In years past, being bullied meant being stuffed in a locker, or having your lunch money stolen.
It was often physical, and usually involved just boys.
But today, the bullying landscape has changed.
Kids can pick on someone on facebook, or send text messages to the whole class.
And that can all be done behind the teacher's back.
Often, no one knows about the extent of the bullying until it's too late.
We've heard about high profile cases across the country, where a victim of bullying decides the only way to make it stop is to take his or her own life.
And that can even happen here in North Dakota, as we tragically learned last year.
So what does this new kind of bullying mean? How does it affect kids? And how do we stop it?
Jody Kerzman and Retha Colclasure took an in-depth look at those questions, and are opening up a discussion about them in their special reports, called "Bullies: Fighting Back."
They've conducted interviews with students of all ages, teachers, police officers, counselors, and even public officials.
And it's all coming together here on this webpage.
Check out the stories they produced...the panel discussion they held...and even the public service announcements we as a station have been airing.
During the past few weeks, we've been asking you what you think about bullying, and the attention it's been getting.
Many of you responded on our Facebook fan page, and through our online survey. While many people agreed that bullying is a big problem in schools, quite a few of you disagreed, and shared why.
Here's some of what you had to say:
Survey Results
Survey Comments
Through it all, remember- Don't be a bully.
Bullies: Fighting Back  One-hour special: aired Wednesday, February 16, 7-8pm CST. Watch it here by clicking on the links below. |
|||||
| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | |
| PSA's |
|||||
| Monica | Alan | Kevin | Lee | Amanda | Juli |
| Retha | Jody | Courtney | Joel | Kristin | Rob |
| Cliff | Allie | Brian | Matt | Joey | Scott |
Need to set rules at all schools and have follow through. Not just brush it under the rug and act like it didn't happen
Bullying is a BIG Problem I have a family member that is being bullied in school right now and this has to stop so I just hope that we all can get it stopped before someone gets hurt!!!
I think the BPS do the best they can on a situation that will NEVER go away!!!
I was bullied a great deal as a child. It was a daily occurrence till I was a senior in high school. I experienced little bullying in college. I'm now a teacher and it's part of my mission to make sure that my students don't have to go through what I did.
I have seen first hand what this act does to a child the big problem the school system says they take it seriously but they don't they like to give a slap on the hand and then it happens again to the point that the child can not function in school and when it is a child with a disability it is worse. I say the school system needs a overhaul and they need to follow the laws or you will have a something happen that will shock the whole state if something is not done the right way
I'm a high school student in North Dakota; honestly, I don't believe bullying is as big a problem as the media portrays it to be. I only notice bullying once every few weeks or so, and most every time someone stands up for the person being bullied.
What does it take for schools to enforce the bullying laws that they have in place? Why can't we have a law in place for schools that won't enforce their polices to be fined. It seems when it comes to schools the only thing that they seem to worry about is money! We don't need more laws we need to enforce them!
Not enough is done by teachers to stop bullying. They say it is just kids being kids.
For Me I was bullied from Elemetery school to 7th Grade. I reported it to the teachers, Nothing Happen, Reported to my parents. and then report it to the school still nothing happen. After all of those years. After my 7th Grade was done and over with, my parents transfered me to a better school system.
I wish a law was made to enforce policing of the bullying that is occuring but the burden of proof would be the hardest part unless text messages or emails are there to have.
Bullying being in school, and continues on into many workplaces as people age. Honestly, I think I've been bullied all my life. I work in an unskilled environment. I do have a college degree, but it was in a poorly chosen, impractical field. When I was in school, I was badly bullied. Frankly, I think if the things that occurred to me happened to someone now, there would be criminal charges. At work, I am very looked down upon because I don't drink or smoke with all the popular people, very much like high school.
Schools need to take more responsibility along with parents! Its been a problem for years! I am a female and was physically bullied in high school in front of a teacher and the teacher did nothing!! That is wrong!
Think "hostile work environment" and that should be the definition of bullying within a school for a child.
I don't think bullying is a problem its part of growing up.
Bullying has no age group. It happens every day to the young and old alike.
Bullying has been around for ever but nothing much has ever been done about it. It is sad that it has taken shootings at schools for bullying to be talked about more. I have kids in Elementary school and have seen my son's friends and my son being bullied, but nothing has ever really been done about it.
Bullying starts as soon as Preschool but not enough it done to educate the kids. I believe parents who were/are bullies raise bullies. Problem is it isn't just at school. It is at sporting events, parks and so on
Some thing has to be done about bullying in ND. Stronger laws that schools HAVE to abide by or get fined.
I worry for the day when my children grow up and I hope they don’t have to go thru Bullying. I know I’m doing everything I can to teach my children respect for everyone thanks for the survey!!!
Some teachers don't take you seriously. Just brush you off.
I am 55 yrs young and was bullied at school all of the time. I just dealt with it and no one protected us.
Sometimes I think the parents and schools should just stay out of it and let the kids handle it. WE DID!!!
Sure would be nice if the kids were taught more how to react to bullying and the schools would do more about it. However, I know the kids are terrified about backlash...bullies know how to get to you and where you live which is the saddest part!
Thank you for talking about this subject.
I was bullied when I was in Middle and High School several years ago. I think that bullying is getting worse as time goes on. I think it is becoming more dominant online.
Nothing ever happens to bullies
I am now in my forties, was bullied for an entire yr by one student, the school did nothing except move him farther away from me in the classroom. My grandson is now bullied at school, at recess, on the bus this whole bullying thing is out of control. Schools do not take this seriously.
