Good morning, everyone. Today our group will presenting a forum about bullying.

** Hi, Fui Sun, Phui Ling, Anny. Today we will discuss a topic about bullying. Before, we start to discuss about bullying, let me explain the meaning of bullying. Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems. In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive. Means: Kids who bully use their powersuch as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularityto control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people. This called Imbalance of Power. And the second one, the bullying behaviors will happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once. This called repetition. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose. Bullying can occur during or after school hours. While most reported bullying happens in the school building, a significant percentage also happens in places like on the playground or the bus. It can also happen travelling to or from school, in the youths neighborhood, or on the Internet. As we know, bullying cases have many types , right ?

PhuiLing, can you list out some types of bullying ? 1. Physical bullying Physical bullying includes any physical contact that would hurt or injure a person like hitting, kicking, punching, etc. Taking something that belongs to someone

else and destroying it would also be considered a type of physical bullying. For example, if someone was walking down the street and someone came up to them and shoved them to the ground that would be physical bullying.

2. Verbal bullying Verbal bullying is name-calling, making offensive remarks, or joking about a person's religion, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or the way they look. For example, if there was a group of kids who made fun of another kid because he couldn't run as fast as everyone else, it would be an example of verbal bullying. Verbal aggression is when a bully teases someone. It can also include a bully making verbal threats of violence or aggression against someone's personal property. Okay. Anny, do you know other types of bullying ? 3. Indirect bullying Indirect bullying is also known as emotional bullying. It is the act of an aggressor attacking a victim on an emotional level. Indirect bullying includes spreading rumors or stories about someone, telling others about something that was told to you in private, and even making statement with an intention of hurting a per sons feelings. An example would be if you started a rumor that a boy in your class likes playing with dolls, and if the reason that you made up the story was because you thought it was funny. This would be indirect bullying. 4. Cyber bullying Cyber bullying is done by sending messages, pictures, or information using electronic media, computers (email & instant messages), or cell phones (text messaging & voicemail). For instance, if you sent a picture of a snake in an email to a person because you know that they are afraid of snakes that would be an example of cyber bullying. According to a survey done in 2003 only 4% of

bullying is listed as "other types" and this would include cyber bullying. Even though this number seems small, the growth of this type of bullying is going up fast because of the spread of technology around the world. Alright. Thanks phui ling and anny sharing about the four types of bullying. Hmm, I have a doubt. Why kids involved in bullying, they often play more than one role. Fui sun, do you know about it ? Fui Sun say: Yea, i know it. Kelly say: Alright, can you share to us about how do you define the roles kids play in bully? There are many roles that kids can play. The roles kids play in bullying are not limited to those who bully others and those who are bullied. Kids can bully others, they can be bullied, or they may witness bullying. Sometimes kids may both be bullied and bully others or they may witness other kids being bullied. Some researchers talk about the "circle of bullying" to define both those directly involved in bullying and those who actively or passively assist the behavior or defend against it. Direct roles include:

Kids who Bully: These children engage in bullying behavior towards their peers. There are many risk factors that may contribute to the child's involvement in the behavior. Often, these students require support to change their behavior and address any other challenges that may be influencing their behavior.

Kids who are Bullied: These children are the targets of bullying behavior. Some factors put children at more risk of being bullied, but not all children with these characteristics will be bullied. Sometimes, these children may need help learning how to respond to bullying.

Even if a child is not directly involved in bullying, they may be contributing to the behavior. Witnessing the behavior may also affect the child, so it is important for them to learn what they should do when they see bullying happen. Roles kids play when they witness bullying include:

Kids who Assist: These children may not start the bullying or lead in the bullying behavior, but serve as an "assistant" to children who are bullying. These children may encourage the bullying behavior and occasionally join in.

Kids who Reinforce: These children are not directly involved in the bullying behavior but they give the bullying an audience. They will often laugh or provide support for the children who are engaging in bullying. This may encourage the bullying to continue.

Outsiders: These children remain separate from the bullying situation. They neither reinforce the bullying behavior nor defend the child being bullied. Some may watch what is going on but do not provide feedback about the situation to show they are on anyones side. Even so, providing an audience may encourage the bullying behavior. These kids often want to help, but they dont know how.

Kids who Defend: These children actively comfort the child being bullied and may come to the child's defense when bullying occurs.

Most kids play more than one role in bullying over time. In some cases, they may be directly involved in bullying as the one bullying others or being bullied and in others they may witness bullying and play an assisting or defending role. Every situation is different. Some kids are both bullied and bully others. It is important to note the multiple roles kids play, because:

Those who are both bullied and bully others may be at more risk for negative outcomes, such as depression or suicidal ideation.

It highlights the need to engage all kids in prevention efforts, not just those who are known to be directly involved

When referring to a bullying situation, it is easy to call the kids who bully others "bullies" and those who are targeted "victims," but this may have unintended consequences. When children are labeled as "bullies" or "victims" it may:

Send the message that the child's behavior cannot change, Fail to recognize the multiple roles children might play in different bullying situations, and

Disregard other factors contributing to the behavior such as peer influence or school climate. Instead of labeling the children involved, we should focus on the behavior. For instance:

Instead of calling a child a "bully," refer to them as "the child who bullied" Instead of calling a child a "victim," refer to them as "the child who was bullied" Instead of calling a child a "bully/victim," refer to them as "the child who was both bullied and bullied others."

So, it is important to understand the multiple roles kids play in order to effectively prevent and respond to bullying.

Alright, thanks fui sun of the sharing. As we know, the bullying cases usually happening on student or occur at schools. So, phui ling, do you know what the effect does bullying have on students and schools? Bullying doesnt involve only those doing the bullying and those being bullied. Bullying involves and affects the entire school community. The three main groups that are affected by bullying are the students who are bullied, the students who bully, and the witnesses or bystanders who see it happen.

