SANTA
TERESA
ANTI BULLYING MANUAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents
2
Introduction, “The Problem: Bullying”
3
What is Bullying?
4
Key Terms
5
Current School Policy
6
Interviews
8
Statistics Advice
11
Conclusion
13
Works Cited
14
Important Contact Information
15
12
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The Problem: BULLYING Bullying has become a serious problem in recent years. It can happen almost anywhere whether it is at home, school, or over the Internet. Some people believe that bullying is just a form of growing up and whether that is true or not, people need to focus on the bigger picture. Victims of bullying go through depression, low self-esteem, and other emotional problems. Bullying has taken the lives of many victims and shed the tears of loved ones. Bullying is not something to be taken lightly. Over the years, bullying has become more and more prevalent in our society. Some believe that this is due to an increased awareness and a more strongly supported campaign to prevent bullying. Others believe that this is due to our society becoming “softer� as a whole. Others may believe that kids are becoming more spoiled and are turning meaner as a result. In any case, bullying has proven to be a very real issue that we see almost anywhere, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or religion. In fact, bullying is even an issue on our Santa Teresa campus. While our school administrators and staff work hard to make our campus a sfe environment, they cannot prevent bullying all of the time. It has shown to be an issue on our campus, even if much of the bullying goes unnoticed by staff and administration. On the Santa Teresa campus, physical bullying does not seem to be too common. However, bullying still takes place in the form of cyber-bullying, verbal bullying, or indirect bullying. Furthermore, bystanders may take a role in the bullying cycle as well. All forms and contributions to bullying should be taken into account. But, there is anything to worry about! Santa Teresa staff and administration work to make this campus as safe as can be. Any bullying issues that arise will quickly be taken care of and plans for resolution will be set in place. New students that may be worried about the environment can talk to school administration for further information.
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What is Bullying? According to current ST students, bullying is when someone chooses to say or do things that make the victim feel unhappy or scared. Bullying has been around everywhere, but it seems to happen mostly in school from elementary to college. Bullying is a major deal at Santa Teresa High School. The three most common forms of bullying are verbal bullying, physical bullying, and cyber bullying. For the past two weeks ST students were given a survey that asked which one out of the three types of bullying happened most at Santa Teresa.Shockingly most of them answered cyber bullying. What is cyber bullying? Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place threw the use of electronic technology. Examples of cyberbullying include but not limited to mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or status posts on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles. A lot of kids said bullying takes place via twitter where kids my fake profiles and post embarrassing photos of others or making fun of other people based on physical appearance. Unsurprisingly, there is even an unknown twitter page where that user makes fun of other students. It is no secret that kids can be beyond cruel. Everyone has experienced bullying in some way either being the victim, bully, or the bystander. Bullying can be the little things such as body language, tone of voice, or through a disgusted glance.There are many roles that kids can play at school when bullying occurs. A kid can be bullying someone else and don’t even know it. According to us, bullying is the repeated actions of harassment of an individual or individuals with the intent to lower their self-esteem or harm them physically or emotionally. Some forms of bullying are done consciously while other forms aren’t. So what do we mean by this? It does matter what you do. Ask yourself, are you a bully? Do you like to tease or taunt other people? If you tease people, do you like to see them get upset? Do you think it's funny when other people make mistakes? You may not know you are doing it, but it is happening and itcauses unimaginable pain to that victim. If someone is hurting another person, they will not stop unless someone, either a fellow classmate or someone in authority, stands up for the victim and tells their tormentor to stop. Bullying is everyone’s problem; therefore everyone has to be part of the solution.
