From the Desk of WarmLine

School Bullying

Nadine Abernathy, ParentLink Family Support Specialist, RPDC, College of Education, University of Missouri

Going back to school in the fall is a time of heighted excitement & anticipation for most students. However to some students it can also be a time of worry because these students are victims of school bullying. Each year on the WarmLine we receive more & more calls of concerned parents whose children have been bullied. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services approximately 30 percent of all children and youth in grades 6 to 10 have been bullied or have bullied other children.

What is bullying? Most of us think of children who beat up other children on the playground as bullies. Bullying comes in many other forms. Besides hitting & intimidation it includes social slights & exclusions, teasing, name calling, gesturing & insulting text messages or e-mail.

What parents can do if your child is bullied:

• Talk to your child and get specific facts about what happened, when it happened and who was involved. Be supportive and let them know it isn’t their fault.
• Contact your child’s teacher, school counselor or principal. The school staff should contact the parents of the child or children who did the bullying. If the bullying continues contact the school again.
• Help your child deal more effectively with bullies. This could include safety strategies when feeling threatened by a bully. Help your child develop friends outside the school environment. Assure them that reporting bullying isn’t tattling.

If bullying still persists:

• Call the SCHOOL VIOLENCE HOTLINE 1-866-748-7047

If you would like more information:

• Parents can access the US Department of Health Resource Kit for parents and schools available free online at: http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/
• Call the WarmLine at 1-800-552-8522