Page 16 - Indulge August/September 2016
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BULLYING:
KNOW THE
WARNING
SIGNS
By Patrick O’Donnell
16 | INDULGE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 GKY. IWSU. GHY. IWKU. WTD. YWD. herself, that the world would be a for Hate, which “aims to reduce bias
better place without her,” her mother and bullying, increase appreciation
Do you know what those acronyms was quoted in a Morning Call report. for diversity and build communities
stand for? Would you even look twice of respect.” However, a 2013 study
if you saw them in a child’s text “Everyone needs an advocate,” from researchers at the University
messages or on a social media page? Cerullo says. “Unfortunately, even when of Texas at Arlington found such
it’s reported it’s often ignored, so [the programs may actually exacerbate the
If you’re a parent or an educator, children] lose trust. Or they fear the problem by educating bullies. “The
you should. They’re examples pulled retaliatory factor: ‘If I say something, students become highly exposed to
straight from the new frontier of an age- I’m going to get it worse … This is what a bully is and they know what
old problem: bullying. especially true in the LGBT community.” to do or say when questioned by
parents or teachers,” says the study’s
Here they are again, spelled out: So what can a parent do? “What lead author, Seokjin Jeong, on the
Go kill yourself. I will shoot you. Go you’re going to look at is the first sign university’s website.
hang yourself. I will kill you. Want to of emotional trauma,” he says. “They
die. You will die. come home and they are withdrawn. That puts even more pressure on
“Just like drug dealers, kids have Maybe they were involved in karate or the parents to not only identify the
their own language,” says Claudio dance and don’t want to be involved signs of bullying, but to advocate for
Cerullo, founder of Teach Anti anymore. Parents need to ask, ‘What their child, document abuse and report
Bullying Inc. Understanding that is going on that makes you want to problems to the school.
language, he says, is a critical piece not be involved?’ Is their academic
of the anti-bullying puzzle. “The performance declining? It’s often “Document all the time,” Cerullo
problem today is cyber bullying: because they’re not concentrating on says. “Write an e-mail, so there is a
destruction through Snapchat, school, they’re focusing on the bullying. ‘paper’ trail. Take a snapshot of any
Instagram, Facebook — even things We need to look at those signs, those texts … there has to be a degree of
that are hidden from parents.” social symptoms. We have to talk more monitoring. Centralize that computer —
Bullying is a serious but often- repeatedly to our children.” make sure it’s not locked in their room.
ignored problem, with consequences Monitor that cellphone.”
that can be deadly. Just look at the Cerullo also cautions parents to
headlines: “12-year-old boy committed keep an eye on seemingly innocent And what if you know a child who
suicide after being bullied for being a gaming devices, like the Nintendo Dsi, is the bully? “Help the victim first,
cheerleader,” says one from ABC 13 that can be used to text and take certainly, but we have to support the
News. “Teen kills himself after being pictures. “We had a case in which bully, too — they have intrinsic issues.
bullied, heartbroken mother pleads kids took pictures in a lavatory of a girl Maybe it’s drug or alcohol abuse at
‘don’t let anyone be treated like my and then exposed her to kids on the home, or a divorce. Children aren’t
son,’” says another from Fox Now 6. playground. Parents don’t realize this born into this world as a bully; the
Locally, a Wind Gap Middle School stuff can, and does, happen.” pediatrician doesn’t say, ‘Here’s your
student took her life in 2014 after deviant child.’ The key is that parents
what her mother described as repeated To combat bullying, many schools must say, ‘yes my child is a bully,’ and
bullying. “She was also told to go kill have turned to programs like the get them help.”
Anti-Defamation League’s No Place
KNOW THE
WARNING
SIGNS
By Patrick O’Donnell
16 | INDULGE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 GKY. IWSU. GHY. IWKU. WTD. YWD. herself, that the world would be a for Hate, which “aims to reduce bias
better place without her,” her mother and bullying, increase appreciation
Do you know what those acronyms was quoted in a Morning Call report. for diversity and build communities
stand for? Would you even look twice of respect.” However, a 2013 study
if you saw them in a child’s text “Everyone needs an advocate,” from researchers at the University
messages or on a social media page? Cerullo says. “Unfortunately, even when of Texas at Arlington found such
it’s reported it’s often ignored, so [the programs may actually exacerbate the
If you’re a parent or an educator, children] lose trust. Or they fear the problem by educating bullies. “The
you should. They’re examples pulled retaliatory factor: ‘If I say something, students become highly exposed to
straight from the new frontier of an age- I’m going to get it worse … This is what a bully is and they know what
old problem: bullying. especially true in the LGBT community.” to do or say when questioned by
parents or teachers,” says the study’s
Here they are again, spelled out: So what can a parent do? “What lead author, Seokjin Jeong, on the
Go kill yourself. I will shoot you. Go you’re going to look at is the first sign university’s website.
hang yourself. I will kill you. Want to of emotional trauma,” he says. “They
die. You will die. come home and they are withdrawn. That puts even more pressure on
“Just like drug dealers, kids have Maybe they were involved in karate or the parents to not only identify the
their own language,” says Claudio dance and don’t want to be involved signs of bullying, but to advocate for
Cerullo, founder of Teach Anti anymore. Parents need to ask, ‘What their child, document abuse and report
Bullying Inc. Understanding that is going on that makes you want to problems to the school.
language, he says, is a critical piece not be involved?’ Is their academic
of the anti-bullying puzzle. “The performance declining? It’s often “Document all the time,” Cerullo
problem today is cyber bullying: because they’re not concentrating on says. “Write an e-mail, so there is a
destruction through Snapchat, school, they’re focusing on the bullying. ‘paper’ trail. Take a snapshot of any
Instagram, Facebook — even things We need to look at those signs, those texts … there has to be a degree of
that are hidden from parents.” social symptoms. We have to talk more monitoring. Centralize that computer —
Bullying is a serious but often- repeatedly to our children.” make sure it’s not locked in their room.
ignored problem, with consequences Monitor that cellphone.”
that can be deadly. Just look at the Cerullo also cautions parents to
headlines: “12-year-old boy committed keep an eye on seemingly innocent And what if you know a child who
suicide after being bullied for being a gaming devices, like the Nintendo Dsi, is the bully? “Help the victim first,
cheerleader,” says one from ABC 13 that can be used to text and take certainly, but we have to support the
News. “Teen kills himself after being pictures. “We had a case in which bully, too — they have intrinsic issues.
bullied, heartbroken mother pleads kids took pictures in a lavatory of a girl Maybe it’s drug or alcohol abuse at
‘don’t let anyone be treated like my and then exposed her to kids on the home, or a divorce. Children aren’t
son,’” says another from Fox Now 6. playground. Parents don’t realize this born into this world as a bully; the
Locally, a Wind Gap Middle School stuff can, and does, happen.” pediatrician doesn’t say, ‘Here’s your
student took her life in 2014 after deviant child.’ The key is that parents
what her mother described as repeated To combat bullying, many schools must say, ‘yes my child is a bully,’ and
bullying. “She was also told to go kill have turned to programs like the get them help.”
Anti-Defamation League’s No Place
