Back 2 School: Positive encouragement amid a bullying crisis
CHICAGO (CBS) -- According to Pew Research, 46 percent of teens report being cyberbullied, while 22 percent of students are bulled during each school year.
On Wednesday, EncourageX Chief Encouragement Officer James Brown and his daughter, 8th grader Sarah Brown, joined CBS 2's Jim Williams and Marie Saavedra to talk about a platform for positive encouragement. We do want to disclose that Brown and his daughter are relatives of a CBS 2 employee.
Brown advises when it comes to bullying, or any life event with your children, remember to stay calm and to unplug – not just from technology, but from things that trigger you. Brown also advises getting away from the "FUD" cloud – that is, fear, uncertainty, and doubt.
This is the EncourageX guide for bullying, which can also be found at this link.
In This Guide:
Bullying continues to be a problem in our schools and being on the receiving end can have devastating consequences. The behavior is often repeated causing victims' self-esteem to plummet leaving both physical and emotional scars that can last a lifetime. A strong, swift response by trusted adults sends the message that bullying is not acceptable. And arming kids with the right words and reactions can help, too. Read below to learn more.
They Might Be Thinking:
- Everyone hates me.
- I am not as cool as the other kids.
- Everyone is picking on me.
- I feel helpless, hopeless and out of options.
- I don't feel safe.
- If I fight back, I might get in trouble for defending myself.
- I hate getting teased about stuff that I can't control.
- I feel sad, anxious and unable to focus on my school work.
- If I looked like everyone else (features or race), people might treat me differently.
- I am afraid of being physically attacked.
- I am afraid that my clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry will be taken.
- I feel sick all the time.
- I have lost my appetite.
- I am having difficulty sleeping and I have frequent nightmares.
- I don't feel like doing my homework, so my grades are declining.
- I don't want to go to school.
- My self-esteem is low.
- I feel like running away from home.
- I feel like hurting myself or committing suicide.
Words That Might Be Encouraging:
- I'm here to support you.
- I think you're amazing.
- If somebody's comments or actions make you feel uncomfortable, tell someone!
- How can we deal with this together?
- Keep a journal of your experiences.
- It is better to let a trusted adult know that you are being bullied, than to let the problem continue.
- Everyone deserves and is expected to be treated with respect.
- You don't deserve that treatment.
- I am happy to talk to whomever I need to speak with to make this bullying go away.
- Tell the security guard or a teacher. They must respond to your report. I will go to school to make sure something happens.
- Talk to someone you trust.
- I love you. How can I help?
- Are you okay? How does the bullying make you feel?
Words That Might Be Discouraging:
- Don't be so sensitive.
- Tattling will only make it worse.
- Just ignore the kids that are trying to bully you. They will eventually stop.
- It's just a part of growing up.
- You should just fight back.
- Just avoid them.
- All you can do is fight fire with fire.
- You're weak, and you're too scared to step up and deal with this mess on your own, so I have to step in.
- You may not start the fight, but you better finish it.
- I don't understand why you let them treat you like that.
- Just stand up to them and they'll stop.
- The more you let them continue to bully you, the longer you are going to feel this way.