is immediate by way of group text, email or Facebook and to a wide audience. The propensity for it to spread is endless. The ability to be anonymous when cyber bullying makes it difficult to be traced. Once information is put on the internet it is hard to erase or to manage it. If a girl changes schools the gossip and nasty rumors that plagued her follow her. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tSCANoSMRw What are the warning signs to identify victims or potential victims of bullying? Academic: Sudden change in school attendance/academic performance Loss of interest in school work Difficulty concentrating in class Drops out of school sponsored activities that she enjoys Social: Continually gets excluded from group activities is lonely and isolated Poor or no social skills Often made fun of Uses victim body language- hunches shoulders, hangs head and wont look at people in the eye In the minority (racial, cultural, religious) Physical: Frequent illness Scratches bruises or damaged clothes without explanation If someone has a physical difference (weight, glasses, height, handicapped etc) Clumsy or uncoordinated Emotional/Behavioral: Change in mood or attitude Low or no self confidence/self esteem

Overly sensitive, cautious, nervous, anxious, worried or fearful Cries easily, talk about suicide Overly concerned about personal safety, spends lots of time in bathroom Stays in at lunch and recess

Why is it an issue? Bullying interferes with the learning of children and has long lasting physiological effects on the victim. Bullying destroys the lives of the victim and can lead to hopelessness and suicide. How can this issue be solved? Creating anti bullying regulations that address cyber bullying Creating a positive environment in class, with zero tolerance to bullying. Teaching girls about the affirmative action they need to take if they are being bullied or cyber bullied Changing societies attitude about bullying. It is not a rite of passage or girls just being girls, it is a form abuse and control and should not be tolerated. Lifting young girls up, giving them self confidence, perpetuating messages of positive body image. Creating a sense of self-respect in young women. Helping teach students about on line etiquette by incorporating the use of technology in class http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D1OZWpfdVU

Key Resources:
http://bullyingcanada.ca/content/239900 http://kidshealth.org/parent/p ositive/talk/cyberbullying.html http://www.education.com/reference /article/teenage-girlaggression/?page=4 http://www.teachers.ab.ca/Publications/ATA %20Magazine/Volume%2088/Number%201/Articles/Pages/The%20 Plight%20of%20Grade%207%20Girls.aspx http://www.cyberbully help.com/ http://www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/k12/bullying/whatis.html http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/warningsigns http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D1OZWpfdVU http://alonganderson.blogspot.ca/2012/05/anti-bullying-game-facevalue.html

 http://archive.beatbullying.org/dox/media-centre/case-olivia.html http://teenadvice.about.com/od/violencebullying/a/girlbullies.htm

References:
Beane, Allan L.. The bully free classroom: over 100 tips and strategies for teachers K-8 . Minneapolis, Minn.: Free Spirit Pub., 2005. Print. jyfjgfjgfjgf