Stand Up, Speak Out and Do Something! #stopbullyingnow

A repost from my family blog Chipsofftheoldblock.blogspot.com
What can you do about bullying? 
Teach your kids what bullies are, what cyberbullies are. Respect for others begins at home, teach your kids to respect others, that way they don't become the bully.
Have a plan if your child is ever bullied, they already know it is ok to come to you and tell you about the activity. If a friend is being bullied it is ok to tell a parent or another adult, just standing by and doing nothing will not help the problem go away. 
Educate yourself and your family about violence. Do it now!

I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies Psalm18:3
Psalm 55:22  Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

 

11 Facts about Bullying that just tear my hide up! As a mom especially. 

• Over 3.2 million students are victims of bullying each year.

• 1 in 4 teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will only intervene 4 percent of the time.

• Approximately 160,000 teens skip school every day because of bullying.

• 1 in 7 students in grades K-12 is either a bully or a victim of bullying.

• 56 percent of students have personally witnessed some type of bullying at school.

• Over two-thirds of students believe that schools respond poorly to bullying, with a high percentage of students believing that adult help is infrequent and ineffective.

• 71 percent of students report incidents of bullying as a problem at their school.

• 90 percent of 4th through 8th graders report being victims of bullying.

• 1 out 10 students drop out of school because of repeated bullying.

• Harassment and bullying have been linked to 75 percent of school-shooting incidents.

• Physical bullying increases in elementary school, peaks in middle school and declines in high school.  Verbal abuse, on the other hand, remains constant.

• A 2009 survey found that 9 out of 10 LGBT youth reported being verbally harassed at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation.

These statistics are sickening and embarrassing to me, I can not believe that in America we can let this kind of activity go on in our school systems, systems that our tax dollars pay for!!
Another reason I will continue to homeschool my children until they graduate high school. Now I do realize that they can be bullied anywhere at anytime, even online, but they have been educated enough to know that it is wrong and will not be tolerated. This momma bear would not be happy if she found out her child had been bullied and somebody stood by watching and did nothing.
As a parent, I can not believe that other parents let bullying occur in schools without raising the roof off the school building.
Just my personal opinion. They say homeschool kids are not socialized, my teen daughter told me she did not want to socialize with bullies and drama, she wants to learn, that is why she is happy at home. 

                        Source: infographicsarchive.com via Joann on Pinterest

Cyberbullied {Infographic}

Born to Ride..............Sober

Don't you agree? Don't drive a "Donor cycle"

Emergency Numbers That You Can Really Use!

Lest we forget sometimes that the Great Physician is really in control! A bit of prayer and faith goes a long way in the recovery and healing of our souls. Remember that!

                                                                         Source: hannicraft.blogspot.com via Theresa on Pinterest

October is National Bullying Awareness Month!

Lets make 2012 the year that we all woke up from our slumber and got on the ball about this bullying issue!
What on earth do people think they are doing, adults, teens and children are all being bullied by people who in my honest opinion (from the movie The Water Boy)  need a "can of whoop ass" opened up on them! It makes me so mad to see people treated in such a manner.
Educate yourself and know the signs, know how to respond and how to help those who are bullied. If you are the victim, know that you need help and not to suffer in silence! You are a wonderful, worthy and  a much better person than your bully! God does not make junk!

Today, 160,000 kids stayed home from school. Not because they were sick or forgot to do their homework, but because they were afraid of being harassed by a bully. One in every four kids get bullied, which adds up to 13 million kids a year.

October 1st marks the beginning of Bullying Prevention Awareness Month .  Each year millions of children and youth experience the humiliation and devastating effects of bullying.  Bullying damages the physical, social, and emotional well-being of its victims. It also hurts the children who bully, as well as those who watch it happen. In fact, bullying creates a climate of fear, callousness, and disrespect for everyone involved.  SAMHSA is committed to reducing the impact of bullying and we will take this month to share information about bullying and its impact, and how everyone can and should play a part in taking action against bullying. (Credit to the SAMSHA blog for some of the info provided here)

Bullying 101 :

Bullying begins in the preschool years, peaks in early adolescence, and continues, but with less frequency, into the high school years. But bullying does NOT have to be a part of growing up.

Bullying is a form of emotional or physical abuse that has three defining characteristics:

1. Deliberate – the child that bullies’ intention is to hurt someone
2. Repeated—the child that bullies often targets the same victim again and again
3. Power Imbalanced—the child that bullies chooses victims he or she perceives as vulnerable

Bullying occurs in many different forms, with varying levels of severity. It may involve:

• Physical Bullying—poking, pushing, hitting, kicking, beating up
• Verbal Bullying—yelling, teasing, name-calling, insulting, threatening to harm
• Relational Bullying—ignoring, excluding, spreading rumors, telling lies, getting others to hurt someone

Know the Warning Signs 

A culture of silence often surrounds bullying. Many children who are bullied never tell anyone. 

Most bullying is not reported because children . . .

• Don’t recognize it as bullying
• Are embarrassed
• Don’t want to appear weak
• Believe they deserve it
• Want to belong
• Fear retaliation
• Don’t know how to talk about it
• Don’t have a trusted adult to confide in
• Think adults won’t understand
• Think nothing can be done about it

Just because you don't see it, and children don't talk about it, doesn't mean bullying isn't happening. Even when children fail to report bullying, they often show warning signs.

What are some warning signs of bullying?

• Unexplained damage or loss of clothing and other personal items
• Evidence of physical abuse, such as bruises and scratches
• Loss of friends; changes in friends
• Reluctance to participate in activities with peers
• Loss of interest in favorite activities
• Unusually sad, moody, anxious, lonely, or depressed
• Problems with eating, sleeping, bed-wetting
• Headaches, stomachaches, or other physical complaints
• Decline in school achievement
• Thoughts of suicide

Some children may withdraw, while others may get angry and seek revenge. Don’t assume the problem will go away on its own: Invite children to talk about what is bothering them. If you find out a child is being bullied, show support, help develop a response strategy, and follow up to make sure the bullying does not continue.

What You Can Do 

Recommendations and Strategies for Adults

If you don't intervene, bullies, victims, and bystanders will continue to believe in the power of bullying, rather than the power of prevention. They will continue to let bullying happen. So, why don't adults intervene more often? Sometimes, it’s because we don't see it happen; we’re not sure what to look for. But often, it’s because we don't know what to do or we're afraid that our actions will somehow make matters worse

When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time. There are simple steps adults can take to stop bullying on the spot and keep kids safe.

Do:

• Intervene immediately. It is ok to get another adult to help.
• Separate the kids involved.
• Make sure everyone is safe.
• Meet any immediate medical or mental health needs.
• Stay calm. Reassure the kids involved, including bystanders.
• Model respectful behavior when you intervene.

Avoid these common mistakes:

• Don’t ignore it. Don’t think kids can work it out without adult help.
• Don’t immediately try to sort out the facts.
• Don’t force other kids to say publicly what they saw.
• Don’t question the children involved in front of other kids.
• Don’t talk to the kids involved together, only separately.
• Don’t make the kids involved apologize or patch up relations on the spot.

Get police help or medical attention immediately if:

• A weapon is involved.
• There are threats of serious physical injury.
• There are threats of hate-motivated violence, such as racism or homophobia.
• There is serious bodily harm.
• There is sexual abuse.
• Anyone is accused of an illegal act, such as robbery or extortion—using force to get money, property, or services.

What ever you do, Do something! don't just stand by in silence!!