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ParentingTips: Bullying

FortBendISDhasimplementedaninitiativetoincreaseawarenessaboutbullyingamongstaff,students,andparents.

Theinitiative beganinJanuary,2011,whentheBoardofTrusteespassedaresolution"CALLINGFORHEIGHTENEDAWARENESSOFTHE

EFFECTSOFBULLYINGBEHAVIORANDHARASSMENTONSTUDENTWELLBEINGINTHEFORTBENDINDEPENDENTSCHOOLDISTRICT.

Concernshavecontinuedaboutcyberbullyingandthreateningmessagessharedthroughsocialmediathatcouldpotentiallyaffecta

studentsfuture. Therefore,theFBISDBoardofTrusteespassedanadditionalresolutiononNov.12,2012tofurtherbuildawarenessand

offerresourcestohelpallstakeholderspreventbullyingandcyberbullying.Tolocatethemostrecentresolution,gotothedistricthome

pageandontherightsideofthatpageunderQuickLinks,clickonBullyingPreventionandInternetSafety.

Districtdefinitionofbullying: (seetheFBISD201213Student/ParentHandbook,pages2527)

Bullyingmeansengaginginwrittenorverbalexpression,expressionthroughelectronicmeans,orphysicalconductthatoccursonschool

property,ataschoolsponsoredorschoolrelatedactivity,orinavehicleoperatedbytheDistrictandthat:

Hastheeffectorwillhavetheeffectofphysicallyharmingastudent,damagingastudentsproperty,orplacingastudentinreasonablefearofharmtothestudentspersonorofdamagetothestudentsproperty;or

Issufficientlysevere,persistent,andpervasiveenoughthattheactionorthreatcreatesanintimidating,threateningorabusiveeducationalenvironmentforastudent.

Thisconductisconsideredbullyingifit:

Exploitsanimbalanceofpowerbetweenthestudentperpetratorandthestudentvictimthroughwrittenorverbalexpressionorphysicalconduct;and

Interfereswithastudentseducationorsubstantiallydisruptstheoperationofaschool.The

district

prohibits

retaliation

by

astudent

or

district

employee

against

any

person

who

in

good

faith

makes

areport

of

bullying,

serves

as

awitness,orparticipatesinaninvestigation.Astudentwhointentionallymakesafalseclaim,offersfalsestatements,orrefusesto

cooperatewithaDistrictinvestigationregardingbullyingshallbesubjecttoappropriatedisciplinaryaction.

*AStudentComplaintFormcanbeobtainedatyourcampusfromanadministratororcounselor.

TypesofBullying: Therearemanytypesofbullying. Thefollowingareexamples:

Physical hitting,kickingandspitting Verbal offensiveremarks,teasingandthreats,spreadingrumors,inappropriateracial,religiousorsexualremarks Nonverbal threateninggestures,exclusion Written notescontainingoffensiveremarks Cyberbullying bullyingthroughelectronicmeans

WarningSigns: Itisimportanttorecognizethewarningsignsthatyourchildpossiblyisbeingbulliedorbullyingothers.

Yourchildcouldbebeingbulliedifheorshe:

Comeshomewithdamagedclothing,books,orotherbelongings,orfrequentlylosesorforgetsbelongings, Hasunexplainedbruises,cuts,orscratches, Hasfewfriends, Seemsafraidtogotoschool,ridetheschoolbus,walktoschool,ortakepartincommunityactivitieswithpeers, Losesinterestinorsuddenlydoespoorlyinschool, Isfrequentlysociallyisolatedandreportsfeelinglonely, Seemssad,moody,teary,anxiousordepressedwhenhe/shecomeshomefromschool, Complainsofavarietyofphysicalailments(e.g.,headaches,stomachaches),particularlyonschooldays, Hasdifficultysleepingorcomplainsofbaddreams, Demonstratesamarkedchangeinappetite.