There is some impact of bullying on the bullied students, students who bully, bystanders who witness bullying, and the impact on the school.

THE IMPACT ON BULLIED STUDENTS Students who are bullied can develop physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach pains or sleeping problems. They may be afraid to go to school, go to the lavatory, or ride the school bus. They may lose interest in school, have trouble concentrating, or do poorly academically. Bullied students typically lose confidence in themselves. They may experience depression, low self-esteem, and suicidal thoughts or they may lash out in violent ways--the most serious being school shootings.

THE IMPACT ON STUDENTS WHO BULLY Students who bully do not fare much better. Research shows that these students are more likely to get into frequent fights, steal and vandalize property, drink alcohol and smoke, report poor grades, perceive a negative climate at school, and carry a weapon. Long-term research has also shown that these students are at increased risk to commit crimes later in life. Its important to note, however, that not all students who bully others have obvious behavior problems or are engaged in rule-breaking activities. Some of them are highly skilled socially and good at ingratiating themselves with their teachers and other adults. For this reason it is often difficult for adults to discover, or even imagine that these students engage in bullying behavior.

THE IMPACT OF BULLYING ON BYSTANDERS

Students who witness bullying may also be affected. They may feel guilty for not helping, or fearful that they will be the next target. Or they may be drawn into the bullying themselves and feel bad about it afterwards. All of this may gradually change the group or classroom attitudes and norms in a harsher, less empathetic direction. THE IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL When bullying continues and a school does not take action, the entire school climate can be affected. The environment can become one of fear and disrespect, hampering the ability of students to learn. Students may feel insecure and tend not to like school very well. When students dont see the adults at school acting to prevent or intervene in bullying situations, they may feel that teachers and other school staff have little control over the students and dont care what happens to them. The effects of bullying are so devastating and profound that over the last few years many state laws against bullying have been adopted. There have also been civil suits brought against schools and school systems over bullying incidents, some with damages in the millions of dollars. It is important to realize that, like sexual harassment and racial discrimination, some forms of bullying are illegal actions. Alright, thanks phui ling of the sharing. Seem bullying is a serious issues and need to taken seriously and effective measures to prevent it must be put in place. Anny, do you have any idea or ways about how to prevent bullying cases happen ? Bullying at school can affect your child in a number of ways. Not only does it have a negative impact on the social environment, but it also creates an atmosphere of fear among students.

Bullying also impacts learning regardless of whether your child is a target of bullying or just a witness. So, the need to address bullying is significant. But schools cannot address the issue alone. Preventing bullying requires your involvement too. Here are the top 10 things parents can do to prevent bullying at school. 1. Begin at home. Talk with your child about what constitutes healthy friendships and what does not. Although research suggests that parents are often the last to know when their child is being bullied or has bullied someone else, you can break that trend by talking with your kids every day about their social lives. Ask open-ended questions about who they had lunch with, what they did at recess and what happened on the bus or on the walk home from school. 2. Learn the warning signs. Many children don't tell anyone when they have been bullied. As a result, you have to be able to recognize the possible signs that your child is being bullied. For instance, complaining about stomachaches, avoiding school activities and dropping grades are red flags that something is going on. Additionally, kids who are bullied may experience changes in mood, personality, eating habits and hygiene. 3. Instill healthy habits. Its very important to instill an anti-bullying mindset. But this includes more than just teaching your child not to hit, shove or tease other kids. Kids should learn that being critical, judgmental, making hurtful jokes and spreading rumors are also unhealthy and constitute bullying. It's also never too early to teach your kids about responsible online behavior.Cyberbullying is a big issue among kids today. 4. Empower your kids.

Give your kids tools for dealing with bullying like walking away, telling an adult or telling the bully in a firm voice to stop. You also should teach your kids how to report bullying when they witness it. Research shows that most kids feel powerless to help when they see another person being bullied. Equip them with ideas on how to handle these difficult situations. 5. Become familiar with your school's policies. It's important to have a firm grasp on how bullying is handled at your child's school. Not only will you know which person to call if something happens, but you also will have clear expectations of how the situation may be handled. 6. Report bullying incidents. Contact school personnel and ask to meet with them in person if your child is bullied. By holding a face-to-face meeting, you are demonstrating that youre committed to seeing this issue resolved. You may also want to document all bullying incidents in case the situation escalates and law enforcement or other outside sources need to be contacted. 7. Be an advocate. While it's important to voice your support for bullying prevention, it's also important to offer your time. Volunteer to work with your child's teachers or your school's guidance counselor to develop an anti-bullying program. If your school already has a program in place, offer to help when events and fundraisers are held. 8. Recruit other parents. When a lot of parents are committed to bullying prevention, a school's program will be more successful. Form a group of motivated parents to help you tackle the issue. Meet regularly to brainstorm ideas. Then, share your ideas with the appropriate school officials and offer to help implement the ideas. 9. Spend time at school.

Accept opportunities to volunteer at school functions and during the day if your schedule permits. With shrinking budgets, schools have been forced to downsize. As a result, your kids may be getting less supervision on the playgrounds and during lunch. Sometimes simply having an additional adult around is enough to deter bullying. 10. Ask the PTA/PTO to sponsor a bullying prevention program. If your school has limited funds for bullying programs, approach your school's PTA/PTO and ask for their assistance. Or, suggest a fundraiser to build awareness. Remember, bullying is not a normal part of childhood. Bullying affects everyone. But as a parent, you have the power to do something about it.

Thank you all sharing many information about bullying.