School Basic

Park Elementary School Social Worker Debbie Devine-Anderson offered some
tips to parents during Family Night at Washington Junior High School.

Harriet Tubman Elementary School Social Worker Adrianne Miller spoke about
the signs of bullying.

Lincoln Elementary School Social Worker Melanie Dickerson explained the
characteristics of a bully.

Roosevelt Elementary and Junior High School Social Workers Jack Lewandowski
and Leah Gusman, respectively, gave a presentation on CyberBullying.

Riverdale Police Officer Powers addressed some of the legal issues involved
with bullying.

Franklin Elementary School Social Worker Sabrina Peden introduced the
Dolton Police Department's Safetypup for Kids mascot.

Tubman School's Adrianne Miller, left, posed with Lincoln Junior High School
Social Worker Kimberly Valladay.

District 148's social workers and Dr. Candace Dunleavy, director of support programs.

There are steps parents can take to help prevent their child(ren) from being bullied.

Dolton West Elementary District 148’s team of social workers offered some tips and provided helpful information to parents about Bullying Prevention during a Family Night program held Monday, March 29th at Washington Junior High School in Riverdale.

The district’s social workers shared some alarming facts that show one out of every four children is the victim of bullying, 77 percent of youngsters are bullied physically or verbally, 15 percent of school absenteeism is related to fears of being bullied at school, and every seven minutes a child is bullied on the school playground. Bullying also can occur during online communications.

The main reason people bully is for power and control and there are different types of bullying: physical, verbal, and emotional.

Along with District 148 Director of Support Programs Dr. Candace Dunleavy and the district’s social workers, the Dolton Police Department’s Safetypup for Kids mascot and Riverdale Police Officer Powers were on hand for the event.

Harriet Tubman Elementary School Social Worker Adrianne Miller offered some of these warning signs a child may be being bullied:

torn, damaged or missing clothes
coming home every day with cuts, bruises or scratches
he or she complains of physical ailments – especially before heading off for school
a sudden change in mood or behavior
trouble sleeping or bad dreams

Some indicators a child may be a bully include enjoying the feeling of being powerful and in control, disrespecting others, little or no empathy for others, being excited when conflicts occur or no reaction during conflicts, and feeling superior to others.

Park Elementary School Social Worker Debbie Devine-Anderson offered these suggestions to parents of bullied children:

Talk to your child about the situation
Alert school authorities when bullying happens at school
Encourage/reassure your child
Don’t blame your child
Try to empathize with him or her
Let them know you are glad they told you when bullying occurs
Do not teach your children to retaliate
Tell them to walk away and not confront the bully head-on
Teach your child to be assertive, confident, and to stand tall
Role play with your child at home on ways to handle potential bullying

Parents also are advised to become computer savvy, to be aware of online activities your child participates in, and DO NOT ALLOW your child to have a computer in their room or other isolated area.