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Key Terms
related to bullying
Harass: to disturb persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; bother continually Empathize: to experience empathy
Perpetrate: to commit; to present, execute, or do in a poor or tasteless manner Exclude: to shut or keep out; prevent the entrance of
Retaliate: to return like for like, especially evil for evil Monitor: to watch, observe, listen to, or check Implement: put a decision, plan, agreement, etc. into effect Mediate: to settle (disputes, strikes, etc.) as an intermediary between parties Coerce: to compel by force, intimidation, or author; to dominate, control Target: to aim an attack at someone Provoke: to arouse to a feeling or action Victimize: to make a victim of
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Current School Policy At Santa Teresa High School, school administrators are already aware that bullying exists and with the collaborative effort of Ms. White and other staff members, a “No Bullying Contract” was formed. When two or more individuals are involved in any case of bullying, they are subjected to sign the contract. If for any reason the contract is broken, there will be severe consequences, which include but not limited to Saturday school and expulsion. According to administrators, the “No Bullying Contract” has proved to be useful as many of the bullying cases come to an end after all parties sign it. The contract is simply a warning for all parties involved to stop such behavior. Other than the “No Bullying Contract,” on the Santa Teresa homepage, there is an orange link that says “Stop Bullying.” This link can be found right under the login button. The link will redirect to a report bullying document and there, the reporter can tell administrators where the incident occurred, what form the bullying came in, when it happened etc. With this, administrators are notified that there is a problem and can keep an eye out or anything that catches their attention. As of lately, no one has submitted the document but Mr. Louie, the principal at Santa Teresa High, has also just put the link up and so not many students are aware that it is there. Santa Teresa also has a general rule on bullying that is summed up in four pages in the East Side Union High School District handbook. As taken directly from the handbook: • No student or group of students shall, through physical, written, verbal, or other means, harass, sexually harass, threaten, intimidate, cyberbully, cause bodily injury to, or commit hate violence against any other student or school personnel. • The Superintendent or designee may increase supervision and security in areas where bullying most often occurs. • The Superintendent or designee shall develop means for students to report threats or incidents confidentially and anonymously. • The Superintendent or designee shall notify the parents/guardians of victims and perpetrators. • Any student who engages in bullying on school premises, or off campus in a manner that causes or is likely to cause a substantial disruption of a school activity or school attendance, shall be subject to discipline.
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To the left is a screenshot of the webpage that students are directed to when they click the orange “Stop Bullying” link on Schoolloop.
To the right is a picture of the “No Bullying Contract” that is utilized by school administration to help remediate bullying tensions.
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Words from Mr. Gigliotti Q: What is Bullying to you? A: When somebody says or does something towards another individual offensive or talking to another negatively Q: How common is bullying ? A: Constantly dealing with it, very common Q: Does age make a difference ? A: Most adults understand that it comes with age "kids will be kids" says cyber bullying will decrease with age Q :Are some children more likely to be bullied than others? A: The less popular students get bullied. The ones who didn't make the team for a sport or the ones that have something wrong with them. Q: How do you feel about bullying? A: I don't like it, it doesn't do anything positive, people have token their lives because it, lowers people self esteem Q: How should bullying be dealt with? A: There is zero tolerance. It has to be up to the victim to speak up though because we can’t see everything.
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Words from Ms. Servin Q: Do you think bullying is a problem here at Santa Teresa? To what extent? Are students open about their bullying problems on campus? A: Yes, bullying exists at ST campus. Students normally are afraid to report bullying. Q: What types of bullying do you think are most prominent? Is physical, verbal, or cyber bullying more prominent? Is it a mixture? A: All forms of bullying are devastating, but in particular, cyberbullying is a growing form of bullying and difficult to see. Q: Have students ever come into the Student Family Center or to administration about bullying? A: All the time but probably not as many as they should Q :Do you think that the staff and administration adress bullying sufficiently in the classroom and across campus? A: I believe bullying needs to be adressed daily 24/7 in every classroom throughout the ST campus. Everyone (students, staff, secretaries, custodians, etc.) needs to address bullying. Q: What courses of action are usually taken to help a student struggling with bullying? A: Normally the bullies are referred to the Student Advisors, and the victim is referred to the Student Family Center. Q: In your opinion, how can the school improve awareness of bullying and consquences? A: Create your own Bullying Prevention event and pledge against bullying. Q: What advice or tips do you have for any students that are struggling with bullying? A: Report it immediately to a responsible adult.
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Words from Anonymous Student Q: Was your bully a student at Santa Teresa? What is your relationship with that person now? A: Yes, the person who bullied me is still a student here. Although the bullying stopped, we aren’t on a good relationship. We tend to avoid each other; we don’t have any type of relationship or friendship. Q: What was your bullying experience like? A: I was bullied since middle school, and it didn’t stop until the beginning of my sophomore year. There were was only one main bully at first. Then, after a few weeks, he got his friend to join him. The two of them continued to be the main bullies. Since they had the same group of friends, they made it seem like it was okay to make fun of me to their group of friends. By the end of eighth grade, I was being bullied by a group of people. I felt helpless. I didn’t know what to do. It was like they were ganging up on me. I would be teased, made fun of, talked about, etc. I could feel them talking badly about me or making fun of me behind my back as I walked by during school. In high school, it only got worse because more people thought it was okay to just make fun of me. It may seem like harmless teasing to the other people who joined in, but it hurt me because I had dealth with it for a while now and I just wanted it to go away. Finally, they moved on and focused on other things. The problem just went away slowly. I remember going home sometimes from school and seeing posts or messages online and sobbing to myself quietly. It was a rough time for me. Q: What would you recommend to other victims? A: To other victims of bullying, I would tell them to not be afraid. There are others like you, others who know what you are going through. I would tell them to seek help in a friend, a close family member, or a trusted adult. Sometimes just letting it all out and talking through it can help. Also, never lose hope. The bullying will go away; don’t let them get to you.
