Understanding Bullying for National Bullying Prevention Month

By on Thursday, October 13th, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

WALLOWA COUNTY – (Information from Building Healthy Families) October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Now is a time to both pushes back against bullying and develop a deeper understanding of what causes bullying and harassment. Wallowa based non-profit Building Healthy Families has provided introductory information as to what to constitutes and causes bullying for both youth and adults: 

How to Define Bullying:

  • Intentional- Unwanted, aggressive behavior intended to cause harm
  • Repeated – The unwanted behavior is repeated multiple times or has the likelihood to be repeated many times.
  • Power Imbalance- Involves an imbalance of power between the target and perpetrator(s) based on a student’s real or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender, physical appearance, sex, or other distinguishing characteristics.

Bullying Can Take Many Forms

Bullying behaviors typically co-occur and include:

  • Direct – Includes, but is not limited to, verbal abuse or physical aggression
  • Indirect – Includes, but is not limited to, name calling, social isolation, defamation, and rumor spreading
  • Cyberbullying – Any type of bullying that is carried out through electronic media 

Bullying Can Have a Lasting Impact

  • Phycological – Increased prevalence of internalizing behaviors (e.g., depression and anxiety)
  • Social – damage to social relationships, marginalization, and social withdrawal
  • Physiological -increased level of stress, somatic symptoms, and feelings of distress 
  • Academic – decreased academic performance due to psychological and/or physiological symptoms and school absenteeism or school avoidance

What to do About Bullying 

For Adults:

  • Model and teach respectful behavior systematically 
  • Develop, implement, and enforce antibullying policies.
  • Use a comprehensive approach to address bullying.
  • Teach responsible use of technology.
  • Provide early support to students who may be marginalized (e.., LGBTQI2-S, religious minorities, students with disabilities).
  • Address bullying with bystanders and stress importance and responsibility to stop harassment and intimidation. 

For Youth:

  • Report instances of bullying to adults
  • Stand up to bullying if the situation is safe
  • Show kindness to ALL students.
  • Reach out to students who are being bullied.

Elkhorn Media Group