Today Lilly and I celebrated national Pink day – and no, not for the color! Pink day is a day dedicated to preventing, spreading awareness and ultimately stomping out bulling.

Here is what we talked about on the show!

History of Pink Day

Pink Day was established in 2007 after a pair of students, David Shepherd and Travis Price, saw one of their fellow students at Central Kings Rural High School being bullied for no other reason than that they were wearing a pink shirt. In a stroke of brilliance, these two got together and decided to show support for the student and take a stand against bullying by getting everyone at their school to wear a pink shirt the next day. Pink Day was created to stomp out all bullying and spread understanding, and it’s a concept spreading throughout the world.

 

According to Dr. Joel Haber, bullying expert and author of Bullyproof Your Child for Life, your child could be a victim of bullying if he/she:

  • Is reluctant or refuses to go to school
  • Clams up when you try to discuss school
  • Demands some sort of change in a long-standing routine, like riding the bus to school or going to the park on Saturdays
  • Does not want to participate in after-school activities or play with old friends
  • Seems hungrier than usual after school – it might be a sign that someone is stealing his lunch money or that he is unwilling to brave the cafeteria at lunchtime
  • Shows signs of physical distress such as headaches, stomach-aches, or nausea
  • Goes to the nurse in order to avoid going to class
  • Performance in school (grades, homework, attendance) suddenly declines
  • Acts sullen, angry, and frequently wants to be left alone
  • Uncharacteristically uses bad language
  • Shows marked behavior change after computer time or a phone call
  • Starts asking for more lunch or transportation money without a clear explanation of why it is needed
  • Has unexplained bruises or injuries

 

Is your child the bully?

While you could never imagine your own sweetie excluding or teasing a classmate, 1 out of 5 kids in grades 6-10 admits to being a bully or doing at least some “bullying” (Nansel, et al, 2001). Children know that bullying is wrong. That’s why they do it when parents aren’t around. That’s why cyberbullying has become so common (the Internet is like one huge parentless mansion). And because adults are left in the dark, they don’t often face repercussions for their actions. So they keep doing it.

Of course you don’t want to admit that your child could be a bully. But you definitely don’t want to let your child stay a bully. Look for the signs — and then find a way to check the behaviors.

Dr. Haber says that your child could be a bully if he/she:

  • Is exclusive – refuses to include certain kids in play or study
  • Persists in certain inappropriate or unpleasant behavior even after you have told him/her to stop
  • Is very concerned with being and staying popular
  • Seems intolerant of and/or shows contempt for children who are “different” or “weird”
  • Frequently teases or taunts other children
  • Constantly plays extremely aggressive video games
  • Hurts animals

Observes you excluding, gossiping about, or otherwise hurting others: As parents we have a tremendous influence on our children. As human beings, we all occasionally exhibit some bullying behaviors. It’s only natural and it doesn’t mean we’re bad people. But think honestly about your own behavior and then ask — do your kids also show these traits?

What do I do?

  • Intervene when you can
  • Be Proactive – Teach your kids the right way to handle bullying- “Teach them what healthy, respectful behavior looks like from another child their age. Teach them what non-healthy, disrespectful behavior looks like, too,” said Meeker.
  • Take charge –  When dealing with a bully, Meeker says parents should move from talking with the teacher, to the principal, to the parent.

For the Bullying statistics we shared click HERE.

Thank you so much for supporting the Afternoon Drive! Hannah