Recognizing Warning Signs: Victim or Bully in Your Schools

Bullying is up by nearly five percent in K-12 schools. One-third of all K-12 students say they’ve been bullied in school. These stats are among the reasons why school leaders are redoubling efforts to stomp out bullying this October as part of National Bullying Prevention Month.

Stories abound about the physical, mental, and sometimes fatal, toll bullying can have on young victims. Which makes this recent spike in bullying reports all the more alarming.

But it’s not just the victims of bullying who are negatively affected. The non-profit Stop Bullying says that children who bully are more likely to engage in risky or violent behaviors as they enter adulthood, including using drugs or alcohol; dropping out of school; engaging in criminal behavior including fights; engaging early in unsafe sexual activity; and being abusive to romantic partners or children, among other issues.

In other words: There are no winners when it comes to bullying.

Sadly, research from the Institute of Education Science finds that nearly two-thirds of bullying victims don’t actually report incidents to parents or educators, making it much more difficult for adults to help students involved in bullying–both as victims and as perpetrators.

To stem the tide, school leaders are developing strategies that empower students to stand up to bullying through awareness, education, and better reporting and intervention.

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A recent infographic from K12 Insight, outlines some critical bullying warning signs.

How does your school or district empower students to report bullying? Do your schools have strategies for recognizing and intervening on behalf of bullies and victims? Tell us in the comments.