October is Bullying Prevention Month. Not to get too much into the nitty gritty details of our behind the scenes work at Upstream Parent and CACTC, but anytime we identify an area that we want to focus on, we always make sure to collect baseline data into something called a “needs assessment.” This helps us understand what is happening locally so we can be well informed before we try to use different strategies to contribute to positive changes in Cortland County youth.
I want to share a few key statistics about bullying in Cortland County teens. While it’s important for prevention and public health workers to understand this data when we complete needs assessments—we also want parents to be well informed so you are in the best position possible to address tough topics like bullying with your teen. What better time to share this information with you than in the midst of bullying prevention month?
Before I share these statistics we should know what bullying actually means, because definitions can vary depending on the source. We also want to make sure that when we discuss bullying with teens that they know exactly what we are referring to.
According to the CDC bullying is defined as:
“Any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths, who are not siblings or current dating partners, that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated.”
Wow! That is quite wordy!
On our yearly youth development survey bullying is defined as:
“When one or more students tease, threaten, spread rumors about, hit, shove, or hurt another student over and over again.”
There we go, much easier for us (and, more importantly, the students taking the survey!) to understand.
