Basic HTML Version
SPRING
2011
maskmatters.org
75
B
y the end of high school, incidents of
physical bullying decrease, while verbal
and emotional bullying increases, taking
new forms, including social, racial,
gender-based and sexual bullying.
Verbal bullying in high school usually consists of harsh language or negative
comments about a person’s appearance or beliefs. Emotional bullying takes the
abuse even farther with such acts as giving someone the silent treatment, spreading
inappropriate or unkind rumors, and purposefully provoking others by whispering or
laughing in front of them. High school bullying may also include such acts as graffiti
on lockers and school walls, threats of violence and exclusion, hazing and ostracizing
peers.
In addition, cyberbullying has become the weapon of choice for many bullies,
who use the Internet and electronic formats to harass and torment their victims. From
posting gossip and rumors on Facebook and Formspring, to threatening someone
via text or e-mail, this form of bullying has become rampant throughout high schools.
Some cases have even led to the suicide of its victims.
High school students can also become a victim of or a witness to traffic bullying,
also known as vehicular bullying. According to the Iowa Department of Transportation,
this type of bullying involves an attempt to intentionally injure or kill another driver as
a result of a vehicular incident. These incidents are a leading cause of car accidents in
the United States. In fact, a survey of 16 cities by the American Automobile Association
showed there were 10,037 incidents of aggressive driving in one year, resulting in 216
deaths and more than 12,610 injuries.
WHAT BULLYING LOOKS LIKE
• Judgment
• Name calling, degrading comments
• Text “bombing” and negative text
messages
• Cyberbullying (Formspring, Facebook,
MySpace, texts and e-mails)
• Gossip
• Criticism
• Social isolation
• Harassment, hazing
• Defacing victim’s property
CONVERSATION STARTERS
• Did you know that just making eye contact with a bully can
make him stop?
• Did you know just standing next to the victim can stop the
bully?
• Did you know when you walk away from a bully it can show
him that his behavior is not funny or okay?
• Sometimes just saying “that’s not cool, let’s get out of here”
can stop the bully and give other bystanders the confidence to
speak up or walk away.
• Who would you feel comfortable talking to if you encountered
a bullying situation?
• Create a suggestion box or hotline at your school that will let
students share issues and concerns.
• What would you do if you opened a Formspring account
and you received 10 hate messages in a half hour?
• I heard that bullying can be described as
judgment or exclusion. What do you think?
What You Can Do
• Find out your school’s protocol
for bullying. If they don’t
have one, encourage them to
establish one.
• Encourage your child to speak
up. By saying “That’s not cool,
let’s get out of here,” kids can
stand up for each other.
• Teach your child that something
as simple as walking up and
standing next to someone being
bullied can make a difference.