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Statistics Out of those surveyed... 37% believe that bullying is a problem on ST campus
45% have been bullied before
56% have witnessed bullying take place
Furthermore...
Students believe that cyber bullying is most prominent, with indirect and verbal accompanying it. Also, those that do not believe bullying is a problem on ST campus tend to have answered no when asked if they had been bullied. Most students feel safe on ST campus, regardless of whether or not they had been bullied.
The questionairre pictured above was used to survey Santa Teresa students of all grades.
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Advice:
How to Deal with Bullying It’s very important to deal with bullying and not let it ruin your life, or even someone else’s. Even though it may be easier to stand by and watch or ignore what is going on in front of you, keep in mind that if that were you, you would want someone to at least try to assist you. Try to help the victim from being intimated, scared and nervous. It may take a lot of courage, but standing up for the victim can shock the bully and possibly make him/her realize that what he/she is doing is hurting someone else. Anyone that is the victim would appreciate any type of help. Spotting bullying is very easy so do not be the spectator that watches what’s happening, be the one that helps! Bullies will feel that they can get away with it if others laugh or even just watch. Some people can go their entire life without dealing with the situation, and it can drastically affect how they live from that point on. And if someone is getting hurt physically,let an adult know what’s going on. Be kind to the kid being bullied by making sure he or she is okay. Show them you care and encourage them to talk to an adult because adults really do care. It is a serious problem that leads to many negative effects for victims, including suicide. There is a link from being bullied to committing suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. That’s why it is such a big deal to help the victimbefore it is too late. Bully-related suicide can be connected to any type of bullying, including physical bullying, emotional bullying, cyberbullying, and sexting, or circulating suggestive or nude photos or messages about a person. Bullying has negatively influenced the victims. Victims who are bullied a lot as kids grow up with low self-esteem, face depression, and all sorts of other problems. Keep in mind that what do you do “in the moment” affects other people. Some ways to handle bullying include: • Don’t let your pain show • Turn and walk away or run to remove yourself from the situation • Even though it might be difficult at times, try and look calm and confident. Bullies are always looking ways to make them feel superior and find satisfaction in the pain of others. • Stay in groups so bullies are less likely to approach you. • Try joining a club, self-defense, art, dance, or martial arts. All of these activities can help you feel more confident. • Try consulting an adult or a trusted individual who will be able to help you and give you the support you need.
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Conclusion:
Santa Teresa Bullying In conclusion Santa Teresa High does have a bullying problem. The staff and administrators here are always on the lookout for anyone who is involved in a bullying case. There are consequences for the bully and if the situation turns to physical contact, all parties involved will be handled accordingly. The best advice for anyone who is going through any form of bullying is to consult and adult and seek help. Students should not have to feel threatened on campus not go through any psychological problems that are associated with bullying. Now that students are aware of bullying as an issue on campus, the next step would be to find ways to promote “anti-bullying� and bullying prevention across the campus, through effective use of classroom rules, school-wide lessons, assemblies, announcements, etc. By actively promoting the awareness of bullying, all students should be informed and will be more cautious of their actions. Furthermore, staff and administration can look for further ways to solidy bullying policies and create set plans for remediation and therapy. Although there are already policies in place and plans that are being utilized, they should look further into the problem, such as checking in with the victim after the bullying incident, trying to see what problems the bully might have, etc. These are just some of the next steps that we can take to making our campus a safe campus for all to enjoy.
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Works Cited Anonymous. In-person interview. 11 Apr. 2014 Gigliotti, Matt. In-person interview. 7 Apr. 2014 Servin, Mary. Email interview. 4 Apr. 2014 "Suicide Prevention." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 09 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. <http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pub/youth_suicide.html>. "What Is Bullying?" Bullying UK. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://www.bullying.co.uk/generaladvice/what-is-bullying/>. "What Is Bullying." Stopbullying. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014. <http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-isbullying/>.
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Important Contact Information Associate Principal: Jesus Marron 347-6220 marronj@esuhsd.org Advisor (A-L) Laura White whitel@esuhsd.org Advisor (M-Z) Matt Gigliotti 347-6213 gigliottim@esuhsd.org
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK Safety Hotline 1-877-SAY-STOP CyberBully Hotline 1-800-420-1479
Campus Monitor Elvin Jackson 347-6233 jacksone@esuhsd.org
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