LISD Flyer: Bullying (English)

The district strives to prevent bullying, in accordance with the district’s policies, by promoting a positive school culture; building healthy relationships between students and staff, encouraging reporting of bullying incidents, including anonymous reporting; and investigating and addressing reported bullying incidents.

Bullying is defined in state law as a single significant act or a pattern of acts by one or more students directed at another student that exploits an imbalance of power and involves engaging in written or verbal expression, expression through electronic means, or physical conduct that:

• Has the effect or will have the effect of physically harming a student, damaging a student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or of damage to the student’s property;
• Is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive enough that the action or threat creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student;
• Materially and substantially disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of a classroom or school; or
• Infringes on the rights of the victim at school.

Bullying includes cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is defined in state law as bullying that is done using of any electronic communication device, including:

• A cellular or other type of telephone
• A computer
• A camera
• Electronic mail
• Instant messaging
• Text messaging
• A social media application
• An internet website
• Any other internet-based communication tool.

No single factor puts a child at risk of being bullied. Some risk factors for bullying include when children:

• Are perceived as different from their peers, such as being overweight or underweight, wearing glasses or different clothing, being new to a school, or being unable to afford what kids consider “cool”
• Are perceived as weak or unable to defend themselves
• Are depressed, anxious, or have low self esteem
• Are less popular than others and have few friends
• Do not get along well with others, seen as annoying or provoking, or antagonize others for attention

Signs a student may be a target include:

• Lost clothing or items
• Unexplainable injuries
• Feeling sick
• Changes in habits
• Declining grades
• Avoidance
  

• A positive school climate
• A good home environment
• High social competence
• Prosocial peer influence
• Good academic performance
• High empathy
  

Dealing with bullying is challenging but very possible with the right steps. No matter if you're the target of bullying, the bystander who sees it happen, and/or the parent/caregiver helping your child navigate a bullying situation, it is important to know how to handle bullying when it happens.

Here are some ideas on how to deal with bullying:

1. Stay Calm and Don’t Retaliate: Bullies often want a reaction. Try to stay calm, walk away, or respond assertively—not aggressively.
2. Document What Happens: Keep a record of what was said or done, when, where, and who was involved or witnessed it. This is important information needed when reporting the bullying.
3. Tell a Trusted Adult: Talk to a teacher, school counselor, and/or parent. You're not "tattling"—you're protecting yourself and possibly others.
4. Stay Around Supportive People: Stick with friends or people who make you feel safe and confident. Get involved at your school. Students who are connected are less likely to be bullied.
5. Use School Resources: All LISD schools have anti-bullying programs and anonymous reporting systems. You can go to your school counselor to talk, too! Don’t hesitate to use these resources.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics and CDC data:

• About 1 in 5 students (20%) report being bullied at school.
  
• Roughly 10–15% admit to bullying others.
  
• Over 70% of students say they’ve witnessed bullying at school.

BUT-- Only about 20–25% of bystanders take action by reporting to a trusted adult! Bystander behavior is critical. If you see bullying happen, say something.

It's important to recognize the signs of students who may bully others. Students who bully may:

• Have a positive attitude toward violence
• Have a strong need to dominate other students (show power)
• Be impulsive, aggressive, or easily angered
• Lack empathy toward students who are bullied
• Have defiance and aggression toward adults
• Be involved in anti-social/rule-breaking activities (vandalism, delinquency, substance abuse)

Bullying often stems from:

• Wanting to fit in

• Lack of empathy or impulse control

• Family or peer modeling of aggressive behavior

• Stress, insecurity, or being bullied themselves
  

If your child is accused of bullying, there are a lot of resources to help. You can help your child reflect, encourage them to take responsibility, model how to make things right, reaffirm your support, and continue to encourage empathy.

Reach out to your student's school counselor today! 😀