ECS is a No Bully Zone!
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Elkhart Community Schools is a bully-free zone, providing students with a comfortable and safe learning environment. The district uses the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program to teach students appropriate behavior in school hallways, classrooms, playgrounds, lunchrooms, and other areas that students congregate.
Our students are also taught appropriate ways to respond to a bully, and how to help a classmate that is being bullied.
As a service to students, parents, and the ECS community, the district
provides a "Bully Free Hotzone" to respond quickly to questions or concerns about bullying or to request school or group training in the Olweus Bully Prevention methods. |
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To report actual incidents of bullying, including theats, students and parents, can log on http://report.sprigeo.com/district/elkhart-community-schools Users should provide as much detail about the incident as possible, including names of victims, bullies, and witnesses, date, time, and location of the incident, and what types of bullying occured. The report will be sent diretly to the school administrator at the building where the bullying took place. A copy of the report will be sent to Mary Yoder Holsopple, the district's bullying prevention coordinator.
What is Bullying?
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A student is being bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more students. Bullying implies an imbalance in power or strength.
Bullying can take forms such as:
- Hitting or punching (physical bullying)
- Teasing or name calling (verbal bullying)
- Intimidation through gestures, social exclusion, threats, or spreading rumors (indirect bullying)
- Sending insults by e-mail, Web, or text messaging (cyber bullying)
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Elements of Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
- Develop school rules against bullying.
- Post and discuss these bully rules.
- Incorporate bully themes into the curriculum.
- Teach appropriate intervention strategies to empower bystanders.
Increase supervision in "hot spots" for bullying.
Intervene on the spot when bullying occurs.
Use consistent positive and negative consequences.
Hold follow-up discussions for bullies and students who are bullied.
Share information with staff.
Involve parents of the students involved.
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Goals of Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
- Reduce existing bully/victim problems among school children.
Prevent the development of new bully/victim problems.
Improve peer relations.
Improve school climate. |
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Mary Yoder Holsopple is
the bully prevention
coordinator for Elkhart
Community Schools. |
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Bullying Briefs
- Students in the fourth grade report the highest number of bullying incidents.
- Kids are less likely to be bullied if they have friends.
Girls are more likely to report being bullied through social exclusion, rumor spreading, and sexual comments. Boys are more likely to report being physically bullied. Both boys and girls report being involved in verbal and relational bullying.
- Boys who were identified as bullies in middle school were four times as likely to have three or more criminal convictions by age 24 as their non-bullying peers.
- Victims of bullying have higher rates of anxiety and depression, and lower self-esteem, even as adults.
- Bullying has been linked with serious school violence, shootings, and hazing incidents.
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What to Do If Your Child Witnesses Bullying
- Teach your child how to get help without getting hurt.
- Encourage your child to verbally intervene if it is safe to do so by saying such things as "Cool it! This isn't going to solve anything."
- Tell your child not to cheer on or even quietly watch bullying. This only encourages a child who bullies--who wants to be the center of attention.
- Help your child support others who tend to be bullied.
- Teach your child to include these children in activities.
- Praise and reward "quiet acts of courage"--where your child tried to do the right thing to stop bullying, even if he or she was not successful.
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What to Do if Your Child is Being Bullied
Never tell your child to ignore the bullying.
Don't blame your child for the bullying. Don't assume your child did something to provoke it.
Allow your child to talk about his or her bullying experiences. Write down what is shared.
Empathize with your child. Tell him or her that bullying is wrong, that it is not his or her fault, and that you are glad he or she had the courage to tell you about it.
If you disagree with how your child handled the bullying situation, don't criticize him or her. It is often very difficult for children to know how best to respond.
Do not encourage physical retaliation.
Check your emotions. A parent's protective instincts stir strong emotions. Although it is difficult, step back and consider the next steps carefully.
Contact a teacher, school counselor, or principal at your school immediately and share your concerns about the bullying that your child experienced.
Work closely with school personnel to help solve the problem.
Encourage your child to develop interests and hobbies that will help build resiliency in difficult situations like bullying.
Encourage your child to make contact with friendly students in his or her class, or help your child meet new friends outside of school.
Teach your child safety strategies, such as how to seek help from an adult.
If you or your child need additional assistance, seek help from a school counselor and/or mental health professional.
** The above information provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The Elkhart Way, a monthly newsletter for ECS staff members
The Elkhart Way archive |
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