1. Saugus Public Schools:
Bullying in Schools
"A person is bullied when he or she is
exposed, repeatedly and over time, to
negative actions on the part of one or more
other persons, and he or she has difficulty
defending himself or herself."

2. What Is Bullying?
 There are three aspects that define bullying:
 Bullying is aggressive behavior that involves
unwanted, negative actions.
 Bullying involves a pattern of behavior
repeated over time.
 Bullying involves an imbalance of power or
strength.

3. What is Cyber-Bullying?
 Is when the Internet, cell phones or other devices
are used to send or post text or images intended
to hurt or embarrass another person
 Examples of ways kids are bullied online:
 Sending someone mean or threatening
emails, instant messages, or text messages
 Excluding someone from an instant messenger
buddy list or blocking their email for no reason
 Tricking someone into revealing personal or
embarrassing information and sending it to others

4. What is Cyber-Bullying? (cont.)
 Breaking into someone's email or instant
message account to send cruel or untrue
messages while posing as that person
 Creating websites to make fun of another
person, such as a classmate or teacher
 Using websites to rate peers as
prettiest, ugliest, etc.

5. Reasons Kids Bully
 It is a learned behavior
 They were bullied, or are being bullied
 Want to feel superior to others
 Want attention
 Think it will make them popular, or fit in
 Try to scare others to hide their feelings
(might be scared about something)

6. Reasons Kids Bully – (cont.)
 Pick on someone so they won’t get picked
on first.
 They are unhappy and take out their
unhappiness on someone else.
 Feel a need to control others
 Feel a need to win
 May be jealous of the person they are
bullying

7. Identifying Bullies
There is no one single cause of bullying among children. Rather
individual, family, peer, school, and community factors can place
a child at risk for bullying his or her peers.
Characteristics of Children Who Bully:
 May witness physical and verbal violence or
aggression at home.
 View violence in a positive way
 May be impulsive, hot-headed, and dominant.
 Have trouble following the rules
 Show little or no concern for the feelings of others.
 Easily frustrated

8. Identifying the Kids Being Bullied
 Children who are bullied tend to be:
 Sensitive
 Socially withdrawn (possibly low self-
esteem or a quiet temperament)
 Anxious
 Passive (letting others be in control and
won’t stand up for themselves)
 More likely to get depressed

9. Identifying the Kids Being Bullied –
(cont.)
 Signs A Child is Being Bullied:
 Poor Sleep
 Unexplained Bruises
 Making up excuses not to go to school
 “Lose” items frequently
 Not speak or show fear when certain
people or situations are mentioned
 Suddenly receive lower grades or
develop learning problems
 Talk about suicide

10. How Parents Can Help Prevent
Bullying
 Take your child’s actions seriously.
 Involve the child’s teachers, school
administrators, and school counselors
 Talk to your child about the importance of
understanding the feelings of others.
 Supervise your child’s activities.
 Be a good role model.
 Praise your child for kinds words or deeds.

11. Bullying:
Prevention/Intervention
Saugus Public Schools:
 Seamless program from K-12
 Educationally compliant
 Creates an awareness of support
 Updated with legislation
 Proactive!

12. Bullying:
Prevention/Intervention
Elementary School Students
• Second Step Program
• 20-in-20
• Current Events
• Self-Esteem Tools
• Prevention Methods

13. Bullying:
Prevention/Intervention
Belmonte Middle School
 A Kids-to-Kids Prevention Project.
 Jonathan W. Blodgett Essex District Attorney.
 Students participated and presented a skit which
included the Bully, Victim, and Bystander created by
Peer Mediators.
 Goal of Program: a better awareness of bullying and
realizing peers have the power to stop bullying.

14. Making 5th Graders Aware of Bully
Prevention in Middle School
“Thank You for
Flushing My Head
in the Toilet”
Play about Bullying
presented at 5th
Grade Orientation.

15. Helping Kids Identify and
Report Bullying
Three Types of Bullies:
 Physical– deliberate
hitting, kicking, pushing.
 Verbal- insults, name calling, deliberate
comments, cell phones, texting.
 Indirect-alienation, excluded, spreading
rumors.

16. Helping Kids Identify and
Report Bullying
What To Do:
 Talk to school administrators, guidance
counselors, or teachers.
 Allow kids to explain what is going on .
 Allow kids to write down their side of the
story.
 Allow kids to identify feelings surrounding
bullying.
 Counselor intervention to help manage anger.

17. Red Ribbon Week
Drug and Alcohol Awareness
Slogan Dress Up, “Put A Lid on Drugs.”
Door Decorating Contest, “Don’t Do Drugs, Wear Uggs.”
Guidance Counselor Presentations in Classrooms.
Bullying Prevention
Decision Making Skills
Peer Pressure
Camfell Productions, three screen multimedia
presentation.

18. The Buzz
on
Bullying
 Quarterly newsletters to enhance
parent communication about
bullying.
 Workshops attended by
Guidance Counselors to stay
informed and current on
addressing student bullying
issues.
 Websites that keep parents and
students informed.

19. “The
Revealers”  Three assemblies for grades 6, 7
and 8,where students were able to
by Doug Wilhelm hear the authors real life
experiences.
 Poster Contest, Small group
discussion with the author.
 Interdisciplinary
curriculums, including lessons in
English, Developmental Reading
and Instructional Technology.
 Anti-bullying Public Service
Announcement was created by
teacher and students.

20. Healing
Abuse Bullying Prevention Curriculum
Two Day Program sponsored by
for
Working HAWC.
Major Topics:
Day 1:
Change Bullying, harassment, skill
building, assertiveness, empathy, ri
ghts, communication, good friends
and role plays.
School Based Youth
Day 2: Cyber-bullying and internet
Violence Prevention safety, bystander action.
Coordinator
Patrick Donovan

21. SHS Harassment Course
Taught from a legal perspective-
 Sources of curriculum materials include
Essex County D.A.’s office and legal
centers, law offices
 Freshmen course: two weeks in length
 Saugus Police presentation
 Classroom resources include printed and
audiovisual materials
 Student research project
 SHS Peer Mediation Presentation

22. SHS Harassment Course (cont.)
 Your Civil Rights and
Harassment, Bullying, Discrimination
 Terminology regarding Civil Rights
 Examples of Civil Rights Cases from past
to present
 Current Cases in the Media Regarding
Young People and Bullying, Harassment
 Statistics on Bullying in High Schools

23. SHS Harassment Course (cont.)
 Recognizing Harassment/Bullying and other Civil
Rights Violations at school
 Social aspects of Harassment, Bullying:
- why people don’t report it
- what students can do: prevention tools
 how students can support others who are
bullied/harassed
 Reporting Harassment/Bullying at School: -
steps of action for students -
administrative follow-up
 Resources for Students on
Bullying, Harassment, Civil Rights

24. The District’s Commitment…
Bullying in the school building, on
school grounds, on the bus or school
sanctioned transportation, or at
school-sponsored functions will not
be tolerated!