October is the month for scary things…from ghouls and goblins and witches to bullying…
October is the month the US celebrates its “scary” holiday, Halloween. We dress our children as ghouls, goblins, superheroes, or storybook characters and take them to haunted houses or trick-or-treating.
Did you know that October is also Bullying Awareness Month?
Bullying is scary also and affects adults as well as children. The American Osteopathic Association conducted an online study and found that 31% of adult respondents stated they had been bullied as adults. Also, 43% of American adults believe that bullying behavior has become more accepted during the past year.
How can everyone, children and adults alike, prevent and cope with bullying?
First, no one should be mean to anyone else.
- Stop and think before you say or do something that could hurt someone.
- If you feel like being mean to someone, find something else to do. Play a game, watch TV, or talk to a friend.
- Talk to someone you trust. They can help you find ways to be nicer to others.
- Keep in mind that everyone is different. Not better or worse. Just different.
- If you think you have bullied someone in the past, apologize. Then everyone feels better.
Second, if someone has bullied or is bullying you, what should you do?
- Look at the person bullying you and tell him or her to stop in a calm, clear voice. You can also try to laugh it off. This works best if joking is easy for you. It could catch the person bullying you off guard.
- If speaking up seems too hard or not safe, walk away and stay away. Don’t fight back. When you get to a safe place, find someone who can help you stop this, like a police officer or a teacher.
Cyberbullying has become scary.
It can be more difficult to protect yourself from this type of bullying.
- Always think about what you post on the internet. You never know what someone will forward. Being kind to others online will help to keep you safe. Do not share anything that could hurt or embarrass anyone.
- Keep your password a secret from others. Even people who seem like friends could give your password away or use it in ways you don’t want.
- Think about who sees what you post online. Complete strangers? Friends? Friends of friends? Privacy settings let you control who sees what.
- Talk to someone you trust about any messages you get or things you see online that seem scary or make you feel sad. If it is cyberbullying, report it.
- Keep your family members in the loop. Tell them what you’re doing online and who you’re doing it with. Let them friend or follow you. Listen to what they have to say about what is and isn’t okay to do.
Political bullying is unacceptable also!
This new kind of bullying is the worst kind to deal with because often the bully does not identify himself or herself. The police deal best with this kind of threat.
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There is never a reason to tolerate any kind of bullying.
So let’s all deal with bullying!
Let the encouraging words in these near a river posts help you
soar like an eagle above life’s storms.
