About Bullying
What is bullying? When someone tries to make you feel bad about yourself and it is hard for you to make it stop.
Basically, there are three things that need to be present in a situation for it to be defined as bullying:
· unwanted, aggressive behavior = words or behavior intended to harm or hurt another person
· an imbalance of power = a real or perceived power imbalance between those involved; someone could be bigger, older, stronger, more popular, or part a group 'ganging up' on someone else
· repetition = it happens more than once, or has the potential to happen more than once
Bullying can be verbal, social, and/or physical. It can be direct and confrontational, or passive. Bullying can be covert, with few or no witnesses, but it can also be very visible, even occurring through publicly-shared media platforms. Whether teasing, name-calling, spreading rumors, hitting or purposely excluding someone, bullying always has negative impacts on those that witness the behavior and those that engage in the behavior.
Report it! BULLY PATROL(Elementary schools), Say Something(Middle & High Schools) is our dedicated online tool for reporting bullying located on the WS/FCS district home page. It is accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. You can also find a teacher, school counselor, a School Social Worker or other staff member who will listen. No one has to face these problems alone.
Bully Prevention Resources:
Please click on the links below to learn more ways of how to prevent bullying.
· WSFCS Safe and Drug Free Schools
· Pacer Bully Prevention Information
· Government Information Bully Prevention
Online Stories about Bully Prevention:
· Storyline Online: Thank you Mr. Falker
· Trudy Ludwig Books and Activities