NOT ON OUR WATCH (N.O.W)
NOT ON OUR WATCH is a student-centered anti-bullying program that is designed to empower students to work collaboratively to decrease instances of bullying behavior within their schools and communities. Each Pre-K-8 and high school in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District has a NOT ON OUR WATCH (N.O.W) team which is a student-centered anti-bullying program. The goal of bullying prevention is to decrease the prevalence of bullying and promote a safe, warm environment.
The goal of the program is to foster a climate that makes it uncomfortable to engage in bullying behavior by decreasing the number of student bystanders while increasing the number of upstanders. Each K-8 and high school in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District has NOW (Not on Our Watch) student leaders who have been trained to answer the following questions:
- What is bullying behavior?
- What are the types of bullying behaviors?
- What are the results of bullying behavior?
- Do I engage in bullying behavior?
- What can I do to decrease instances of bullying behavior?
What is Bullying?
- Imbalance of Power: people who bully use their power to control or harm, and the people being bullied may have a hard time defending themselves
- Intent to Cause Harm: actions done by accident are not bullying; the person bullying has a goal to cause harm.
- Repetition: incidents of bullying happen to the same person over and over by the same person or group.
Types of Bullying
- Verbal: name-calling, teasing
- Social: spreading rumors, leaving people out on purpose, breaking up friendships
- Physical: hitting, punching, shoving
- Cyberbullying: using the Internet, mobile phones, or other digital technologies to harm others
Working with Schools to Stop Bullying
- Know the school's policies.
- Ask for a copy or check the student handbook to see if our school has standards in place that will help resolve the situation.
- Open the line of communication.
- Call or set up an appointment to talk with your child's teacher or school counselor, principal, and/or assistant principal and establish a partnership to stop bullying.
- Get help for your child.
- Seek advice from your child's guidance counselor, principal, assistant principal, and/or other school-based health professionals.
- They may be able to help your child cope with the stress of being bullied.
- Talk regularly with your child and with school staff to see if the bullying has stopped.
Anti-Bullying Activities and Resources
What is Cyberbullying?
Formally, we define it as “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices”