Internationally recognized author & educator for professionals, parents, and kids
Posts tagged bully
(We all have the) POWER to be Kind!
04 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
As a Bullying Prevention educator, I often share the mountain of evidence that cultivating kindness in schools and classrooms is one of the most effective ways to bring an end to bullying. At my school, we are highlighting Kindness as a Value throughout the month of February and really stepping it up a notch this week as we Celebrate Kindness with a Spirit Week filled with special dress days, door decorating, and other fun activities. All week long, I’ll be posting photos and ideas of what our amazing teachers are doing to Make Kindness Cool at School.
Today is (We all have the) POWER to be Kind day! Check out our superhero outfits and poses, as we used our kindness superpowers all throughout the school.
Kindness SHINES
04 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
As a Bullying Prevention educator, I often share the mountain of evidence that cultivating kindness in schools and classrooms is one of the most effective ways to bring an end to bullying. At my school, we are highlighting Kindness as a Value throughout the month of February and really stepping it up a notch this week as we Celebrate Kindness with a Spirit Week filled with special dress days, door decorating, and other fun activities. All week long, I’ll be posting photos and ideas of what our amazing teachers are doing to Make Kindness Cool at School.
Wednesday is Kindness SHINES BRIGHTLY at The Swain School!
Check out the kids (and teachers!) in their sparkly, glittery, light-up, neon, glowing brightest accessories to celebrate how kindness shines and spreads in the world.
Our Kindness Tree is in full bloom, representing the dozens of no-cost acts of kindness that make our community so warm and wonderful.
8 Keys to End Bullying is Available in Spanish
05 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
Did you know that my 8 Keys to End Bullying: Strategies for Parents & Schools book is available in Spanish? Please share with those who would find a translated version helpful in their work to bring an end to bullying:
Helping Girls Cope with Bullying
05 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
I love it when two of my worlds collide! Today, I received the kindest email from a woman who I had recently helped access an LSCI online training. She subsequently read an article I wrote about bullying among girls and sent me this note: (Shared with permission)
Thank you for that info, Signe. I am able to log on from my phone and will do the training that way.
–
I also wanted to let you know that I just read your article in Psychology Today, “Helping Girls Cope With Bullying and Frenemies”. What a great piece of writing! It’s so accessible and right on point. I shared it with my staff and we’ll be discussing it during our next PLC, as we are dealing with exactly these issues in both our third and fourth grade classes. Thank you for writing it and for sharing it-SO helpful!
–
With kindness and gratitude,
Laura E., M.Ed.
Behavior Specialist
–
Thank you, Laura, for all that you do to make a difference in the lives of young people! You made my day.
#beknownforbeingkind
Best Articles about Bullying Prevention Strategies for Students
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
In honor of October’s National Bullying Prevention month, here are 10 of my top posts on the topic of helping bring an end to bullying. Please share these links with professionals and parents who can use the information to support kiddos.
Is it Rude, Is it Mean, or Is It Bullying?
What Parents Can Do When Their Reports of Bullying are Downplayed by School
Helping Girls Cope with Bullying and Frenemies
What Parents Can Do When Their Kids’ Friendships End Badly
10 Guidelines for Stopping Cyberbullying
Why Kids Choose Not to Intervene in a Bullying Situation
What Girls Can Say and Do to Stand Up to Bullying
8 Things Kids Can Say and Do to Stop Bullying
What Adults Can Do to End Bullying
6 Simple Strategies to Stop Bullying
How to Stand Up to Gossip and Cruelty
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
.
Here’s a great 2-part story, shared with permission by a friend, about her young daughter learning to use her voice to stand up to gossip and cruelty:
So, this is a story that I hope brings a chuckle to you. My youngest daughter, L, deals with and comes home with a lot of girl drama in her class and yesterday began relaying the latest. As she started, I said I didn’t want to hear anything about these girls because it’s a waste of our energy to keep spending time on their issues. While she’s never their target, they triangulate and manipulate for their own purposes and put kids like her in uncomfortable situations. She quickly stopped me, “No, mom, you need to hear how I stood up for myself. Today, _____ started saying something nasty about ____ and I said, ‘stop right there—I am NOT a part of this situation’ and _____ shrugged her shoulders and walked away”.
