• One in three children in the United States is affected by bullying.
• 60% of students identified as bullies in grades 6 to 9 had at least one criminal conviction by age 24.
• Bullies are at even greater risk of suicide than their targets.
• About two-thirds of students involved in school shootings say they had felt persecuted, bullied or threatened by others.
• School-based intervention programs can reduce bullying by 30% to 50%.

As a Parent, What Can I Do About Bullying?

The most important thing you can do is listen to your child. Ask about how things are going at school. Ask if your child has had any experience with bullies or has seen other children experience bullying. Often children are too embarrassed or scared to bring up the topic on their own. You can bring it up by discussing sympathy and respect for others, asking such questions as "Why do you think she said those hurtful things?" or "How do you think it feels to be bullied?"

You'll want to have a discussion about how to handle bullying situations and warn your child never to resort to violence, even as a reaction to a bully. Stan Davis, a Maine school guidance counselor and trainer in bullying prevention, advises encouraging the majority of students who are not victims or bullies to stand up to bullies, to ask adults for help and to reach out as friends to isolated students.You may be tempted to intervene by confronting the bully and his parent yourself, but most experts advise against doing so. If you confront the bully, you will only verify for him that your child is a weakling. Many bullies come from homes lacking in parental involvement, so confronting the parent might not prove productive. Besides, it will probably be difficult for you to talk to the bully's parent in a calm and rational manner and that might only exacerbate the problem.Your instincts may tell you to let the child learn to handle the situation himself, but in actuality he may need an adult (either a teacher or a parent) to intervene when bullying takes place because of the imbalance of power. Alert your child's teacher or principal when bullying occurs and work with your school to make sure the atmosphere is safe and that there is effective monitoring. Ask to be notified should your child be involved in a bullying incident. To really know what goes on at school and to help create a positive atmosphere, volunteer to be a playground supervisor or a classroom assistant. Four Myths About Bullying
1. Victims are responsible for bringing bullying on themselves.
2. Bullying is just a normal part of childhood.
3. Bullies will stop if you just ignore them.
4. Victims need to learn to stand up for themselves.
What Should My Child's School Be Doing to Address Bullying?Look for a positive, supportive atmosphere where students know that bullying will not be tolerated, where students know they can go to adults for help, and where there are clear consequences for bullying. An ongoing commitment to promoting this kind of school environment is key. An effective technique used in many schools is to have each class develop its own code of conduct.Here's the code of conduct that one class wrote:

• We don't want any hitting, punching or kicking.
• We don't want any name-calling or put-downs.
• We include everyone when we do group activities.
• We help others when they are bullied.

Teachers and staff should be on the alert and should intervene when they see bullying occur. They should be aware that bullies often try to operate in places that are not in direct public view, such as school bathrooms or locker rooms. Some schools hold assemblies to present the topic of bullying, but these one-shot efforts have not been proven to be as effective as a consistent, ongoing school-wide effort to combat bullying.Updated March 2006