There are a lot of adult bullies. Politicians are the leading example. Until adults change kids will not.
The definition of bullying is becoming polluted. Bullying use to mean much more than a giving passing comment such as "I don't like your hair." Now bullying is all inclusive of all situations.
Being bullied can make you a more caring person when you grow up. It makes you very aware of signs of bullying. I'm grown now, but the memory of what happened to me is in the front of my mind. I am now a teacher and am very aware of my students behavior.
THE BULLYING THAT HAPPENED TO ME WAS IN JUNIOR HIGH IN THE EARLY 1990'S
A lot of the bullying is also done by teachers, if the child is not in sports etc. We always hear how the teacher has favorites, but quite often, they treat the non favorites as "less than" . To me when an adult does it, it is one of the worst forms of bullying. If we want to fix this, lets also look at that aspect and correct it also.
We need to bring a stop to bullying my son had to grew up with it at his grade school and if the teachers would have done something about it my son wouldn’t hate going to school and he be a better student too.
Our school is running an anti-bullying program as part of our School Improvement Policy for the 2010-2011 school year. There should be separate forms for adults here because we see bullying differently from kids. I am so old that there wasn't such a thing as cyber-bullying in my day!!
I think that bullying is getting to be a problem because kids are trying to be themselves but then bullies bully them because their weirdness, how they act, and how they look. I wish it would stop!!!
There is bullying done on cell phones texting calling. You tell people and they don't listen to you, if you don't fit in with the way people are you are bullied, sometimes I ignore them and they just make it worse. Name calling, telling other people bad things about you that aren't true. telling you that you are worthless after hearing that day after day from kids makes you feel like you are worthless if my parents would treat me that way they would be charged with child abuse and neglect, so why do kids get away with it.
We need to learn how to handle some things in life - you can't protect everybody from everything but excessive bullying day after day needs to be stopped
Parents need to take more responsibility by being more involved in their child’s life! Be the nosey parents that check texts, emails, facebook etc. Parents need to be parents not friends to their children.
Since I am no longer school age I just want to add that bullying happens on the job and socially throughout life. It does not end when someone graduates from high school.
Bullying is not just something the kids are doing in the schools it also is being done by Teachers. I think that its something that is not talked about because they are in authority, but it does go on.
There is so much peer pressure in schools that I think it takes some pretty severe bullying before a child is willing to report it.
Thank you for taking time to bring attention to this topic. I feel a new approach to bullying in the schools needs to be taken - teach kids how "to" act instead of how "not to" act - and it should be started in the early elementary years and continued on.
Girls are clicky, I have asked a lot if I can play, I am always told NO.
Something needs to be done-if they report it then they get bullied more!!!
If Teachers and parents teach their kids kindness and compassion children will be less likely to tease others. There should be field trips to rehab centers for people who have physical or mental disabilities. I think it would help the kids to learn to accept the idea that having many different types of people makes the world a interesting place!
If more parents stood up for their kids when this occurs maybe it would stop entirely'!!!!!!
As a parent of a son and daughter I am surprised at the vicious comments girls make to one another via texting and to team mates! The girls who are the bullies are not the tom boys of the past. They are the A students, the great players in the band and on the basketball team. Parents and teachers need to be more aware of the non-verbals passed in class by the girls. And they don't tend to bully the stereotypical type any longer, they will pick on the pretty girl who is nice and kind, the one who lacks manipulative skills.
I have had issues with two girls bullying my daughter at school and it was a fight with the school to get it to stop.
The bulling at school needs to come to an end.
Should also address bullying at work. It doesn't happen as much in the work place as it does in school, but it doe happen.
I think they should've done this a lot sooner than now. I got bullied so bad during junior high and the beginning of high school that I wanted to drop out of school and switch schools.
Teachers did not do much, main bully was son of school board member.
Facebook is the worst thing for teens.cuz people are too scared or chicken to say stuff about you to your face they have to post it on facebook. then ever one can read it and it can never be erased!...teens are stupid...
I remember being bullied more at home from my brothers ( they were bossy)than at school back in the 70's, but it has escalated so much more in the school these days.... bullying seems to take on a different meaning now. The kids seem mean not just bossy
I am a mother of this son that was bullied by a teachers in middle school. He is now in high school and has been lucky to have extremely caring and professional teachers, but carries the scars, panic attacks, from the teachers that bullied him in middle schools.
I'm the parent of two children... one in middle school and one in high school here in Bismarck, I am SO glad you guys are doing this story. Being a victim of bullying myself, which was in a small town here in ND back in the 80's, it can really damage a child. I'm almost 40 and it still bothers me what some of those kids did, I was actually diagnosed with Post traumatic stress syndrome from it. I couldn't imagine what having the internet and cell phones would've been like. I do control my kids phones and internet usage though, so luckily we haven't had any issues, but they have been victims themselves, and what annoys me the most is hearing "kids will be kids" from the schools when you report it. The HS my son goes to seems to take it very seriously, but the elem. and middle schools here need to start taking it a lot more seriously.
Bullying has been happening for many years. It is done so underhanded that it is hard to catch.
I am 63 yrs old the teachers would not do a thing for me in the 60's and my daughter that is 36 said the teachers would look away when she was bullied in the 90's
Bullying doesn't just happen with kids it also happens in the work place with adults as well. I'd like it if you would report on this issue as well.
.gif)
