Your Kids

Stop Bullying Before It Starts

Posted: 11/16/2011

Bullying prevention programs are aiming to put a stop to bullying at a younger age.

(NewsUSA) - What's the best way to stop a bully? Don't let him (or her) become one. Multiple studies have shown that teaching children positive social skills and taking proactive steps to prevent and discourage delinquent behavior can go a long way toward preventing bullying and providing a more effective learning environment.

Unfortunately, childhood bullying has become a 24/7 problem, and the anonymity of the Internet makes it more difficult to identify and punish bullies. But programs in which schools and the community work together to prevent bullying and reduce disruptive behavior can make a difference.

The benefits of bullying prevention programs include freeing teachers to teach, instead of spending their time disciplining students. These programs also cut down on chaos in the classroom and foster a positive learning environment.

Michelle Molina, president and CEO of PeaceBuilders says that "Children need to be given the skills so they can solve these problems and adults need to be the guides on the sides."

According to the nonprofit organization Child Trends, PeaceBuilders has been found to work in increasing conflict resolution skills and reducing aggression and bullying.

PeaceBuilders is a program designed to foster a positive environment not only in schools, but at home and in the community. The program is already in place in thousands of schools across the United States, where it is successfully used to prevent and decrease bullying and other disruptive behavior.

PeaceBuilders is designed to combat bullying early through a combination of school-based programs, parent training and community outreach. Parents are a critical part of the program, ensuring that practices are duplicated at home. The PeaceBuilders program can be tailored to ages and developmental levels from preschool through high school.

The program works by first identifying risk factors for bullying, including violent or aggressive behavior, drug use and tobacco use. PeaceBuilders provides tools to foster civil behavior and to discourage disruptive behavior. Then a roadmap is created that includes regularly praising children and teens for good behavior at school and at home, while discouraging bad behavior. Involving parents in the behavior improvement before adolescence helps communities create a way of life that encourages people to be nicer to each other.

For more information, visit www.peacebuilders.com.

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