Page 43 - Suburban Living Fuquay-Varina

It’s All About the KIDS!EVERY STUDENT IN YOUR HOME O SHOULD READ THIS ARTICLE!ne out of four kids are bullied in school. Bullying is a real or perceived It is important to implement imbalance of power resulting in an aggressive or unwanted behavior. preventative measures whenThe behavior must be repeated or have the potential to be repeated over time. Bullied children are not the only ones affected by these actions; bullies themselves may have serious lasting problems resulting from these behaviors. (1) 160,000 students stay home from school each day because of bullying.Bullying looks different for every student. Physical bullying, perhaps most common in our minds, involves hurting someone’s body or possessions. This can include hitting, spitting, or taking someone’s possessions. Verbal bullying can include teasing, name-calling, or threats. Social bullying involves leaving someone out on purpose, spreading rumors, or embarrassing someone in public. Bullying does not only occur during school hours and is often not reported to adults. Bullying can happen on the playground, the bus, traveling to and from school, and even online.Cyberbullying is quickly becoming an issue as more teens are texting and emailing, on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and in internet chat rooms. Thirty percent of middle schoolers have been cyberbullied at least twice in the past month.By Amanda Speersharing in class,service projectsin the communityand various teambuilding events.“Having students work together to accomplish a goal allows them to see the commendable qualities in each other which can lead to mutual appreciation and respect” states 7th Grade math teacher at Wake Christian Academy Philip Larson.Wake County Public School System has a no bullying policy within their school system and strives to build a safe, supportive school climate for all students. For more information, visit www.wcpss.net/ parents/bullying.html.Principal Jonathan Enns from Fuquay-Varina High School said that they use Policy 6414 when governing bullying in the school. Here’s how it reads:6414 HARASSMENT/BULLYINGIt is the priority of the Wake County Board of Education to provide every student and employee in the school system with a safe and orderly learning and working environment. To this end, the Board specifically prohibits harassing or bullying behavior at all levels: between students, between employees and students, between peers or coworkers, between supervisors and subordinates, or between non-employees/volunteers and employees and/or students. This policy is in addition to Board Policy 2320/3035/4035/6415 - Sexual Harassment.Students are expected to comply with the behavior standards established by Board Policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Employees are expected to comply with Board Policy and school system regulations. Volunteers andThe consequences of bullying are high. Victims of bullying report an increase in depression, anxiety, headaches or stomach aches, and poor performance in school. Bullies are subject to substance abuse, academic problems and continuing patterns of violence. In fact, children who bully by age 8 are four times as likely to have a criminal record by the time they turn 30. (2)One in 10 students drop out of school due to repetitive bullying. How can bullying be stopped? North Carolina is one of 49 states that has implemented anti-bullying rules in school. Enforcing these rules, detection and diffusion of bullying situations are key. Parents, Teachers, and school staff must be active in working together to stay vigilant for signs of bullying.www.suburbanlivingmag.comSuburban Living Fuquay-Varina | Page 41it comes to bullying. Training students and teachers on taking responsibility for their actions, show compassion to others, admit wrong, and deal appropriately with conflicts are key to conflict resolution. There are also many local resources when dealing with bullying. While bullying is not a new problem, some local schools such as Wake Christian Academy are trying to address the problem through a proactive program that strengthens student interaction by