October is National Bullying Prevention Month – we’ve updated our bullying prevention resources for parents and families, teachers, and kids.
Sadly, teen bullying is an ongoing problem. This week, we see a father seeking justice for his deceased teen son and the story of two young Florida teens charged with felonies for bullying that ended in suicide. These tragic scenarios play out time and again.
Many states and local governments have taken action to prevent bullying and protect children. Through laws and policies, each state addresses bullying differently. Find out how your state refers to bullying in its laws and what they require on part of schools and districts. Use this clickable map to learn about your state’s bullying laws and policies. Also, see warning signs a child is being bullied and signs a child is bullying others.
State Cyberstalking, Cyberharassment and Cyberbullying Laws – from the The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
National Bullying Prevention Center – PACER’s (Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights) National Bullying Prevention Center unites, engages, and educates communities nationwide to prevent bullying through creative, relevant, and interactive resources.
Committee for Children – A nonprofit working globally to prevent bullying, violence, and child abuse.
It’s My Life: Bullying – bullying resources for kids from PBS.
Cyberbullying Research Center – up-to-date information about the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of cyberbullying among adolescents. Cyberbullying can be defined as “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.”
Connect for Respect from the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) – bullying resources and tip sheets for parents and educators.
Bullying at School & Online – extensive resources for parents and educators from education.com.
Bullying – resources from the American Psychological Association.
7 Ways You Can Address Bullying at Your School – Encouraging victims and student witnesses to report abuse and providing supervision in hallways and other areas can help to reduce bullying on and off campus.
Bullying and Harassment: Thin Line and Thin Ice – An expert on legal issues in school transportation discusses the distinction between bullying and harassment and offers best practices for dealing with both on the bus.
When your child is being bullied (PDF) – Practical strategies for helping your child cope and working effectively with your child’s school from Elizabeth Englander
What Parents Can Do About Childhood Bullying – Marlene Snyder, Ph.D. explains how to determine if your child is a bully or a victim — and how to take appropriate, effective action.
Understanding Bullying and Its Impact on Kids With Learning Disabilities or AD/HD – Kids with learning or attention problems can be easy prey for bullies. Marlene Snyder, Ph.D. tells you how to recognize the signs that your child is being bullied.
Identifying Students `At-Risk` for Violent Behavior: A Checklist of `Early Warning Signs – A checklist of “early warning signs” will facilitate identification of students who may be in need of intervention. The greater the number of items that are checked, the greater the potential for violent acting-out behavior.
Stop Bullying Now! from the Health Resources & Service Administration offers parental resources. Also see the Kids’ and teens pages.
KidsHealth from The Nemours Center for Children’s Health Media offers great information for parents, children and teens. Some specific resources that they offer around the topic of bullying include Helping kids deal with bullies; Teaching kids not to bully, and Helping kids deal with cliques, There’s also a good teen guide: Dealing with bullying
Bullying sites by and for kids: Teens Against Bullying and Kids Against Bullying
Cyberbullying and online safety
One of the aspects of teen bulling that seems particularly frightening to many parents is cyberbullying, or online bullying. It’s important for parents to understand new technologies and how their kids are using social media. But some would caution that we should not create a cyberbullying panic: new media is here to stay and the more parents can learn about it, the better they can monitor and advise their kids. Here are some resources we’ve found to help.
Commonsense media offers a variety of online resources for parents, including a plethora of information on social networking and virtual worlds and Internet Safety.
Connect Safely – designed to give teens and parents a voice in the public discussion about youth online safety and to offer social-media safety tips for teens and parents.
Guide to Facebook Security Settings and Situations
Stop Cyberbullying – from Wired
Talking to kids and teens about social media and texting – tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics
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