Stamping+Out+Bullying

__Quotes from the play__ -"I strike quickly, being moved." -"That shows thee a weak slave, for the weakest goes to the wall." -"Draw thy tool! Here comes of the house of Montagues." -"They must take it in sense that feel it." -"Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them, which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it."

__Why is it a problem for American teens?__ Bullying- involves a person or a group repeatedly trying to harm someone who is weaker or more vulnerable. Hitting, threatening or intimidating, maliciously teasing and taunting, name-calling, making sexual remarks, and stealing or damaging belongings, are all forms of physical violence. Although it seems like people are more physically bullied, because this directs more attention, most people are bullied verbally or mentally. Verbal or mental bullying consists of spreading rumors or encouraging others to reject or exclude someone. This really hurts people’s self-esteem, and leads a lot of people to suicide. It may not seem like it, but to a lot of people it causes their grades to slip, and become less concentrated in school.

__Why does bullying happen?__ Bullying happens because some teens feel compelled to be rude to others, or exclude other people to be "popular". A lot of people bully others cause they have bad situations at home, and they want other people to feel what they feel. After that, bullying causes a chain reaction in schools, and most people start bullying others because "everyone is doing it".

__What are the statistics on the problem?__ By age 24, 60 percent of the guys that are bullied as kids, have at least one criminal conviction. In a recent national survey of students in sixth grade till their senior year, thirteen percent admit to bullying others, eleven percent of the students reported being the target of the bullying, and six percent said that they did both. Fifty-eight percent of kids admit that a person has said hateful or discriminating things to them online. More than half of them say it has happened more than once. Although not encouraged, some teens feel like they need to take more drastic measures, such as carrying weapons for protection or seeking violent revenge. A lot of teens, usually in high school, even carry guns to school on a daily basis.

__Who does it affect?__ School bullying occurs more for boys than girls in most high schools and middle school. While all people say that people are bullied by how they look and talk, boys handle things a lot more physically. Boys are slapped, punched, or pushed more than they are verbally bullied. Girls are usually bullied verbally or mentally. A lot of girls start way too much drama, or start rumors, and therefore they are bullying others. Many rumors are started based on sexual comments. And when a rumor is started, people may not mean to, but every time they talk about it, they pass it on. Rejection and exclusion are very common in girls’ teen years.

﻿Some coping skills include: Talking to an adult or parent <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Talking to counsleor (school or not) <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Talking to a friend <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Reading other people's stories <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Read the Chicken Soup for the American Teen Series <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Go to church <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Find a hobby you are interested in

<span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">What places could teens go for help? (centers, phone numbers): <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Some places you can get help are: [|www.beatbullying.org], and [|http://www.stopthebully.org]! <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">What are some possible solutions for teens, parents, and schools? <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">A solution for teens, parents, AND schools to help prevent violence is to visit PACER Center’s Bullying Prevention website. There are a lot of helpful resources, and you can even print off articles, and handouts to help teens, and schools cope with the many problems of bullying. <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Many people do not realize how far bullying goes back to, but even characters in Romeo and Juliet were mentally and <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">physically bullied. This needs to stop, and this information will be a strong reminder to a lot of people we need to take <span style="color: #00d6f0; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">awareness. <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="background: white; font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Information collected from: "Bullying Statistics | Statistics Help | Obesity Facts." //BullyingStatistics.com | Bullying Statistics//. Web. 24 Sept. 2010. <http://bullyingstatistics.com/>.

"School Bullying and Teasing Statistics Teen Bully." //Troubled Teen Help Military Boarding Schools//. Web. 24 Sept. 2010. <http://www.familyfirstaid.org/bullying.html>.

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