Bullying Resources

from Connecticut's information line - 211

BULLYING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR and you don’t have to put up with it.

THERE IS A LAW IN CONNECTICUT TO HELP STUDENTS:

Teachers, parents and kids need to remember that Connecticut has a law that protects kids from being bullied at school. This law, Public Act 02-119, requires that each local and regional board of education develop a policy to address the existence of bullying in its schools. Each school’s policy must:

Enable students to make anonymous reports about bullying to teachers and school administrators
Enable parents or guardians of students to file written reports of suspected bullying
Require teachers and other school staff who witness acts of bullying or receive student reports of bullying to notify school administrators
Require school administrators to investigate any written or anonymous reports
Include an intervention strategy for school staff to deal with bullying.

There are other requirements – to read about this law, go to: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2002/act/Pa/2002PA-00119-R00...

So, if bullying is making you feel uncomfortable at school, or if you witness bullies making another person’s school day difficult, report it to your parents, your teachers, your guidance counselors, or your principal. You can make this report anonymously, which means you don’t have to give your name when you report the behavior.

What is Bullying?

Bullying includes a variety of behaviors, but all involve a person or group trying to take advantage of the power they have to hurt or reject someone else. These behaviors can be carried out physically (hitting, kicking, pushing), verbally (calling names, threatening, teasing, taunting, spreading rumors), or in other ways such as leaving them out of activities, not talking to them, stealing or damaging their things, making them feel uncomfortable and scared, and making faces or obscene gestures.

Bullying is also hard on kids who witness someone else being bullied because it can make them feel guilty or helpless for not standing up to the bully. If you see someone being bullied get a teacher, parent, or other responsible adult to come help immediately.

What can you do?

If a bully begins to harass you, do not let the bully see how much he or she has upset you. If at all possible, stay calm and respond firmly or else say nothing and walk away. If possible avoid situations where bullying can happen. If you can’t get the other person (or persons) to stop, don’t be ashamed to ask for help. You have the right to be treated with respect and you have the right to be protected against bullies who won’t quit.

If you or a classmate is being bullied, talk to your parents, a teacher, or a school administrator. A trusted adult can help develop a plan to end the bullying. Sometimes kids feel ashamed or embarrassed because they think they should be able to handle the problem on their own or that involving an adult will only make the situation worse. Sometimes the adults themselves become part of the problem when they blame the kid for not being able to “handle” the bullies. The truth is that every kid has a right to safety, respect, and a comfortable environment in all school settings, so please report bullies to an understanding, trusted adult.

What is Cyberbullying?

"Cyberbullying" is being cruel to others by sending or posting harmful material using the Internet or a cell phone. Some forms of cyber bullying are:

Sending abusive e-mails
Spreading mean rumors in Internet chat rooms
Nasty instant messaging
Repeated notes or calls to the cell phone
Forwarding supposedly private messages, pictures, or video to others

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Tell a trusted adult
Never open, read or respond to messages from cyberbullies
If it is school related, tell your school.
Do not erase the messages. They may be needed to take action.
If you are threatened with harm, call the police.

For more information about cyberbullying go to: www.cyberbully.org or www.cyberbullying.org

Connecticut Groups that are Fighting Bullying

CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, BUREAU OF SCHOOL AND DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT
860-807-2031 (Bullying/Harassment in schools)
860-713-6598 (Bullying prevention in schools)
The bureau has a Bullying Prevention Unit that offers workshops, training, and technical assistance to schools and other agencies working to prevent bullying. Also, parents with concerns and/or complaints about bullying in their child's school can contact the bureau for information and guidance.

Eyes on Bullying

Eyes on Bullying . . . What Can You Do? A Toolkit to Prevent Bullying In Children's Lives offers a variety of tools to help parents and other caregivers understand bullying in a new way, reexamine their knowledge and beliefs about bullying, and shape the beliefs and behaviors of the children in their care. The toolkit, created at Education Development Center, is designed especially for parents and other caregivers of preschool, school age children and youth to use in child care programs, after-school programs, youth programs and camps. The toolkit is available at http://www.eyesonbullying.org/pdfs/toolkit.pdf. All the content from the toolkit and additional information, materials, and resources are available from the Eyes on Bullying Web site at http://www.eyesonbullying.org.

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