No More Bullies, No More Victims
Bullying is about power and control
It takes away people's right to be safe. This includes not only the rights of the victim but rights of others in the community as well.
- At least 10% of all children are bullied.
- 160,000 children do not go to school each day because they fear other children might assault them.
- Every month, 250,000 children in the United States report that they are physically assaulted by other children.
- One of every 5 high school students avoids the restrooms in school because they don't feel they are safe.
- Only 1/3 of elementary students report bullying incidents to an adult and even fewer secondary students report them.
- Both bullies and victims may have problems in later life because of the bullying behaviors.
- One in four boys who were bullies in 6th-9th grade has a criminal record by the age of 24.
Traditional ways of dealing with Bullying
- Adults have believed it is just "part of childhood" and will go away if it is ignored.
- Adults have told children to just avoid the bully.
- Adults have told child victims to hit the bully back.
Traditional methods of dealing with bullying have proven ineffective. NJ CAP has a new approach…. The CAP Bullying Prevention Program, an initiative intended to inform, motivate and support the entire school community in an effort for prevention and response to bullying.
CAP has designed workshops which launch the first phase of confronting this difficult problem concerning so many parents and educators.
Program Overview
Implementation Planning Meeting
A meeting at the outset of the program to discuss the unique needs of the school community with student, staff, administrative and parent leaders.
Staff Workshops : A two-hour workshop to consider bullying behaviors. Who are the bullies? Who are the victims? What consequences are there to all participants in bullying including witnesses or “vicarious victims”? What can our community do to design and implement effective strategies to intervene and prevent bullying? The latest research will be cited and informational materials distributed.
Parent Workshop : A two-hour workshop which addresses the same questions as the staff in-service from the parents’ perspective. Strategies are suggested which support parents whether their children are victims, bullies or witnesses to bullying.
Student Workshop : Workshops for children in grades 3-8 whose goals include helping students maintain their rights and understand the rights of others in bullying situations. There are opportunities for dialogue and feedback. Children are given strategies and resources whether they are bullies, victims or witnesses.
Program Review: A meeting held with the leadership group from the implementation meeting to review the information gathered and the outcome of dialogue with students while beginning planning for the next phase of the bullying prevention program .
What people say about bullying experiences:
"I was teased so horrendously and became so socially isolated that I still suffer from nightmares and a deep sense of shame and self doubt."
an adult survivor of bullying
"Although I had high academic standing, I felt in a constant state of humiliation, intimidation and fear. I felt totally unattractive."
"Thirty years later I still cringe at the thought of what I did…"
an adult who, as a child, had bullied other children
"Bullying was like a drug. It provided a temporary feeling of power and control over others…however over time, I became totally withdrawn from healthy friendships. I had a hard time relating to others."
a victim who became a bully
Conclusion
Remember! Bullying affects everyone in the school community. It makes the students and school staff feel they are not in a safe place. Bullying is not just a part of child development which will change as children grow. Without intervention, bullying patterns can last a lifetime. It’s up to all of us to do something about it.
This is a 6-month initiative designed to help the school community to develop or update the school policy on bullying, to train the adults in appropriate intervention strategies and to improve student skill development.
For Additional information, contact us:
NCAP
(856) 582-7000
606 Delsea Drive
Sewell, NJ 08080