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KIDS ON THE BLOCK
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KIDS' KORNER

 

September 30, 2014                                                                        Issue #19

Victims of bullying are still affected at age 50.

Children who are bullied can experience negative effects on their physical and mental health more than 40 years later, say researchers.

Those bullied frequently as children were at an increased risk of depression and anxiety, and more likely to report a lower quality of life at 50. Those who were bullied frequently were also more likely to have suicidal thoughts. There are also social and economic consequences to childhood bullying. Those bullied as children were more likely to be less educated, with men who were bullied more likely to be unemployed and earn less.
 

Programs to stop bullying are extremely important, but we also need to focus our efforts on early intervention to prevent potential problems from persisting into adolescence and adulthood.

The study said the harmful effects of bullying remained even when other factors, including childhood IQ, emotional and behavioral problems, and parents' socioeconomic status, were taken into account.
 

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 SAVE THE DATE!! -- 
Sunday, November 2, 2014

 

                       Piedmont Park

 

         $30 for adults and $10 for kids

 

              
Click here for more information and to register!!
KIDS ROCK THE BLOCK!

 

September's Kid of the Month: Eddy Franklin

 

Eddy is ten years old and likes to play baseball and write mystery stories.  He lives with his mother, Erin, his father, Howard, and older brother David, who has autism.  


Eddy has been harboring a secret from his parents.  Recently, Eddy has begun having problems with a boy at school who has been taunting him, pushing him around, and taking his lunch money. This boy also waits for him after school, either to humiliate Eddy or to beat him up.  Eddy has been very upset about this, but has not talked to anyone yet.  He is ashamed and embarrassed and doesn't believe that anyone can help him.  He also feels somewhat guilty because when his friend, Jason, was having similar problems, Eddy didn't do anything to help him out.  In fact, much of his guilt comes from the fact that when Jason was being bullied, Eddy was secretly relieved that it was happening to Jason rather than to him.  

Eddy appears in The Kids on the Block program on Autism as well as the program on Bullies and School Safety.
 

DID YOU KNOW?

  
Signs a child is being bullied

School is back in session, which presents more opportunities for kids to be bullied. Look closely and you may find out that a child is a victim . If bullying becomes serious enough, it can permanently damage a child's self-esteem, lead to mental health issues, and affect how he/she treats others.

Be aware of the following signs commonly displayed by bullied children:

  • A sudden decline in grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, reluctance to go to school
  • Changes in eating habits, tendency to the two extremes: binge eating and starvation
  • Depression, feelings of helplessness, no passion for hobbies, low self-esteem
  • Difficulty sleeping or recurrent nightmares
  • Headaches, stomachaches, faking illnesses to avoid school
  • Lost or destroyed personal belongings, like books or electronics
  • Mysterious physical injuries, mostly bruises

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LORIE'S UPDATE

 Lorie

It's September, and now that the school year is well underway, schools have begun requesting the Kids on the Block(KOTB) program on Bullying and School Safety. MHA of Georgia's Kids on the Block program has developed strategies that address some of the causes and factors that contribute to bullying behaviors. KOTB also creates a dialogue about how to stop bullying.

 

KOTB address mental illness and wellness, and their roles in bullying behaviors. MHA of Georgia's KOTB troupe talks about feelings and coping skills. What do we do when we are mad? What do we do when we are sad? Puppet characters talk about how to cope with their feelings and discuss ideas with the audience. Once audience members can discuss why they have feelings, puppet characters work to show empathy towards one another's feelings. When children ask questions such as "Why do kids bully?" we can remind them that everyone has feelings. Some bullies may be dealing with problems at home, and some may have a mental illness. We also emphasize that bullying can cause mental illness for the person being bullied.

 

Problem-solving tools are essential building blocks. Coping skills help a person in the moment, and problem-solving skills build a toolkit for safely dealing with conflict. Some psychotherapists term these skills "inter-personal effectiveness," and schools used to label them "second-step curriculum." The puppet characters call these steps "I Statements," and emphasize that resolving conflict and compromising in some situations is the safest way to solve a problem. The audience members often tell the puppets why violent behavior causes long-term problems and creates negative consequences.

 

The program presents positive characters with physical, emotional, and cultural differences to dispel stigma and promote understanding of differences. If individuals understand that disabilities and mental illness do not define a person, and if children become accustomed to looking at a person as an individual who has feelings, they are less likely to bully or enable bullying behavior among their peers. Enter the Kids on the Block, each of whom has distinct likes and dislikes, and many of whom show an excellent sense of humor. These characters have a dialogue with children about what it feels like to be picked on, while emphasizing that they have feelings just like every other kid sitting in the room.

 

These strategies are just a few of the goals we employ in our KOTB Program. To find out more about our puppet characters and programs, visit our website or email Lorie.

 

 To schedule a Kids on the Block performance, please contact Lorie at [email protected]  

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

 

Kids on the Block is only one of many programs offered by MHA of Georgia to further our mission of enhancing the mental health of all Georgians through education, outreach and advocacy.

 

Click here to learn more about our programs.  Your support will help us continue our work educating Georgians about mental illness, working to eliminate stigma and advocating on behalf of people with  mental illness in our state.  Click here to support MHA of Georgia.