HOW TO RECOGNIZE A BULLY BY NICOLE C. RICHARDSON

School is back in session and apparently so are bullies, but luckily October is National Bully Prevention Month. Around this time schools across America take the time to teach kids about bullying and what to do if someone they know is being bullied.

But did you know that 77 percent of students in school experience some form of intimidation whether it is verbally, emotionally or physically.

This can create emotionally distress for some kids to the point where some contemplate suicide. Let's take a look at some interesting facts about bullying and what you can do as a parent or adult to help prevent it.

The Facts
 * Bullying occurs once every 7 minutes
 

* 1 in 3 students report
being bullied weekly
 

* Over 3.2 million kids are
bullied each year

* 15 percent of students absent from school is related to bullying
 
* 1 out of 10 students drop out of school because of bullying

Recognizing a bully

Your child may be a bully if...

* Get sent to detention or principal's office frequently 

* Show signs of aggressive behavior

* Physical and verbally attack 
others 

*Repeated pattern of behavior traits

Your child may be a victim of bullying if..


* unexplained bruises or injuries

* finding an excuse to not go to schools

* decline of grades

* low self-esteem

* patterns of self-destructive
behaviors

How to prevent bullying


* Learn the warning signs.

* Don't ignore it.  If you see it; stop it immediately.

* Give your kids the tools to deal with bullying.

* Know your school's policies 

* Recruit other parents to take a stand on bully prevention

* Communicate with your children daily to find out about their day went at school


Whether you are a parent, mentor or friend, it is very important to get involve and help stop bullying. These days there is more than just the old school bullying method. Now with technology rapidly advancing intimidation has even ventured off into the cyber world. Kids are taking their lives because of the non-stop harassment that they may encounter on a daily basis. So it is up to everyone to take a stand against bullies so that we may just help save someone's life.