USA Today – Kristi Valentini
“Good news on the bullying front from the U.S. Department of Education: In a study released this May, fewer children aged 12 to 18 reported being targeted by bullies in 2013, only 22 percent, down from 28 percent in 2011. It’s the lowest number since the department began the survey in 2005. Even in a slightly friendlier school climate, however, bullying still happens — and your child could wind up on either side. Hearing that your child has been involved in bullying, one way or another, can get you all mama bear about the situation. But before you roar, figure out if what’s going on is the real deal. “Bullying is such a big buzzword even preschoolers know and use the term. But much of what kids report is actually peer conflict. If it’s a back-and-forth thing like, ‘I’m mad at you today, and you’re mad at me tomorrow,’ then it’s not bullying,” explains Tara Fishler, CEO of Customized Training Solutions and a conflict resolution expert in New Rochelle, N.Y.”(more)