Signs & Symptoms
- Emotional and behavioural signs of bullying include changes in sleeping and eating patterns, frequent tears or anger, mood swings, feeling sick in the morning, becoming aggressive, refusing to talk about what is wrong, begins to target siblings
- Physical signs include unexplained bruises, cuts and scratches, coming home with missing or damaged belongings or clothes or coming home hungry
- School signs include not wanting to go to school, changes their route to school or being scared to walk/bike, not wanting to go on the school bus and grades begin to decline
- Other signs of bullying include being alone or exclusion from friend groups, being a constant target for teasing at school and unable to speak up in class because they are insecure and frightened
Risk Factors
Impacts on the victims/families
- Who bullying can effect
- Victims
- Bullies
- Bystanders
- Impacts on school life
- Impacts on adulthood
Those at risk for bullying are:
- Seen as different from their peers
- Seen as weak
- Depressed, Anxious, Low Self Esteem
- Have few friends/Less popular
- Do not socialize well
- Intellectually or Developmentally disabled
- LGBTQ
Those at risk of becoming the bully:
Two Types:
- Well connected, social power, popular
- Isolated, depressed, less involved
Children with these factors are more likely to bully:
- Aggressive/Easily Frustrated
- Less Parental Involvement/Issues at home
- Have difficulty following rules
- See positivity in violence
- Their friends bully
- They have witnessed or experienced abuse
What is Bullying?
- Bullying is when someone hurts or scares another person on purpose
- There is verbal bullying- name calling, sarcasm, teasing, spreading rumors, threats, and making negative comments towards a person’s culture, ethnicity, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation
- Social bullying- excluding others from a group, humiliating others with public gestures or graffiti, mobbing, scapegoating
- Physical bullying- hitting, poking, pinching, chasing, shoving, destroying or stealing an individual’s belongings, unwanted sexual touching
- Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices such as cell phones, computers, and tablets.
- It can occur through SMS, text, applications, or online like in social media and games.
- Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false or mean information about someone else.
History of Bullying
Legislation & Laws
- Bullying traced back to the 1530s
- Revolution of bullying: Survival tactics
- Bullying brought to light (1970s) by Dan Olweus
Current Legislation and Laws for Educators:
- Formal Legislation of the Public Schools Act
- The Code of Conduct
- Maintain respectful behavior from both staff and students
- Ensure appropriate use of social media
- Duty to report as an educator
Current Legislation and Laws for Parents:
- Formal Legislation of the Public Schools Act
- Support from parents or guardians in regards to the Code of Conduct
- Take all reasonable measures to ensure that risks of harm to the child are minimized
Preventative Measures
- Positive Environment
- Firm limits against unacceptable behaviour
- Appropriate measures when an individual breaks a rule
- Safe and support school/work climate
References
Allanson, P. B., Lester, R. R., & Notar, C. E. (2015). A History of Bullying. International
Journal of Education and Social Science, 2, 31-36. Retrieved December 11, 2018, from http://www.ijessnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/5.pdf
Donegan, R. (2012, May 6). Bullying and Cyberbullying: History, Statistics, Law,
Prevention and Analysis. Retrieved December 11, 2018, from https://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/academics/communications/research/vol3no1/04doneganejspring12.pdf
Dryden-Edwards, R. (n.d.). Bullying Facts, Effects, Statistics, Types & Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.medicinenet.com/bullying/article.htm#what_are_the_different_types_of_bullying
Gordon, S. (n.d.). How to Identify and Address the Risk Factors for Becoming a Bully. Retrieved from https://www.verywellfamily.com/what-are-the-risk-factors-for-becoming-a-bully-460518
Government of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, & Institute of Gender and Health. (2012, September 28). Canadian Bullying Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/45838.html
What are risk factors for being bullied? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/bullying/conditioninfo/risk-factors
Who Is at Risk. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/index.html