At Deer Point Elementary we take bullying very seriously. We will never knowingly allow bullying to occur or turn our heads when someone needs help with a bullying situation. However, it has become increasingly difficult to decipher what behavior is bullying and what behavior is not. As a school we are dedicated to not only your child's safety, but also accurately understanding what is occurring. The following article discusses the differences between behaviors that are rude, mean, and bullying.
We live in a world of buzzwords, social pressure, and momentum. As the pendulum of behavior interventions is focused on saving people from being bullied, the social momentum has made bullying one of those buzzwords. It is a good thing that bullying is getting all this attention, but that dreaded "B" word is unfortunately used every time one student exhibits negative behavior towards another student. It is very important that we, as adults, set the tone and draw a distinction between rude, mean, and bullying behaviors.
Rude = Inadvertently saying or doing something that hurts someone else. These behaviors are not purposeful but are more due to a lack of social understanding and poor manners. These behaviors are spontaneous and often thoughtless.
Mean = Purposefully saying or doing something to hurt someone once (or maybe twice). The main distinction between "rude" and "mean" behavior has to do with intention; while rudeness is often unintentional, mean behavior very much aims to hurt or depreciate someone.
Bullying = Intentionally aggressive behavior, repeated over time, that involves an imbalance of power (this definition is in line with the Bay District Schools definition).
Improperly labeling a behavior as bullying is a disservice to those who are truly being bullied. Also, we are at risk of improperly labeling kids as being bullies and affecting the "perpetrators" for life. The word is reaching a point of over-saturation and we are at risk of becoming desensitized to it. Let's set the tone for our kids, parents, and community. The best way to make positive change is to educate others. Thank you for all that you do. This information is part of a larger article and the link is below. If you have any questions about this please feel free to contact me.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/signe-whitson/bullying_b_2188819.html
We live in a world of buzzwords, social pressure, and momentum. As the pendulum of behavior interventions is focused on saving people from being bullied, the social momentum has made bullying one of those buzzwords. It is a good thing that bullying is getting all this attention, but that dreaded "B" word is unfortunately used every time one student exhibits negative behavior towards another student. It is very important that we, as adults, set the tone and draw a distinction between rude, mean, and bullying behaviors.
Rude = Inadvertently saying or doing something that hurts someone else. These behaviors are not purposeful but are more due to a lack of social understanding and poor manners. These behaviors are spontaneous and often thoughtless.
Mean = Purposefully saying or doing something to hurt someone once (or maybe twice). The main distinction between "rude" and "mean" behavior has to do with intention; while rudeness is often unintentional, mean behavior very much aims to hurt or depreciate someone.
Bullying = Intentionally aggressive behavior, repeated over time, that involves an imbalance of power (this definition is in line with the Bay District Schools definition).
Improperly labeling a behavior as bullying is a disservice to those who are truly being bullied. Also, we are at risk of improperly labeling kids as being bullies and affecting the "perpetrators" for life. The word is reaching a point of over-saturation and we are at risk of becoming desensitized to it. Let's set the tone for our kids, parents, and community. The best way to make positive change is to educate others. Thank you for all that you do. This information is part of a larger article and the link is below. If you have any questions about this please feel free to contact me.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/signe-whitson/bullying_b_2188819.html