Help For Parents and Teachers On Dealing With Bullies and School Violence
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Page 1 of 3 Statistics on bullying in school plus the likely victims of bullies and how to help your child deal with a bully.
 by Kathy Noll- author of the book: "Taking The Bully By The Horns"
I'm always working on getting you the most current research information. I hope you find this interesting and helpful:
Recent statistics show that:
- 1 out of 4 kids is Bullied.
- 1 out of 5 kids admits to being a bully, or doing some "Bullying."
- 8% of students miss 1 day of class per month for fear of Bullies.
- 43% fear harassment in the bathroom at school.
- 100,000 students carry a gun to school.
- 28% of youths who carry weapons have witnessed violence at home.
- A poll of teens ages 12-17 proved that they think violence increased at their schools.
- 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month.
- More youth violence occurs on school grounds as opposed to on the way to school.
- 80% of the time, an argument with a bully will end up in a physical fight.
- 1/3 of students surveyed said they heard another student threaten to kill someone.
- 1 out of 5 teens knows someone who brings a gun to school.
- 2 out of 3 say they know how to make a bomb, or know where to get the info. to do it.
- Almost half of all students say they know another student who's capable of murder.
- Playground statistics - Every 7 minutes a child is bullied. Adult intervention - 4%. Peer intervention - 11%. No intervention - 85%.
Most Recent Bureau of Justice Statistics - School Crime & Safety
- 1/3 of students in grades 9-12 reported that someone sold or offered them an illegal drug on school property.
- 46% of males, and 26% of females reported they had been in physical fights.
- Those in the lower grades reported being in twice as many fights as those in the higher grades. However, there is a lower rate of serious violent crimes in the elementary level than in the middle or high schools.
- Teachers are also assaulted, robbed and bullied. 84 crimes per 1,000 teachers per year.
Are Certain Children More Likely To Be Bullied?
Victims are usually loners. Children who appear to be friendless can be magnets for bullies. Many times it's how kids carry themselves. The bullies pick up on that. They also might pick on children who are different - mental or physical handicaps. Girls in cliques will pick on you simply because you don't wear your hair or clothes they way they see fit to be cool. (Insults, Gossip, Rejection, Spreading Rumors) Sometimes there is "no reason" why a bully picks a certain kid to pick on. But, the bullying leaves the victims believing there is something wrong with themselves. The result: More self-esteem has been shattered.
(Everyone has been bullied to some degree, whether mentally or physically)
What Can You Do To Help Your Child?
You know there is a problem. The first step is to get your child to admit there is a problem. He/she may be too embarrassed or scared, and might deny it. They need to know they can trust you and look to you for help. (Encourage them) First, give them this option: They might want to settle the situation themselves before getting you involved (you calling the school or bully's parents). You might try giving them some ideas. For example: If your child is getting bullied because of poor social skills - his shoes are always untied, he walks with his head down, shoulders slouched, avoids eye contact, shirt half tucked in, unclean hair or body, always biting nails or picking nose - You can help him/her by teaching them better social skills. You also might try a type of role-playing to see how your child acts around other kids. This gives you the opportunity to help your child work out acceptable responses. (especially if he/she is being bullied verbally)
Should the School Contact The Bully's Parents?
The school should first try to settle the matter since it occurred on their grounds while the children were their responsibility. But, unfortunately there are some schools who don't want to get involved outside of teaching the children. Many parents have written to me about school's/administrators who simply disregarded their bully incidents. Many parents are now seeking legal action.
On the other side - there are teachers/schools who contact the parents to address the problem, but the parents are in denialChild Studying that their child could ever be a "bully," they don't believe it, and point a finger at the teacher accusing him/her of picking on their child.
Everyone needs to work together on solving these problems.
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Last Updated( Mar 18, 2010 )
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reviewed by:
Harry Croft, MD (Psychiatrist)
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