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Bullying
is a form of violence prevalent in many schools today.
If undetected and untreated, a life of fear and anxiety can harm
students physically, emotionally, and academically. Research shows that bullying reaches its peak in both
frequency and severity during middle school (6-8 grades). The main
focus of the program is creating a school climate that feels safe and
secure for all school community. The
objective is to give students practical tools not only to avoid
victimization but to stop others. The
lessons are made to foster thoughtful dialogue among students about
difficult social decisions.
The acronym “HA HA SO”
will provide students with strategies to avoid bully victimization.
Help – Seek assistance from
an adult, friend, or peer when a potentially threatening situation or
when other strategies aren’t working.
Assert yourself – Make
assertive statements to the bully, addressing your feelings about the
behavior.
Humor – Use humor to
de-escalate a situation.
Avoid – Walk away or avoid
certain places in order to avoid a bullying situation.
Self talk – Use positive
self talk to maintain positive self-esteem.
Own it – “Own” the
put-down or belittling comment in order to defuse it.
The acronym “CARE”
will provide students with strategies to help intervene someone being
bullied.
C: Creative
problem-solving. “You’ve
been giving Johnny a hard time. Tell
me something
you actually like about him.”
A: Adult
help. Find an adult if
someone might get hurt. Telling
to protect someone is different from tattling to hurt someone.
R: Relate
and join. “My clothes
never seem to match, either. Some
of us just don’t have any fashion sense.
It’s kind of funny. But,
know matter what, we don’t make fun of other people at this school!”
E: Empathy.
“You shouldn’t say that about Jane.
I’d be hurt if you said that about me.”
Dr.
Michele Borba, a leading authority in the field of Building Moral
Intelligence, has Seven Essential Virtues:
Please feel free to search the Web Sights below to help
gather any information
At her web sight (WWW.MORALINTELLIGENCE.COM),
is a wealth of knowledge and in-sights.
Below is a list of Internet links she highly suggests concerning
this matter:
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