Bullying Is Not A Rite Of Passage

Bullying is not a rite of passage, and we need to help prepare our children to recognize it. 

Seventy four percent of eight to 11-year-olds say teasing and bullying happen at their school. 

6 out of 10 American Tennagers witness bullying at least once a day.

In the U.S., 160,000 students miss school each day to avoid being bullied

Kids who bully are more likely to do poorly in school, smoke and drink alcohol, or commit crimes in the future.

Two-thirds (68%) of teens text every day, half (51%) visit social networking sites daily, and 11% send or receive tweets at least once every day

The importance of educating now is so your child can be educated and prepared for situations as they grow. These stats are alarming, which reinforces why these things need to be addressed now.

The most recognized form of bullying in elementary school is physical violence – such as hitting, punching, pushing or taking another student’s belongings. However, as prevalent as physical violence is, verbal bullying is more common and can be even more damaging. It is starting younger and younger. Sometimes it can take the form of a look or gesture. Your child was taught that bullying is something that happens over and over again. This hand-roll motion is a great visual to use when asking your child if he thinks an action is bullying.

Here are some of the symptoms kids experience from being bullied for a long period of time. We need to be their advocate. These are very serious repercussions that often affect the rest of their lives.

• Low self-esteem
• Poor school performance 
• Depression 
• Social withdrawal 
• Computer avoidance or obsession
• School violence
• Cutting/self-injury
• Suicide

To read more add the Bully Issue to your MASK Library 

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