What Schools and Parents Need to Do About Bullying, by Dr. Brad Schwall

To view the web version of this e-mail and download a PDF of the tips to share, go to:  http://www.coolkidschannel.com/parentingtips/stop_bullying

Schools and parents need to do more than just react to bullying when it happens. Preventing bullying and creating a culture of respect requires an ongoing emphasis on the development of a number of social and emotional skills. A lack of supervision and equipment that encourages positive social interaction at recess in the lower grades and a lack of supervision of the online activities of older children are examples of risk factors that can lead to bullying.  By being proactive, parents, guardians, and educators can help reduce the risk factors that lead to bullying.

Parents and guardians: If your child is struggling socially, offer help. If your child is treating others meanly, give direction.

Schools: Prevent bullying by affirming positive behavior. Build on the successes of students who are respectful. Help all students find their place in the school and encourage respect for differences.  Equip students with social and emotional skills for succeeding in academics and life rather than just dealing with bullying as a special emphasis.

What Schools and Parents Need to Do About Bullying

• Create a culture of respect
• Start young - teach children how to give respect and accept differences from an early age
• Focus on teaching social and emotional skills that encourage respect - model and encourage respectful actions and words
• Focus on teaching social and emotional skills that encourage resilience - guide children to learn to problem-solve and deal with feelings
• Teach skills for developing empathy
  
• Teach skills for building and maintaining friendships
• Set limits and establish consequences on bullying
• Instill values
• Teach ways to build friendships and social status without hurting others
• Intervene quickly when problems begin
• Be in tune with children and overall class climate
• Supervise unstructured time during the school day and establish clear guidelines for interaction and conflict resolution during these periods
• Supervise the online activity of youth
  

Cool Kids provides school counselors and teachers with lessons, videos, activities, and handouts to use in guidance lessons and advisory periods to teach social and emotional skills for dealing with bullying, dealing with disagreements, handling emotions, having confidence, handling peer pressure, being responsible, and setting goals.

The Cool Rules taught in the Cool Kids videos, lessons, and handouts that prevent and address bullying are "Give Respect," "Stay Cool," "Work it Out," and "Be Confident."  The lessons with videos included in the Cool Kids curriculum that address bullying are "Dealing with Bullying," "Respecting Peers, Classmates, and Teammates," "Being Confident," "Respecting Differences," "Dealing with Feeling Sad," "Introduction to the Cool Rules," and "Dealing with Disagreements."