• 18 million kids will be BULLIED in the United States this year.

That’s 1 out of every 4 children

• 3 million students are absent each month and FAKE being sick because they feel unsafe at school.

That’s 160,000 per day.

• 282,000 students are PHYSICALLY attacked in Middle Schools each month.

That’s 9,400 per day.

• 43% of kids FEAR harassment in the bathroom at school.
• More youth VIOLENCE occurs on school grounds as opposed to on the way to school.
• Child and teen bullying along with CYBER-bullying & texting are at an all time high.
• Bullying no LONGER ends when the school day ends. It now lasts all day due to advancement in technology.
• Some kids are so tormented that SUICIDE has become an alternative for them.

Warning Signs

• Lost or destroyed clothing, backpacks, electronics, or jewelry.
• A change in school grades may be noticed.
• A noticeable difference in self-esteem.
• A noticeable change in the child’s behavior (depressed, sad, disruptive, or more easily angered).
• Child may become more withdrawn.
• Eating habits may change.
• Child loses interest in things they usually enjoy.
• Child may have nightmares or difficulty sleeping
• Child may have unexplained bruises, cuts, or burns.
• Hurting self or destroying property.
• Faking an illness or sickness to stay home from school.

Bullycide is often used to describe a suicide as the result of being bullied. Suicide continues to be one of the leading causes of death for children 16 and under. According to a new study at Yale School of Medicine, new statistics show that there is a strong connection between bullying, and being bullied and suicide. Rates are on a steady rise each year.

Bullying can include various types of behavior from physical attacks, to destroying one’s personal property or clothing, verbal abuse, starting rumors, name calling, verbal attacks online as well as other forms of cyberbullying.

As bullies often prey upon the weaker subject, it is important that children maintain a good self-esteem and a sense of well-being. Having a group of 2 or 3 friends that are always together often helps in prevention. There continues to be safety in numbers.

Source: Olweus, Department of Education, Yale School of Medicine

Getting Help Now

• If your child is a victim of bullying, know that there IS help. There is immediate help for a child in crisis.

• Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at: 1-800-273- TALK (8255). This call goes to the nearest crisis center in the National network. These centers are strategically placed and provide 24-hour crisis counseling and mental health referrals.

• Most children feel if they speak up, the bullying will get worse with the bully later. Most often this is NOT the case. When bullying is reported to the proper authorities, bullying actually ceases due to high consequences, or the removal of the bully from mainstream school settings.

• When discussing the issue of your child being bullied in school, it is important to know the proper chain of command for the best results.

A. Order of resolve is: Teacher, School Counselor, Principal, School Superintendent, State Department of Education.

• If the bullying is based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or religion and the school has not resolved the issue, make contact in this order until resolved:

B. The School Superintendent, The State Department of Education, The U.S. Department of Education – Office for Civil Rights, The U.S. Department of Justice - Civil Rights Division