Bullying Resources for Educators and Parents
Bullying is formally defined as unwanted aggressive behavior by another youth or group of youths (not siblings or dating partners), involving a perceived or observed balance of power. These behaviors are continuous and can inflict harm on communities, individuals, families and schools. Up to 90 percent of students report they have experienced bullying by the time they reach eighth grade. Our comprehensive list of resources should serve as a guide for educators and parents to help put a stop to bullying in our schools and communities.
Bullying Prevention Tips and Guidance
Once bullying starts, it is hard to get it to stop. The role of an educator and a parent is to teach empathy, teach and train staff and improve how bullying is handled by adults. Here are several resources on bullying prevention:
- Stop Bullying – The official anti-bullying site of the U.S. Government, StopBullying.gov offers resources for teachers and parents to help prevent and stop bullying.
- PACER’S National Bullying Prevention Center – The National Bullying Prevention Center has a list of resources on prevention, facts, alternatives and different types of bullying to create a world without bullying.
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – The AACAP has a broad range of resources on bullying including FAQs, facts, books, videos, training and suggestions for getting help if you are experiencing bullying.
- The American Federation of Teachers – The AFT has a large section of their website devoted to bullying education so teachers can have access to classroom activities and other resources to prevent bullying.
- National Runaway Safeline – The National Runaway Safeline has a wealth of anti-bullying resources, including a downloadable template that can be used to notify school administrators about bullying.
- National Association of School Psychologists – NASP has resources for families and educators on how to spot and stop bullying, frameworks for educators on how to prevent bullying in schools and LGBT resources.
- National Education Association – NEA provides curriculum resources for teachers to help address, confront and stop bullying including lesson plans, activities, games, quizzes and books.
- National Association of Elementary School Principals – NAESP provides a large resource list for principals to assist them in dealing with and preventing bullying, including handouts for parents, resources for educators and more.
- The Bully Project – The Bully Project is a film and activism site with tools for educators, parents, students, advocates and those interested in helping those with special needs.
- Teaching Tolerance – A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Teaching Tolerance has a resource list and a film kit for the film Bullied: A Student, A School and a Case That Made History.
- Edutopia – Edutopia has a recently updated resource list for bullying prevention including ideas for cultivating empathy, diversity and inclusion and suicide prevention.
- Stomp Out Bullying – Stomp Out Bullying has created a parent resource for parents who learn that their child is being bullied complete with tip sheets, cell phone guides and help understanding bullying.
- GLSEN – GLSEN provides resources and ideas for campaigns to help end bullying in schools by using social awareness and events like National Bullying Prevention month to spread awareness.
- SafeKids.com – SafeKids.com has a mission for safer digital citizenship, focusing their anti-bullying efforts on cyberbullying prevention and awareness, and how to increase online empathy.
- Committee for Children – The Committee for Children provides video resources for educators and families to promote the safety, well-being and success of children in life and in school.
Helping Kids Deal with Bullies
- KidsHealth – KidsHealth provides a great resource for parents to show their kids on how to deal with, avoid and handle bullies, showing them what happens to bullies if they stand tall.
- Using Apps to Support Fine Motor Development – Motor development is one of the challenges faced by autistic students. This article shows some of the apps that help support fine motor development.
- Psychology Today– Experts offer Psychology Today great advice to pass along to kids such as Stay Connected, Have Confidence, Set Limits and Act Quickly in order to shut down a bully.
- Mayo Clinic – The Mayo Clinic offers advice to parents on how to help their kids handle a bully, including how parents can spot the warning signs and tips for kids to respond to bullies.
- Parents.com – Parents Magazine offers suggestions on how parents can ‘bully-proof’ their children by encouraging positive behavior, coaching them to get help and when to involve the school.
- Engaging and Teaching Children with Autism in Your Care – Ausmed goes into a detailed breakdown of the specific teaching tools that can be utilized for autistic students. This would make a good guide for new teachers.
