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The Session: Help for Bullying
Psalm 138:7, “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.”
First, let’s define bullying. Tom, how do you feel about this, from www.stopbullying.gov: Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior by one person or group toward another, involving a real or perceived power imbalance, and repeated over time.
In today’s world, bullying is not just physical, but psychological, and on-line. Links to some of what we share are included in the notes below.
2019 statistics
Between 1 in 4 and 1 in 3 U.S. students say they have been bullied at school. Many fewer have been cyberbullied.
- In one large study, about 49% of children in grades 4–12 reported being bullied by other students at school at least once during the past month, whereas 30.8% reported bullying others during that time.
- Defining "frequent" involvement in bullying as occurring two or more times within the past month, 40.6% of students reported some type of frequent involvement in bullying, with 23.2% being the youth frequently bullied, 8.0% being the youth who frequently bullied others, and 9.4% playing both roles frequently.
2024 statistics WHERE ARE THEY?
The Monique Burr Foundation for Children is an organization that offers evidence-based bullying prevention and education programs. They report:
About 19.2% of students aged 12-18 enrolled in grades 6-12 experienced bullying nationwide during the 2021-2022 school year.
- 13 million students will be bullied in the US this year. 1 in 3 will be victims of cyber bullying.
- 160,000 students miss school daily for fear of being bullied
- 1 out of 4 children are bullied over their lifetime (US Dept. of Justice)
- Every 7 minutes a child is bullied on a playground
- Between 50% and 77% of students report having been bullied
- Of teachers, 25% see nothing wrong with bullying and consequently intervene in only 4% of bullying incidents
- 85% of bullying is not responded to appropriately or at all
For more info, go to https://mbfpreventioneducation.org
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF BULLYING?
- Victims often suffer academically and from long-term psychological effects
- Bullies often go on to commit crimes – former bullies have a 4-fold increase in criminal behavior by age 24
- Both victims and bullies may later become depressed or even become suicidal
- After interviewing 41 school shooters in 37 incidents, the Secret Service found that 2/3 had been bullied, and their attacks were motivated by a will to seek revenge.
Core Biblical Principles
- Inherent Worth: Recognizing that every person is made in the image of God and deserves respect.
- Defending Others: Encouraging children to step in safely, as standing up for the vulnerable reflects biblical justice.
- Healthy Boundaries: Balancing grace and forgiveness with clear limits against abusive behavior.
Practical Steps for Prevention
- Establish Safe Environments: Teach youth groups and schools to prioritize healthy relationships over mere rule-compliance.
- Empower Bystanders: Train youth to refuse to give a bully an audience, include isolated peers, and notify a trusted adult.
- Use Structured Programs: Implement dedicated frameworks like The Protectors Faith-Based Anti-Bullying Program or explore advice from Christian Bullying Prevention by Jeff Veley.
- Do you need help addressing a specific type of bullying (verbal, physical, or cyberbullying)?
How do I protect my kids from school bullies?
Jeff and Terra Mattson are Christian Parenting spokespeople, and cohosts of the Living Wholehearted Podcast. They suggest parents use the green light, yellow light and red light method.
More info is at https://www.christianparenting.org
Teach that friends or people are greenlight are very safe.
Yellow light just like on the highway are questionable and not totally safe. Use with caution. They are people that would be questionable.
Red light would be people who are absolutely not safe and you should stop immediately.
Parents should check after school if something has changed, if you can open that door, you can ask them an important question, “Is this a relationship? Is this a situation where you need some help?
Scott’s “rubber meets the road” question: What are some things parents should look for in their children to raise concerns that they might be a victim of bullying?
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To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at tom.hccm@gmail.com, or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com
