September is near, which can only mean one thing: BACK TO SCHOOL. For some parents, it may be a big relief as the days of juggling child care, late bedtimes, and busy summer events would finally come to an end, but for others, it can be a sore spot. Bullying is prevalent wherever you go, whether it is in the workplace, school, playground, or even online. Put a stop to this. Help your child adjust to back to school by getting informed with these anti-bullying tips created by our friends at Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Myth: Only a small number of children have problems with bullying.
Fact: Research suggests that in a classroom of 35 students, between 4 and 6 children are bullying and/or are being bulliediii. Many more children observe bullying. At some point, the majority of children will engage in some form of bullying and experience some form of victimization. A small minority of children will have frequent, long-lasting, serious, and pervasive involvement in bullying and/or victimization.
Myth: Oh Canada! Canadians “too nice” to bully.
Fact: Sadly, not true! On the recent World Health Organization Health Behaviours in School-aged Children survey, Canada ranked a dismal 26th and 27th out of 35 countries on measures of bullying and victimization, respectivelyv. Our position on the international stage has slipped relative to other countries. The data suggests that other countries have been preventing bullying problems more effectively than Canada. Data confirms bullying is an important social problem for Canada.
Myth: Children who are victimized need to stand up and fight back.
Fact: Encouraging children who are victimized to fight back may, in fact, make the bullying interaction worse. We know that when children use aggressive strategies to manage bullying situations, they tend to experience prolonged and more severe bullying interactions as a result.
Myth: Bullying is a school problem.
Fact: Bullying occurs wherever young people gather (online or in person) to live, learn, or play. Bullying is a community problem, not just a school problem.
Myth: If a child or youth denies being bullied, there probably isn’t a problem.
Fact: If you suspect that a child is being bullied, you’re probably right. Children will often deny bullying out of shame or fear.
For more myths and facts about bullying, please visit Big Brothers Big Sisters’ post on bullying.