- KidScape – Kidscape offers help with bullying for young people, including information on dealing with bullying, cyberbullying, friends and ‘frenemies’ and using assertiveness.
- National Centre Against Bullying – The UK’s National Centre Against Bullying has some great ideas on how a child can help themselves or a friend who is a victim of bullying through practice ideas on how to act.
Warning Signs of Bullying for Parents and Educators
Not every child will report being bullied. In fact, by age 14 less than 30 percent of boys and 40 percent of girls will talk to anyone about bullying. As educators and parents, you can spot the signs of bullying in your children and students without them having to disclose anything to you. Here are some resources on what to look for:
- Warning Signs of Bullying – StopBullying offers a resource on the warning signs your child is being bullied, along with some signs they might be the one bullying others, keeping in mind there are not always signs.
- Silent Signs Your Child is Being Bullied – If your child is suddenly acting differently about friends or school and you don’t know why, read this article from Reader’s Digest and see if they are exhibiting other signs they are being bullied.
- Delete Cyberbullying – Delete Cyberbullying is a Stop Online Harassment Project dedicated to taking a stand against cyberbullies. This resource for parents shows the signs they can look for if their child is being bullied online.
- How to Deal with Bullying – A big challenge for parents is learning how to help their child deal with bullying. Focus on the Family has an entire series dedicated to Bullies – dealing with them, how we got them, and more.
- Indiana Resource Center for Autism – Bullying is a big issue for students on the Autism Spectrum, and this article helps educators know how to increase awareness and advocacy and prevent bullying, so people can feel safe at school.
- Brief Report: Pilot Study of a Novel Interactive Digital Treatment to Improve Cognitive Control in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Co-Occurring ADHD Symptoms – This site addresses the issue of lack of cognitive control that often occurs with autistic students. It also addresses ADHD symptoms that are often seen with Autism disorders.
- Handling Bullying Issues – The Center for Parenting Education provides resources for parents on cyberbullying and what they can do about it, including teaching safety and helping children manage cyberbullying.
- Action Against Bullying – The American Psychological Association has created a resource center for parents, teachers and kids so they have the tools to take action to prevent bullying before it starts.
- Cyberbullying – The National Cyber Security Alliance presents StaySafeOnline, a cyberbullying resource with the principles of Stop, Think and Connect to protect kids and families alike online.
- Bullying in the ER – Academic article on the Assessment and Management of Bullied Children in the Emergency Department causing an increase in psychiatric visits to the emergency department.
- FAQ on Bullying Prevention – Additional information from the American Federation of Teachers on bullying prevention, resources on school climate, special populations and federal and state activity..
Suicide and Self Harm Prevention
Bullying can lead to depression and anxiety in youth, physical injuries and social problems. Sometimes the effects of bullying are extremely serious to the mental health of the victim. Here are some at-risk behaviors to look out for:
- Self-Harm Treatment and Prevention – Child Mind Institute offers a wealth of resources on bullying prevention but also on suicide and self-harm prevention in kids and teens, especially related to bullying.
- Suicide and Self Harm Prevention – Suicide is the leading cause of death among individuals ages 10-24 and this article provides information on suicide prevention from the perspective of several doctors.
- Data on Suicide Prevention – The Children’s Safety Network has a series of videos that can be used by parents or educators or in a staff meeting to help spread information on strategies for suicide prevention.in Europe.
- Children at Risk for Self-Harm – Nationwide Children’s gives tips for parents who are dealing with a child-at-risk for self-harm or harm to others through their home safety guidelines and how to act right away.
- Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania – CHOP offers a large resource on youth suicide, prevention, signs, awareness and recommended reading and research information and articles as part of their Violence Prevention Initiative.
- Self-Harm Signs – NSPCC talks parents and educators through the signs of self-harm, why children hurt themselves and what you can do about it, including getting help and breaking the cycle.
- Bark App – Bark provides a parent guide, an educator guide and a guide for kids to explain warning signs, how to handle the situation if a friend may be talking about suicide, and clues to look out for.