Say NO to bullying Published Aug. 5, 2013 By Airman 1st Class Janelle Patiño 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Don't make fun of someone if you don't want others to make fun of you. Bullying has been an ongoing problem not just in school, but also in the workplace. Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among people that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally and excluding someone from a group on purpose. "Most often, bullying occurs through physical or verbal activity," said Heather Wojciuch, youth program chief. "It's important that we talk with our youth about how to recognize bullying so they can protect themselves and help others." People of all ages experience different kinds of bullying, but the main types are physical bullying, verbal bullying and emotional bullying. As technology progresses, cyber bullying is becoming more frequent. "With the explosion of social media, youth face many new challenges through cyber bullying. It can occur undetected if they don't speak out," Wojciuch said. "It's important for youth to know that there are caring adults available who they can reach out to for help." According to the National Education Association, it is estimated that 160,000 children miss school due to fear of being attacked or bullied. In order to prevent it from happening, the youth center offers help for people who need someone to talk to. "I believe that part of bullying prevention is educating our youth. I am not referring to large group seminars, but one-on-one conversations," said Wojciuch. "As youth professionals, we need to take the time to talk with children and help them find another way to express themselves." At the Youth Center, they train their staff to identify and prevent bullying. Their goal is to talk with youth about respecting one another, implement conflict resolution strategies, and develop a sense of community where youth are empowered to discuss their differences, according to Wojciuch. Jessica Ogle, Child and Youth Program assistant, feels as though it's more helpful when people talk to one another about bullying. The older youth will share stories with the younger children about their experience with bullying and how they worked through it. For more information about how to prevent bullying, call the Youth Center at (509) 247-5601.
