Bullying is more than gossip.
The following information was provided by www.stopbullying.gov:
Bullying is a widespread phenomenon that can happen anywhere and cause serious harm. It involves:
- Imbalance of Power: people who bully use their power to control or harm, and the people being bullied may have a hard time defending themselves.
- Intent to Cause Harm: actions done by accident are not bullying; the person bullying has a goal to cause harm.
- Repetition: incidents of bullying happen to the same person over and over by the same person or group.
StopBullying.gov is an official U.S. Government Web site managed by the Department of Health & Human Services in partnership with the Department of Education and Department of Justice.
Bullying is a widespread phenomenon that can happen anywhere and cause serious harm. It involves:
- Imbalance of Power: people who bully use their power to control or harm, and the people being bullied may have a hard time defending themselves.
- Intent to Cause Harm: actions done by accident are not bullying; the person bullying has a goal to cause harm.
- Repetition: incidents of bullying happen to the same person over and over by the same person or group.
StopBullying.gov is an official U.S. Government Web site managed by the Department of Health & Human Services in partnership with the Department of Education and Department of Justice.
Types of Bullying
According to www.stopbullying.gov, bullying can take many forms. Examples include:
- Verbal: name-calling, teasing
- Social: spreading rumors, leaving people out on purpose, breaking up friendships on purpose
- Physical: hitting, punching, shoving
- Cyberbullying: using the internet, mobile phones, or other digital technologies to harm others
- Verbal: name-calling, teasing
- Social: spreading rumors, leaving people out on purpose, breaking up friendships on purpose
- Physical: hitting, punching, shoving
- Cyberbullying: using the internet, mobile phones, or other digital technologies to harm others
How Your Child Can Report Bullying
A survey conducted a few years ago by our assistant principal, Mr. Hamlett, found that 75% of middle school-aged children felt they were bullied by another student throughout the academic year. From that same survey, Mr. Hamlett found that only 10% of those students actually reported the bullying incident to an adult.
We asked WCMS students what they thought was keeping the other 65% of students from reporting the incident to an adult. Responses included:
- fear the bully will find out and bully the victim even more
- fear that others will think of them as snitches or tattle-tales
- fear the bully will start picking on them (if the reporter is a bystander or witness)
- fear the bully will get in trouble because the bully is a friend (if the reporter is a bystander)
Based on these responses, the WCMS staff wanted to ensure a safe and private method for bully reports. After all, if the staff aren't made aware of and know about the situation, they don't know to help!
REPORTING METHODS
Aside from telling a teacher/adult in person, there are multiple ways a student can report the bullying incident to a WCMS adult:
1) The Black Box and Bully Box- students can write down the incident on a scratch piece of paper anonymously and slip it into the Black Box located outside the Counselor's Office or into the Bully Box located inside the Nurse's Office.
2) Staff E-mail - students can report an incident via e-mail to the principal, assistant principal, the counselor, and/or a teacher they trust.
3) Tell a Friend - friends of victims being bullied are encouraged to tell WCMS adults. Students can also tell a Student Ambassador, who is trained to report bullying
4) Parent Referral - yes, even parents can report a bullying incident! Kids may feel more comfortable talking to their own families about being bullied than to school staff.
Anytime a bullying report is made to WCMS staff, a BULLYING INCIDENT REPORT FORM will be completed and an investigation will begin. After a conclusion is determined, the forms will be kept in the files of all students involved.
Parents are encouraged to speak to their children about reporting and whether they feel comfortable utilizing these methods. Any feedback is gratefully welcomed, so please contact WCMS staff with any comments, questions, or ideas:
Mrs. Katie Row, Counselor, 636-745-7306, [email protected]
Mr. Rod Hamlett, Assistant Principal, 636-745-7302, [email protected]
Ms. Deborah Stukey, Principal, 636-745-7301, [email protected]
If you would like to report a bullying incident or provide feedback, please use the e-mail addresses listed above OR complete the Contact Form below.
We asked WCMS students what they thought was keeping the other 65% of students from reporting the incident to an adult. Responses included:
- fear the bully will find out and bully the victim even more
- fear that others will think of them as snitches or tattle-tales
- fear the bully will start picking on them (if the reporter is a bystander or witness)
- fear the bully will get in trouble because the bully is a friend (if the reporter is a bystander)
Based on these responses, the WCMS staff wanted to ensure a safe and private method for bully reports. After all, if the staff aren't made aware of and know about the situation, they don't know to help!
REPORTING METHODS
Aside from telling a teacher/adult in person, there are multiple ways a student can report the bullying incident to a WCMS adult:
1) The Black Box and Bully Box- students can write down the incident on a scratch piece of paper anonymously and slip it into the Black Box located outside the Counselor's Office or into the Bully Box located inside the Nurse's Office.
2) Staff E-mail - students can report an incident via e-mail to the principal, assistant principal, the counselor, and/or a teacher they trust.
3) Tell a Friend - friends of victims being bullied are encouraged to tell WCMS adults. Students can also tell a Student Ambassador, who is trained to report bullying
4) Parent Referral - yes, even parents can report a bullying incident! Kids may feel more comfortable talking to their own families about being bullied than to school staff.
Anytime a bullying report is made to WCMS staff, a BULLYING INCIDENT REPORT FORM will be completed and an investigation will begin. After a conclusion is determined, the forms will be kept in the files of all students involved.
Parents are encouraged to speak to their children about reporting and whether they feel comfortable utilizing these methods. Any feedback is gratefully welcomed, so please contact WCMS staff with any comments, questions, or ideas:
Mrs. Katie Row, Counselor, 636-745-7306, [email protected]
Mr. Rod Hamlett, Assistant Principal, 636-745-7302, [email protected]
Ms. Deborah Stukey, Principal, 636-745-7301, [email protected]
If you would like to report a bullying incident or provide feedback, please use the e-mail addresses listed above OR complete the Contact Form below.