Harper began the discussion by asking the educators to define the difference between teasing and bullying.
“When we were in school, we all saw kids that were teased and picked at by other kids,” she said.
The difference between that and bullying she said is that bullies intentionally hurt their victims in order to inflict either physical or emotional pain in order to assert power or dominance over them.
According to Harper and Bilbrey, 15 percent of kids are either bullied or the victims of bullies, with males most likely to be the bullies or victims. Sixty percent of children who display behaviors associated with bullying are involved in some type of criminal act by the age of 24 if that behavior is not addressed.
There are several possible causes of bullying, according to Harper and Bilbrey. These include low self-esteem, poor home life, emulating media, and mental health problems. The characteristics of bully victims are just as varied. Bullies target their victims for such things as their physical appearance, religious beliefs, or their economic status.
Bullies can target their victims directly through physical violence, name calling, inappropriate touching, or embarrassing pranks. They can also target them indirectly through passive-aggressive methods such as isolation, hand gestures, threats, passing bad notes, spreading rumors and gossip, and through the internet, also known as cyber-bullying, a form of bullying that becomes more prevalent as the world of today's youth becomes more digitally connected.
Some statistics on the use of cell phones and social networking sites from surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center:
-75 percent of 12-17 year-olds own cell phones
-More than half of 12-17 year-olds who own cell phones send texts daily
-Half of teens in this age group send 50 or more texts a day, one in three teens send over 100 texts per day, and 16 percent of teens who are texters send more than 200 texts a day.
-Teen texters ages 12-13 typically send and receive 20 texts a day, those 14-17 typically send 60 texts a day
-Boys typically send and receive 30 texts a day; girls typically send and receive 80 messages a day
-27 percent of teens go online for general purposes on their cell phones
-23 percent access social networking sites on their phones
-21 percent use E-mail on their phones
-55 percent of all online teens ages 12-17 use online social networking sites
-48 percent of teens visit social networking sites daily or more often, 26 percent visit once a day, 22 percent visit several times a day
-Older girls ages 15-17 are more likely to have used social networking sites and created online profiles; 70 percent of older girls have used an online social network compared to 54 percent of older boys, and 70 percent of older girls have created an online profile, while only 57 percent of older boys have
-However, 66 percent of teens who have created a profile say that their profile is not visible to all internet users
After sharing stories of their personal experiences with bullies, Harper and Bilbrey went on to tell the educators that the best way to prevent bullying was through intervention and that teachers weren't the only ones who should intervene. Students should also be taught to stand up for their peers and “protect those who can't protect themselves.”
For more information about bullying and ways to prevent it, visit www.bullying.org
The information that Harper and Bilbrey provided about suicide prevention also shows that intervention is the biggest key.
Participants in the session learned that application of QPR has been proven to prevent suicide by providing hope through positive action to those who are considering suicide and helping them receive help. QPR stands for question, persuade, and refer. The first step of QPR is asking a person you think may be considering suicide if they are having suicidal thoughts. If you find that they are, the next step is to persuade them to get help and, finally, to refer the person to the appropriate resource.
According to the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network, these are some of the warning signs that someone may be considering taking their life:
-Threatening or talking of wanting to hurt or kill him/herself
-Looking for ways to kill him/herself by seeking access to firearms, available pills, or other means
-Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide
-Displaying hopelessness
-Expressing rage or uncontrolled anger
-Acting recklessly or engaging in risky activities, seemingly without thinking
-Expressing feelings of being trapped-like there's no way out
-Increasing alcohol or drug use
-Wthdrawing from family and friends
-Exhibiting anxiety and/or agitation
-Experiencing disturbances in sleep patterns
-Displaying dramatic mood changes
-Giving away prized possessions, and
-A history of previous suicide attempts or suicidal behaviors.
According to Harper and Bilbrey, who have worked with adults who suffer from depression and suicidal behavior say that 90 percent of people who attempt or complete suicide gave out clues.
“It's scary when a child is thinking about hurting themselves because they can be so impulsive,” said Harper.
She said that people should learn to disregard all myths and stigma associated with talking about suicide and take all suicide threats seriously.
Some statistics on suicide from the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network:
-Each year in Tennessee, an estimated 800 men, women, and children die by suicide—more than the number killed by homicide, AIDS and drunk driving
-The Tennessee Department of Health reports that 4,045 Tennesseans died by suicide between 2002 and 2006
-During that same period, there were and estimated 405 additional unreported suicides
-Also in the last five years, roughly 404,500 Tennesseans have attempted suicide or engaged in non-fatal suicidal behavior, and more than 24,000 others have experienced suicidal thoughts
-Overall, one out of every twelve Tennesseans has been affected by suicide in the last five years
-In Tennessee there were 866 deaths by suicide in 2006, an increase of 11 percent since 2002
-In 2005, Tennessee's suicide rate was 14.4 per 100,000 population, higher than the national average of 11.0 per 100,000. Currently Tennessee's suicide rate ranks 13th in the nation
-Death by suicide occurs among all ages, gender, races, and ethnic populations
-More suicides occur among the workforce than any other demographic
-The majority of those who die by suicide have seen their primary care doctor prior to their death. This is especially true among the elderly
If you or anyone you know is considering suicide, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Network by calling 1-800-273-8255. You will be connected to someone in your local certified crisis center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also visit the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network's website at www.tspn.org or call then at 615-297-1077. Locally, you can obtain help at Valley Ridge Mental Health Center. Their number is 666-8070.
Post a Comment
