The everything parent's guide to dealing with bullies: from playground teasing to cyber bullying, all you need to ensure your child's safety and happiness

Description

Overview: Mocking. Namecalling. Physical aggression. These experiences are all forms of bullying that can wreak havoc on a child's self-esteem, safety, and general happiness. Both parents of bullied children and parents of bullies and are in a difficult situation: They want to protect their children and control their behavior without making the problem worse. Parents need a comprehensive, up-to-date guide to ensure that their children's education and quality of life are not compromised. This book helps parents learn to: Recognize the signs of bullying; Find out where bullying is taking place-at school, at a friend's house, or on the Internet; Understand the differences between bullying among boys and girls; Teach social skills and assertiveness techniques; Communicate with the parents of bullies; Get support from teachers, counselors, and other school administrators; Handle bullying situations involving children with special needs. Written by Deborah Carpenter, a social worker and assistant principal, this guide gives parents all the tools they need to recognize the problem, treat it properly, and prevent it from happening again.  Read more... Abstract: Bullying can wreak havoc on a child's self-esteem, safety, and happiness. This guide includes information to help parents learn to: find out where bullying is taking place - from school to the Internet; understand the differences between bullying among boys and girls; and, handle bullying situations involving children with special needs.  Read more... Content: Introduction -- Chapter 1: What Is Bullying? -- Definition of bullying -- History of bullying -- Facts and statistics -- Common markers of bullying -- Bullying versus normal conflict -- Why most people underestimate the impact of bullying -- Triad: the bully, the bullied, and the bystander -- Chapter 2: Types Of Bullying -- Verbal bullying -- Physical bullying -- Social, relational, and emotional bullying -- Extortion -- Direct bullying versus indirect bullying -- Cyber bullying -- Chapter 3: Types Of Bullies -- Confident -- Social -- Detached -- Hyperactive -- Bullied bully -- Bunch of bullies -- Gang of bullies -- Chapter 4: Bully -- Characteristics of a bully -- Why do some kids bully? -- Bully's role in the triad -- Stereotypical bully -- Common places bullying occurs -- Mean bully -- Meaner bully -- Meanest bully -- Chapter 5: Bullied -- Characteristics of a bullied child -- Bullied child's role in the triad -- Making of a victim: F-E-A-R -- Why me? -- Why victims don't tell -- Victim who also becomes a bully -- Chapter 6: Bystander -- Characteristics of a bystander -- Bystander's role in the triad -- Bystander roles -- Why bystanders don't tell -- Why bystanders aren't innocent -- How bystanders can stop bullying -- Chapter 7: Factors That Lead To Bullying Behavior -- Violence in the family -- Lack of a positive role model -- Violent television -- Violent video games -- Prior victim of a bully -- School failure -- Peer rejection -- School climate -- Chapter 8: Common Bullying Myths -- Myth 1: Bullying is a normal rite of passage -- Myth 2: Kids need to learn to defend themselves -- Myth 3: Children who are bullied always tell an adult -- Myth 4: People are born bullies -- Myth 5: Bullying doesn't happen at my child's school -- Myth 6: Bullies are loners with no social skills -- Myth 7: Bullying is a school problem -- Chapter 9: Warning Signs That Your Child Is Being Bullied -- Physical clues -- Psychological clues -- Educational clues -- Most likely targets -- How to respond (dos and don'ts) -- Steps to take if your child is being bullied -- Chapter 10: Consequences Of Bullying -- Physical -- Emotional -- Educational -- Short-term effects of being bullied -- Long-term effects of being bullied -- How parents can help. Chapter 11: Boy Bullies -- Boys-will-be-boys myth -- Danger of stereotypes -- Physical aggression -- Boys bullying girls -- Why boys bully other boys -- How parents can help -- Chapter 12: Girl Bullies -- Verbal bullying -- When girls get violent -- Group bullying -- Why girls bully other girls -- Good-girl persona -- How parents can help -- Ophelia project -- Chapter 13: How To Bully Proof Your Child -- Teaching social skills -- Ways to improve your child's self-esteem -- Teach your child how to be a friend -- Encourage and foster one good friendship -- Allow your child to join a group -- Enroll your child in a self-defense class -- Teach basic prevention skills -- Chapter 14: Social Skills And Assertiveness Training -- Why your child needs social-skills training -- Most essential social skills for kids -- Body language -- Voice quality -- Conversational skills -- Friendship skills -- Assertiveness skills -- Chapter 15: Parental Responsibility And Why Getting Involved Can Help Enact Change -- Fear of making the situation worse -- Embarrassed by a bullied child -- Kids beg parents not to tell -- Parents fear being seen as overprotective -- Parents want the child to stand up for herself -- Reasons why bullying should always be reported -- What works in bullying prevention? -- Chapter 16: Cyber Bullying -- Types of cyber bullying -- Why cyber bullying has become such a problem -- You can't see me, I can't see you -- Impact of cyber bullying -- Signs of cyber bullying -- Ways to protect your child -- Responding to cyber bullying -- Prevent your child from being a cyber bully -- Chapter 17: What If My Child Is A Bully? -- Signs that your child might be a bully -- Keep an open mind -- Intervention -- Teaching your child friendship and interpersonal skills -- Create more feel-good and do-good opportunities -- Engage in constructive, supervised activities and sports -- Limit exposure to violent media -- Chapter 18: Bullying Among Children With Special Needs -- Are schools protecting your children? -- Is your child vulnerable? -- New threat to kids: food-allergy taunts -- What is disability harassment? -- What you can do if it doesn't stop -- What to do if your child is being bullied -- Is legal action necessary? -- Chapter 19: When Bullying Becomes A Crime -- Do you know the law in your state? -- Directives in bullying laws -- Definition of bodily injury or threat of bodily injury -- Dealing with uncooperative school officials -- Filing a complaint -- Resolution -- Bullying prevention programs -- Chapter 20: Why Zero Tolerance Policies Don't Work -- What is a zero tolerance policy? -- Why zero tolerance actually decreases reports -- Student exclusion policies -- Bullies need intervention and positive role models -- Other misdirected policies -- What policies and programs should be implemented? -- Chapter 21: How Students, Parents, Schools, And Communities Can Work Together -- Identify the extent of the problem -- Create an awareness campaign -- Implement educational programs -- Start a peer-counseling program -- Specify classroom rules -- Practice cooperative learning activities -- Increase supervision in high-risk areas -- Whole-school policies -- Appendix A: Glossary -- Appendix B: Resources -- Appendix C: Existing anti-bullying education and prevention programs -- Appendix D: Anti-bully pledge for use in the classroom -- Index.