Bullying Over Food Allergies

Bullying Over Food Allergies | TIME.com

The Truth About Bullying

I stumbled across this infographic online over our Thanksgiving Break.  The facts and statistics about bullying are well visualized for parents and students to comprehend.  I found the most important portion of the infographic The 6 Warning Signs that your Child is Being Bullied.  After school, our children so often keep to themselves like many other teenagers do.    Sometimes they want to chat with friends on OoVoo, listen to music, or text friends until their phone breaks....  Even when they wish for this independence, be sure to keep an eye on their demeanor.   Are they retreating into their bedroom with tears in their eyes?  Are they skipping dinner?  When was the last time they had a friend over?   Please look through the warning signs, and if you have any questions, or any red flags are raised in your mind, please never hesitate to contact me.

SAFEBOOK

I found the poster above  on EducationalTechnology.com.  It is a concise, easy way for our students to understand the dangers of Facebook, and tips for their privacy settings.     The minimum age to join Facebook now is only 13 years old.  Although that seems young, I am not foolish enough to believe there are not students on Facebook that are even younger.  At such a young age, our students may not understand the ramifications of their words and or actions on Facebook.  Please go through the above poster with them and don't be afraid to check their privacy settings to be certain that they are safe.

Do Not Let Your Self-Worth Be Defined By Bullies.

The above video was passed along to me through another Waldwick teacher, and again forwarded to me from a Waldwick parent.  Please take the time to watch this video, hopefully with your children, and have an honest discussion with them.  Jennifer Livingston makes excellent points in this video about bullying behavior.  If your child hears his or her parents making insulting comments at home, chances are he or she will exhibit this language in school through learned behavior.  She also reminds us to look beyond the exteriors of others and understand that we are all truly human. 

                                                                                                                                                       I encourage everyone to please think about the e-mail/text/instant message you are about to send and the intents of your message.  Ask yourself, “Is this message going to cause a positive or a negative reaction to the recipient?”   Before you make a joke at another person’s expense, ask yourself, “Is the laughter of others truly worth hurting someone else’s self-esteem?” 

October is National Anti-Bulling Month.  Here in N.J., more specifically, October 1st - October 5th is the Week of Respect.  Please use the above video to create conversation with your children or students.  And please pass Mrs. Livingston’s message along to them: “Do not let your self-worth be defined by bullies.”