I’m glad this video addresses such a relevant topic in schools (and in our case, camp). I was surprised by the statistics that the narrator mentioned, that 75% of kids have reported being bullied and being bullies themselves. I thought that it was great how the video made a point to show many different kinds of bullying, whether it is physical or emotional. I think for girls, emotional and psychological bullying is most prevalent and something we as counselors have to strive to be aware of. I thought the statement about introducing new campers is a good way to attempt to break the “cliques” that may be in place for campers that have been coming for years.

I was shocked at the statistic that roughly 75% of children have been bullied and 75% have been bullies themselves. This was an amazingly high number to me, and very unfortunate. I really liked the emphasis on teaching social skills both to prevent bullying and to fix bullying situations. I also found it interesting that the presenter called out the myth that all bullies are self-conscious and insecure. Many bullies can be quite confident in themselves, but can be easily upset if they aren’t the ones receiving attention. This seemed much more realistic, and I’m glad someone finally pointed this out. The strategies mentioned to help with bullying were also very helpful, especially the expectations that the counselors gave the campers on the first day of camp.

This video was so important to me because I remember as a camper being picked on some by some girls in my cabin. My counselor did an amazing job working with us, but watching this video definitely helped me see how I can work to prevent it in my cabin this summer. Girls have the ability to be mean, but they hardly ever have terrible intentions, because they are usually just upset about something else and can’t think of another way to deal with their emotions. I think that while this is a problem, it is something that can be dealt with and I think that this video was really helpful.

I liked the idea of creating a warm, safe tone and of outlining the expectations from day one. Respect and treating each other with kindness are very important and I’ve seen firsthand how girl-on-girl bullying and meanness can ruin campers’ experiences. Anything we can do to prevent this type of thing would be really important. I’ve heard before that people who have been bullied go on to become bullies, which is sad, especially since it’s preventable. All of these techniques sound really good to nip it in the bud before it gets to be a big problem. I think that exclusion is a big one that often gets overlooked because it’s so subtle. Encouraging campers to reach out to each other and include everyone is important.

I really liked this video, a lot. Girls can be mean, that is just the way life goes. I know that bullying is probably a bigger issue at camp than you would think, and especially for first time campers who haven’t made friends from previous sessions. For older girls it is easy to “pick the weakest link” sort-of-speak and make one girl a target. I think it is important for us as councilers to keep that in mind and make sure that we are making everyone equal and everyone is having a good time.
It was interesting for me to learn that, instead of punishing kids for bullying, it might be a good idea to take the kids aside and even talk in an open group about bullying and thier experiences with it.

I think this video all in all was very eye opening!

Hey folks! Hope everyone’s having a great week!! This video did a good job in teaching how to deal with bullying, should it arise. I liked the calm approach of responding to bullying. I’m a very calm person in general, and don’t like making matters worse by losing my temper. Shouting or dropping punishments left and right are no ways to change an improper behavior of a person. You can’t prevent bullying by being a bully yourself. You have to show that the behavior is wrong and explain why the behavior is wrong. Young kids are very impressionable. If they see their counselor respecting all, they are hopefully likely to follow suit.

It brought back a few painful memories from middle school. I remember middle and high school when rumors about anyone could be spread like wildfire. I guess I’m going to get into some story telling. I remember in the 8th grade when I was victimized by the “Regina George and her Plastics” type of group. While we are on good terms now, we did not get along during this time. This particular person picked on anyone she could, especially for body size. She and her little friends told everyone that I was bulemic, and that my best friend was anorexic. She even told people that we were both on crash diets (It was apparently my idea). For an entire semester, my friend and I had people approaching and asking if we were battling an eating disorder. We couldn’t even go to the bathroom without hearing “Oh, you know what she’s going to do”. Of course, we denied the bogus accusations. We didn’t convince anyone, so we actually sat by ourselves at a lunch table everyday for a long time, until our “friends” began to realize we weren’t lying. We actually kept it quiet for a long time, as we didn’t want to make situations worse for ourselves in terms of our peers. This particular rumor was actually brought to the attention of the faculty since it gathered enough heat. The guidance counselor and principal of the school called my parents and myself in for an “intervention” like meeting. They both came to learn that neither of these rumors were true, and the bully was tracked down and actually suspended for presenting false accusations in the intent of hurting someone.

This bully eventually had to be enrolled in counseling sessions until she had proven she had changed. The suspension was extreme indeed, but the counseling did teach this bully a lesson. I noticed a huge change in the person she was, and the person she became.

Effects of bullying can be awful. The Phoebe Prince scenario was probably one of the saddest cases I’ve heard. I’ve noticed a few people in college who were clearly never taught how to socialize with others. It’s important to put a stop to these behaviors when kids are young. Since I know what it’s like to be on the “target” end of bullying, I’m going to do my best to be on the look out for it and work on ways to change that behavior. These girls will be spending a lot of time together for 2 weeks. Do they have to be best friends? Absolutely not. But, a little respect towards others is a happy medium so EVERYONE can get along and have a good time! I’m certainly by no means perfect. I’m sure there were times when I was guilty of bullyish things. I’m sure I was involved in spreading a false rumor, or being disrespectful to someone in particular. I can’t think of anything major, as I hate causing others unnecessary pain, but I’m sure my instances would actually shock me. I’d rather not think about that, as I know how much I hated the things that were done to me. It’s just crucial to find a way to cease bullying. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t stop any bullying that arises, and things escalated to another Phoebe Prince situation. I don’t see that ever happening here, but risks can’t be taken.

Alright, I think that’s enough of my rambling. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!
~Em

This video was pretty much a flashback of elementary and middle school…kids can be so mean! I was bullied verbally in 4th grade by some other girls…and I remember being afraid to report it. This is true with kids of today. They feel threatened by the bully’s and are AFRAID to stop it. This is why it’s important to know the warning signs of bullying, to stop it before it escalates to something serious. I like how the video encourages the kids to stop the bullying themselves before reporting it, giving them some power in the situation.