Yourchildcouldbebullyingothersifheorshe: Isfrequentlyargumentative, Takescontrolofsituationsquicklyandconfidently, Angerseasily, Isoftenbossy, Lacksempathy, Ispersuasivewithpeers, Wantstowin,sometimesatanycost, Enjoysroughphysicalplay, Oftenrefusestocooperate.

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DistrictComprehensivePlan:

AllDistrictstaffreceivedantibullyingtraininginAugustof2011. TheSafeandDrugFreeSchoolsstaffhasbeensupplyingtheteacherswithaquarterlybullyingupdatesincetheinitialtraining. EachmonthoneoftheCharacterTraitsusedintheCharacterLinksProgramistiedtoantibullyingissues. EachOctober,allfourCharacterTraitsfocusonantibullyingissues. InOctoberof2011and2012,thedistrictobservedtheNationalBullyingAwarenessWeek. TheNoPlaceForHateCampaignisimplementedinmostofourschools. FortBendISDBoardofTrusteespassedaresolutioninJanuaryof2011whichsupportedtheBullyingInitiative. InNovember2012,theBoardpassedanotherresolutiontoincludeCyberBullyingandthreateningmessagesthroughsocial

media

to

build

awareness

of

bullying

and

cyber

bullying.

TheVIPS(VolunteersinPublicSchools)participantsreceivebullyingpreventiontrainingandinturn,takethisinformationbacktotheirhomecampustosharewithparents.

BullyingpreventiontrainingisalsomadeavailablethroughcampusPRCs(ParentResourceCenters). ThroughtheStudentSupportServicesDepartment,manydistrictprogramsareactivelyinplacethatsupportthedistrictbullying

initiative. (formoreinformationabouttheseprograms,visitthedistricthomepage)

TalkLine,ananonymousandconfidentialtelephonehotlineforgrades612,providedthroughCrisisInterventionofHouston,Inc.,isavailable24hoursaday,365daysayear.

ParentingInterventions:

Whenyourchildreportsbeingbulliedatschool:

Listentoyourchildifshetellsyoushewasbullied. Believeher. Empathizewithher. Assurehimthatitisnothisfaultandyouaretheretohelphim. Staycalmandgatherfacts.Usefeelingwords. Tellyourchildyouwillcontacttheschool. Documenttheincidentforyourreference. Contacttheschooltoshareconcerns. Partnerwithschoolpersonneltofindasolutiontothebullying. Checkinwithyourchildtoseeifthebullyinghasended. Ifbullyingcontinues,makeanappointmentwithschoolpersonneltoshareyourconcernsandcreateanactionplantohelpyour

child. Continuetodocument.

Ifyourchildbulliesothers:

Makeitclearthatbullyingisunacceptablebehavior. Setclearrulesinyourhomewithappropriateconsequencesformisbehavior. LimityourchildsexposuretoviolenceonTVandvideogames. Acknowledgeappropriatebehaviorwithpraiseandrewards. Modelthebehavioryouexpect. Observeyourchildsdaytodaybehaviorwithotherchildren. Setclearexpectations. Supportyourchildsstrengthsandskillsbyencouraginginvolvementinactivities. Talkwithschoolpersonnelaboutyourchildsbehaviorandcreateastrategytohelpyourchildstopbullying.

Howtohelpthebulliedchild:

Maintaingoodcommunicationwithyourchild. Helpyourchilddevelophisorherstrengthsandtalents. Getyourchildinvolvedinschoolandcommunityactivities,clubsorteams. Helpyourchilddevelopfriendships. Provideopportunitiestomeetotherchildrenwhosharecommoninterests. Teachyourchildsafetystrategies:

o Howtoaskforhelpfromanadult.o Walkingwithotherpeopletoandfromschool.o Teachyourchildyourphonenumber.o Roleplaysoyourchildknowshowtoverballydefendhimselffromabully. Providethewordsheneedstostandupfor

himself.

Resources:

http://www.stopbullying.gov/ http://www.pacer.org/bullying http://www.netsmartz.org/Parents