Joe Bruzzese Read Online Free Page B

members-only social groups comes to the forefront in middle school as children become interested in more socially oriented activities. During elementary school children are encouraged to stay active on the playground before school and during break periods. On a middle school campus, the larger student population and lack of space discourage this level of physical activity. Changing the social dynamics of student interactions would require an overhaul of the supervision system and a new look at where students could spend their break periods. Currently, students mill around common areas on campus, whichare patrolled by school administrators and faculty. At many middle schools the ratio of students to administrators or faculty heavily favors students, leaving opportunity for potentially dangerous behavior. For now, it’s safe to say that the school setting for adolescents is fairly uniform and predictable, which unfortunately means that cliques are here to stay.
    â€œBeing popular is the only place to be. If you’re not in the popular group, people think you’re a loser.”
    â€”
Angela, seventh grader, Nashville, TN
    Why do kids continually attempt to fit in with groups that want to exclude them? Usually, they see the status and security that comes with group membership as worth the potential rejection or abuse. To the new middle schooler, the prospect of walking the halls alone and being seen as a loser seems far worse than any possible abuse from being on the fringes of a popular group.
    The new middle schooler should start learning early on to avoid the heartache of clique exclusion and instead to develop healthy peer relationships. For a child eager to connect with a new group of friends, it can be difficult to differentiate between potential friends and foes. You may need to coach your child in how to steer clear of bullying situations and cliques. It’s crucial that kids learn how to identify cliques, particularly those groups of children who like to exclude or bully based on appearance, interest, or race. Although the short-term benefits of belonging to a clique may seem inviting to the child who is looking for higher social status, the ultimate consequences are often exclusion and hurt feelings. Encourage your child to stick with friends who offer positive support, and remind her that it may take time to find the right niche.
Bullying in all its shapes and sizes
    Although clique encounters can initially lead to hurt feelings, these often become easier to ignore once your child finds her own group of good friends. Bullying, however, takes exclusion beyond hurt feelings to serious abuse. The classic stereotype of the bully is an older, more physically imposing boy threatening and beating up a smaller boy. Yet today’s forms of abuse extend beyond this style of aggression. Although physical abuse still occurs among adolescents, the incidence of emotional bullying through electronic means—cyberbullying—is on the rise among both boys and girls, thanks to the anonymity of the Internet and cell phones. These virtual media have given bullies new avenues to inflict fear without having to cause physical harm. For example, a seemingly innocent picture from the weekend slumber party can be easily distorted and sent on to hundreds of people.
    Whether bullying happens in person or online, parents need to step up and advocate for their child. The following six warning signs can serve as clear indicators of bullying behavior. Separately, each sign could raise concern. Observing more than one of these behaviors in your child is definite cause for action.
    Reluctance to leave home . If your normally social child chooses to stay home rather than go out with friends, it may be because of a bully. Bullying can occur at school as well as at off-campus social events. In the crowded corridors typical of many middle school campuses, bullies often lurk where traffic is heaviest—leaving their victims