With that one sentence she stopped hurtful, negative energy in its tracks and sent a very clear message to a master drama queen. And she felt empowered. We applauded her and she ran out of the room with my phone. She returned with the Wonder Woman theme song blaring and dancing, showcasing her strengths as a young girl facing down mean girls and their manipulations. It’s a big thing when a child learns the power of her words, that they alone are weapons against unkindness. Proud mama moment. May we all raise wonder women.
Part 2, 4-days later:
So the girl L stopped in her tracks last week used her friendship as a weapon the next day and made L cry. I’ve been giving her scripts to say all year because of the manipulative and triangulative behavior of this girl and another. So, today, the girl said something to L, hoping to get a reaction out of her. Eventually, L said to her, “I like friends who are respectful and show [school] pride” and the girl reacted negatively, saying “what, I’m not being respectful to you?” L responded, “well, you aren’t being very kind” to which the girl said, “well, I guess you’re not my friend anymore.” L shrugged her shoulders and said, “OK, I’m cool with that” ………
.
This is huge because L likes to be liked by everyone and it’s taken her months to be able to stand up and diffuse this girl’s intentions. I’m so very proud of her for handling it with words and am trying to show her just how effective they can be. I wanted to share in case you can use it somewhere. Each time she stands up for herself, she gets a little stronger.
My two cents:
I happen to love every ounce of this story, but my favorite part comes at the end when my friend noted: Each time she stands up for herself, she gets a little stronger. It is so true that each time we practice a skill, we become a little stronger and a little better at using it. Please remind your kiddos of this–especially if they try out a new skill or strategy and it doesn’t pan out perfectly the first time. Don’t allow them to become discouraged! Remind them that standing up for themselves and others in respectful, effective ways is like building muscle–they may not become strong overnight, but every bit of practice in speaking up makes kids braver, stronger, and more powerful.
Essential Skills to Stop Bullying
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
Not long ago, a national organization that provides mental health services for school-aged children posted an open question for followers on its social media page: You witness a student being bullied; what do you do?
Hundreds of people responded right away. The majority of their answers focused squarely on punishing the child who bullied—most with the type of language that would shock the very children they felt so strongly about protecting. “Shame the bully!” responded one teacher, who boasted that her 22 years of classroom experience validated her answer. “Kick the kid out of school,” demanded a professional counselor.
Ouch.
If social media is a reliable barometer of public opinion, it seems clear that the knee-jerk solution to the problem of bullying is hostility and vengeance. The response is understandable: adults who were bullied during their own youth often feel a strong urge to protect the current generation of young people from the same kind of abuse. Likewise, many adults feel justice is best served when aggressors are punished for their wrongdoing.
Yet the problem with bullying prevention strategies that center on the behavior of kids who bully is that they leave targeted kids in a powerless position, assuming that their lives will only get better if the child who bullies changes his/her ways. In fact, in their landmark study, Davis and Nixon (2010) found that adult actions aimed at changing the behavior of children who bully are actually more likely to make things worse for their victims—not better.
Bullying Prevention strategies that shift their focus to building positive social skills in all young people achieve better results. Read the rest of my post on Psychology Today.
Please share the post with educators, administrators, parents, and caregivers that you believe can benefit from this info.
School-Based Bullying Prevention Programs
06 years
by signewhitson
in bullying
What a wonderful day I spent at Immaculate Conception Cathedral School in Lake Charles, LA. yesterday! Here’s a few shots from our 5th/6th grade workshop, where the kids and I looked at key differences between rude, mean, and bullying behavior, then brainstormed helpful ways to respond to each.
Thanks also to the dedicated faculty and wonderful parents with whom I also got to share practical strategies for bringing an end to bullying.
To book your school-based event, click here. Now booking for Spring and Summer 2018.
5 Key Skills for an Effective School-Based Bullying Prevention Program
07 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
Most schools have policies that guide their practices around bullying. While these policies are vital to have in place, a truth that most professionals, parents, and kids can verify is that policies don’t change people; people change people.
Young people who struggle with social interactions don’t develop new skills because a policy told them to and kids who like to dominate and control others don’t give up these behaviors because they read a rule on a poster.
Check out my recent post on Psychology Today to learn what I consider the five essential social emotional skills that must be part of any school’s comprehensive bullying prevention program.
For more information and workshop inquiries, please email me at signe@signewhitson.com