Dear Parents,
Bullying can be perceived as a problem and concern for parents as their child enters junior high. While bullies have always been around, we are now much more aware of the negative life-long effects of bullying for both the bully and the victim. Changes in society and the family structure in America are producing more challenges as we attempt to deal with the problem in the school, and the media has made us all more aware of potential problems.
Pampa Junior High is not exempt from bullies and bullying behavior among its students; neither is it home to an overwhelming number. One thing for parents to know is that bullying does not begin in junior high. Bullying behavior among children begins as young as preschool, peaks in the middle school years, and decreases as students move on to high school. With that in mind, we need to explore what school personnel, families and students can do to minimize bullying in our school.
The first thing we must do is work from a common definition. Every act of aggression or exclusion among students is not bullying. Single incidents, while hurtful, are not the same thing. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to tell the difference. The students in our school are older than elementary school children, but it is important to remember that they are still children. They are still learning how to get along with one another and behave toward one another in positive ways. They are going to make mistakes, hurt one another’s feelings, and jockey for position in their group of friends. Single incidents can be settled by peer mediation, conferencing with a counselor or administrator, encouraging the students to work it out themselves, and intervening before the problem gets out of hand.
Bullying is when a student or group of students targets an individual over a period of time. It is characterized by an imbalance of power in the relationship. Bullies target other students they perceive to be weaker. It may involve saying mean, hurtful things, spreading rumors and gossip, exclusion, or physical acts of aggression. Boys tend to be more physically aggressive, while girls favor the more subtle means of bullying.
Our school personnel are committed to helping your child have a happy, safe year at PJHS. We will deal with each incidence as it arises, and as we become aware of it. There will be consequences for the bully and support for the victim. Heightened awareness, increased communication, and consistent consequences will go far toward minimizing the problem as much as possible. We have several different processes we are putting into place this year to address the issue. If you have any suggestions, we would love to hear them.
Parents can help us tremendously by telling us when they think there may be a problem. We encourage and welcome your phone calls and input. There are student concern forms in each grade hall and in every teacher’s room. The students can fill them out and return them to the office. If they are uncomfortable doing that, we have set up an email address whereby they, or you, can email the concern: pjhs.concerns@pampaisd.net. It must be stressed that we cannot help if we do not know. Please encourage your child to take responsibility for his own safety and happiness by telling an adult if a problem occurs. They can also talk to one of our counselors who have resources they can share pertaining to dealing with situations such as this.
We look forward to working with you this year to ensure that all of our students are safe and happy at school. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any reason at 669-4900.
Sincerely,
Susan Baker
Assistant Principal
Pampa Junior High School