"Every seven minutes a child is bullied at school" - (U.S. Department Of Justice, 2005)

Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students participate in the Middle School anti-bullying program throughout the school year. Students learn to recognize, prevent, and respond to bullying through classroom lessons, activities, and discussions. Anti-bullying curriculum topics include the following:

• Defining bullying and recognizing bullying behaviors
• Comparing "fun" teasing and "hurtful" teasing
• What to do when you are the victim of bullying
• What to say and who to tell when you are a bystander to bullying
• How to react (and stay safe) when a friend bullies someone
• Positive ways to communicate with friends, peers, teachers, and parents

Deer Lakes Middle School currently uses the Second Step social-emotional learning program to help provide students skills to be successful in middle school, as well as in life.  The goals of the Second Step Bullying Prevention Unit include:

• Recognize common types of bullying
• Understand the potential negative impacts of bullying by taking the perspective of targets and bystanders
• Assess the risks and benefits of using different upstander strategies to respond to bullying under various circumstances
• Be an upstand by making a responsible decision in bullying situations

Links

• Stop Bullying Now - US Department of Health and Human Services offers flash movies, games, and information about bullying and how to prevent it.
• Second Step - Second Step is a social-emotional learning program that includes a unit on bullying prevention
• Policy 249 - Bullying/CyberBullying