Prevention of Bullying

Florida Department of Education definition of bullying:
“Bullying means systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or employees. It is further defined as unwanted and repeated written, verbal or physical behavior, including any threatening, insulting or dehumanizing gesture, by a student or adult that is severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational environment; cause discomfort or humiliation; or unreasonably interfere with the individual's school performance or participation.”

Children and Mobile Devices

“Bullying means systematically and chronically inflicting severe physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students. It is further defined as unwanted and repeated written, verbal or physical behavior, including any threatening, insulting or dehumanizing gesture by a student that is severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational environment; cause severe discomfort or humiliation; or unreasonable interfere with the individual’s school performance or participation and may involve but is not limited to: teasing, social exclusion, threat, intimidation, stalking, cyberstalking*, physical violence, theft, sexual, religious or racial harassment, public humiliation and destruction of property.”

“Harassment means any threatening, insulting or dehumanizing gesture, use of data or computer software or written, verbal, or physical conduct directed against a student or students which is so severe and pervasive that it places a student or students in reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or damage to his or her property, has the effect of substantially interfering with the student’s educational performance, opportunities or benefits or has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of a school. Bullying and harassment also include retaliation against a student by another student for asserting or alleging an act of bullying or harassment. Reporting an act of bullying or harassment that is not made in good faith is considered retaliation as is the perpetuation of conduct listed in the definition of bullying or harassment by an individual or group with intent to demean, dehumanize, embarrass or cause emotional or physical harm to a student by incitement, coercion, accessing or knowingly and willingly providing access to data or computer software through a computer, computer system or computer network within the scope of the district school system. This definition includes acting in a manner that has an effect substantially similar to the effect of bullying or harassment.”

“Cyberstalking means to engage in a course of conduct to communicate, or cause to be communicated, words, images, or language by or through the use of electronic mail or electronic communication, directed at a specific person, causing substantial emotional distress to that person and serving no legitimate purpose.”

From Bullying Statistics

Bullying statistics for 2010
"New bullying statistics for 2010 revealed about one in seven students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade is either a bully or has been a victim of bullying. Sometimes a teen or child who has been bullied eventually becomes the bully as a way to retaliate. In fact, revenge for bullying is one of the strongest motivations for school shootings, according to recent bullying statistics. A reported 61 percent of students said they believe students shoot others at school because they have been victims of physical violence at home or at school. This is a true indicator that bullying can occur in all forms by other students, children, teens as well as adults. According to various bullying studies, many teens and children act out violently on their peers through acts of bullying because they are abused at home."

Other bullying statistics:

Over half, about 56 percent, of all students have witnessed a bullying crime take place while at school.

A reported 15 percent of all students who don't show up for school report it to being out of fear of being bullied while at school.

There are about 71 percent of students that report bullying as an on-going problem.

Along that same vein, about one out of every 10 students drops out or changes schools because of repeated bullying.

One out of every 20 students has seen a student with a gun at school.

Some of the top years for bullying include 4th through 8th graders in which 90 percent were reported as victims of some kind of bullying.

Other recent bullying statistics reveal that 54 percent of students reported that witnessing physical abuse at home can lead to violence in school.

Among students of all ages, homicide perpetrators were found to be twice as likely as homicide victims to have been bullied previously by their peers.

There are about 282,000 students that are reportedly attacked in high schools throughout the nation each month.

Local Resources:

Martin County School District, Student Services; individual schools throughout Martin County

Parent Programming offered through CHARACTER COUNTS!, Tykes & Teens, Martin County Library System and Martin County School District

Websites and Books Addressing Bullying:

The Bullying Business

GLBT Round Table – American Library Association

NetSmartz

National Crime Prevention Council

National CHARACTER COUNTS!

Stop Bullying.gov

Stomp Out Bullying