Bullying, hazing, and harassment are everyday occurrences in the lives of thousands of students across our nation's schools each day.

Bullying is pervasive and does not magically end when administrators and other school officials meet with the bullies and bullying victims.  With the number of incidents of bullying that happens in our schools, a bullying hotline has been started. The Report a Bully Hotline is now available for students, parents and grandparents who are concerned about bullying and the effects of bullying.

Twenty-four hours each day the hotline is a line of communication to work with children and their families to positively change the behavior of bullies and their victims.

If you are being bullied, know someone who is being bullied or know of a person or group who is bullying others, please telephone 863.993.1504, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What Are the Warning Signs?

How can you tell if your child is being bullied?

Be concerned if your child...

• Is frightened of walking to/from school or is unwilling to go to school.
• Begs to be driven to school or changes his/her route to school.
• Begins to do poorly in school.
• Comes home regularly with belongings destroyed or missing.
• Has unexplained cuts or bruises, stops eating or begins to have nightmares.
• Becomes withdrawn, distressed or suicidal.

How can you tell if your child is becoming a bully?

Just as parents should watch for signs that their child has been the victim of a bully, parents should watch for signs that their child might be becoming a bully such as:

• Withdrawal from family, friends, and activities that were always pleasurable

• Feelings of worthlessness, friendlessness

• Physical or verbal aggression, i.e. pushing, hitting, or name-calling

• Lack of sympathy for a child who has been hurt or teased

• Lying

• Lack of contact with other children, such as fewer invitations to join classmates' parties or games, and

• Sudden possession of new toys, gadgets, or money that he or she bullied classmates into handing over

Some of the warning signs for bullies and their victims are similar, such as withdrawal from family and friends. The same methods of building “resilience” in a potential victim of bullying will work to help a child avoid becoming a bully. Helping a child find positive and acceptable ways to deal with anxiety, frustration, and anger can keep him or her from the emotional and social alienation that can deepen until the child lashes out in an extreme response.