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NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — Bullying is something that happens across the globe, including here in North Dakota. So how do we stop it? First, we have to define it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Department of Education released the first federal definition of bullying, which includes three core elements:
1. unwanted aggressive behavior.
2. there is a power imbalance.
3. repetition or the likelihood of repetition of bullying behaviors
And did you know that North Dakota law specifically prohibits it? You can check out the laws here.
North Dakota breaks down both in-person bullying and cyber bullying, and even breaks down what parents and school districts need to do to report the bullying.
If your child has been bullied, you must report it to the school, and the school district must implement their bullying policy, which is mandatory for all North Dakota schools.
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“Bullying of any kind fosters fear and increased stress in school and at home, undermining a student’s ability to achieve their full potential,” says Cindy Marten, the Deputy Secretary at the Dept. of Education.
According to stopbullying.gov, about 20% of students 12 to 18 years old experienced bullying.
Studies also have shown that adults can help prevent bullying by speaking to children about bullying, encouraging them to do what they love, modeling kindness and respect, and seeking help.