Kindness is something we all should be spreading. Kids, like bees, are important to the world. If we unite and spread acts of kindness, maybe we can be the generation to stop bullying in schools, be of help in our communities, and spread kindness everywhere we are. Contact us for your BRAVE BEES start up kit today!
Bullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. Bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance use, and suicide. It is important to talk to kids to determine whether bullying—or something else—is a concern.
In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:
Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.
Stick with supporters. Having a friend nearby if you think you might encounter a hater not only makes it less likely that an incident might happen, but also means you’ll have positive reinforcements just in case.
Remind yourself that comments from a hater are a reflection of them and aren’t really about you. People who feel good about themselves don’t need to put others down.
Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical, social, emotional, academic, and mental health issues. Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience:
Keep being you. Keep moving forward, pursuing your interests, and being who you are.
Acknowledge your feelings. Talk to a trusted adult or friend and get some encouragement and support.
Be kind and respectful, even to haters. It shows that you’re in control of your emotions and that you aren’t letting negativity bring you down.
Kids who bully others can also engage in violent and other risky behaviors into adulthood. Kids who bully are more likely to:
There are many roles that kids can play. Kids can bully others, they can be bullied, or they may witness bullying. When kids are involved in bullying, they often play more than one role. Sometimes kids may both be bullied and bully others or they may witness other kids being bullied. It is important to understand the multiple roles kids play in order to effectively prevent and respond to bullying.
There are three types of bullying:
Bullying can occur during or after school hours. While most reported bullying happens in the school building, a significant percentage also happens in places like on the playground or the bus. It can also happen travelling to or from school, in the youth’s neighborhood, or on the intranet - cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.
The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are:
With the prevalence of social media and digital forums, comments, photos, posts, and content shared by individuals can often be viewed by strangers as well as acquaintances. The content an individual shares online – both their personal content as well as any negative, mean, or hurtful content – creates a kind of permanent public record of their views, activities, and behavior. This public record can be thought of as an online reputation, which may be accessible to schools, employers, colleges, clubs, and others who may be researching an individual now or in the future. Cyberbullying can harm the online reputations of everyone involved – not just the person being bullied, but those doing the bullying or participating in it. Cyberbullying has unique concerns in that it can be:
Persistent – Digital devices offer an ability to immediately and continuously communicate 24 hours a day, so it can be difficult for children experiencing cyberbullying to find relief.
Permanent – Most information communicated electronically is permanent and public, if not reported and removed. A negative online reputation, including for those who bully, can impact college admissions, employment, and other areas of life.
Hard to Notice – Because teachers and parents may not overhear or see cyberbullying taking place, it is harder to recognize.
Facts and information found at:
STOPBULLYING.gov
Our goal is to instill a kindness mindset in children, We provide our QUEEN BEE with a list of 25 Acts of Kindness. Below are some suggestions for acts of kindness anyone can do.
1) Collect can tabs for Shriner’s Children’s Hospital
2) Organize a food drive for your local food pantry
3) Prepare kindness talks in your school / community
4) Make a bird feeder and teach others how to
5) Deliver cookies to family, the elderly, our veterans
6) Promote Plant A Tree program on Earth Day
7) Write anonymous positive notes for classmates
8) Offer to help an elderly friend
9) Sit near someone who is sitting alone
10) Randomly give out kind compliments
11) Make cards for nursing home residents
12) Paint and leave kindness stones in the park
13) Volunteer at a soup kitchen
14) Pay for an animal to be adopted
15) Donate new pj’s to children in the hospital
16) Plant flower seeds in paper cups for friends
17) Offer to read at a library
18) Help raise money for a charity
19) Make random thank you cards to hand out
20) Organize a pick up litter event
21) Write “You’re Awesome” cards for friends & strangers
22) Make breakfast for your family
23) Hold a “School Supply” fund raiser for teachers
24) Make security blankets for kids in the hospital
25) Donate toys to a children’s hospital