If you interact with youth in your work as a volunteer or youth leader, you may be well-positioned to prevent bullying and to lend support when bullying occurs. Too often children cope with the cruelties of other youth in silence out of fear that they will suffer greater humiliation and harm if word gets out that they shared their concerns with an adult. These fears regrettably are reasonable if their confidante in doesn’t believe them, minimizes the incident, or neglects to Stop the Bullying Now!
In this Youth Advisors Corner, we hope you will:
- Learn about bullying and its effects on those who bully and who are bullied
- Be prepared by knowing how to respond if you are aware of or suspect bullying
- Learn some strategies to use to help prevent, detect and address bullying
- Begin by studying the facts about bullying to dispel the myths
The Campaign has many tip sheets and tip sheets to explain what we know about bullying taken from the latest research and proven best practice methods. Some that you may find useful are:
- Become skilled as a first-responder in dealing with problems of bullying among youth
One trusted adult who knows what signs to look for and asks the right questions can make a difference for the child victim and the perpetrator. Preventing long-term occurrences will lesson the effects and reverse destructive behaviors before they become engrained and escalate. For information on how to detect these tell-tale symptoms, review the tip sheets, Warning Signs a Child is Being Bullied and Children Who Bully.
- Consider ways to bully-proof the setting where you work, volunteer or where youth tend to gather
Specific tips for youth-serving professionals and volunteers are available:
Bullying in Out-of-School Time Programs: Tips for Youth-Serving Professionals and Volunteers
Adults working at youth centers, recreation parks, sports leagues, after school programs and summer camps can apply most of the same safeguards as schools. Visit the Educators Corner to consider what advice and ideas may apply. Here are several suggestions that may be appropriate:
- Implement proven methods of bullying prevention.
- Integrate bullying prevention themes across the curriculum.
Think creatively of ways that you can weave bullying themes into your instructions, games, and activities. Visit the Campaign’s Resource Kit to find bullying prevention books, videos, and other materials that you might use. You might find it helpful to print out our tip sheet on Tips for Selecting Materials from the Resource List.
Request a free copy of the SBN! Activities Guide which outlines ways to involve youth in building awareness about bullying within their neighborhoods and communities. Additional information on how to launch a local campaign is found in What Communities are Doing.
- Take time to listen to the concerns of youth about everyday issues related to bullying and peer relations.
Several tip sheets are available for particular settings, see if they apply to you:
|
