Joe Bruzzese Read Online Free PDF Page A

little room to escape. With limited school personnel to monitor student movement between classes, passing periods can become a game of cat and mouse for some students. The school cafeteria presents another challenge for students. Lunch lines are easy targets for bullies in search of a few extra dollars. Leaving school might seem to offer relief from bullies, but abuse that begins on campus usually continues off campus. Social environments such as parties or the movie theater have great potentialfor bullying incidents. Without the supervision of an adult chaperone, kids are free to interact in any way they like, often to the detriment of a few unfortunate souls.
    Missing activities . If your child declines to attend sports practices, games, and other extracurricular activities, this may be a sign that your child is being bullied. The attention of coaches and supervisors is occasionally diverted away from the team or group to talk with referees and parents for a moment or two. In those moments, kids can quickly find ways of singling out an individual, engaging in verbal taunting and subtle physical abuse (pushing and tripping) that can go undetected.
    â€œDrive me, please!” A child who pleads with you to drive him to school rather than taking his normal bus route may be trying to avoid confrontations on the bus. With a load of twenty-plus middle schoolers on the bus, bullying can easily go unseen.
    Unexplained cuts or bruises . If your child can’t offer a reasonable explanation for the appearance of any unusual marks on her body, it’s time to investigate.
    â€œIn the rush to get the kids moving in the morning, we don’t have a lot of time to spend together. I mistook my son’s anxiety about getting ready for school in the morning for an attempt to prevent us from getting out the door. I later found out he had been bullied for over a month. I didn’t see it.”
    â€”
Dana, middle school parent, Denver, CO
    Increased sadness or anxiety . Adolescents tend to be moody; however, a sudden increase in crying outbursts and anxiety levels could be your child’s reaction to being bullied.
    Steadily decreasing academic performance . A dip from 95 percent on one test to 85 percent on the next doesn’t warrant a full-scale investigation. But repeated low scores, missed assignments, or commentsfrom your child’s teachers about declining performance are signals that may mean there are bullying issues at play.
    Even if you suspect your child is being bullied, the question of what to do about it can be difficult—especially if your child hesitates to communicate with you. Here are three things you can do to unearth a problem without requiring a flood of details directly from your child:
    1. Share observations. Offering statements like “You seem sad today” or “This seems like a rough week for you” may open the door to a conversation with your child.
    2. Investigate. During all the hours your child spends at school, your contact with her is generally limited to, at most, a few quick phone calls. You can fill in the gaps of what you may be missing by sharing a conversation with the adults who actually see your child in the school setting every weekday. Teachers, coaches, and mentors can be an invaluable source of information about a child’s life. If you are concerned about your child’s behavior, turn to this group of adults for insight.
    3. Make contact. A casual argument between friends doesn’t call for a visit to the school, but when arguments turn physical or include verbally abusive statements, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with the school counselor. Bring the evidence you have from your observations as well as any conversations with adults who regularly interact with your child.
Bring bullying to an end
    It may take time to end bullying at your child’s middle school. While you investigate and share your concerns with the school’s