Sadly, bullying is a problem many kids face in today's social climate that can range from being a minor nuisance to being extremely detrimental to their character and development. At The Way of the Shadow Martial Arts Academy, we do our best to prevent children from getting bullied as well as help the children and families of those who are being bullied by equipping them with the emotional, mental, and physical skills to stop bullying.
Bullyproofing the N.I.N.J.A. Way
N: Never Bully I: Interrupt the Bullying N: Never Encourage the Bully J: Just be Friends A: Always Tell an Adult About Bullying
The Way of the Shadow's N.I.N.J.A.: The Anti-Bullying System is designed to be a tool and resource to be implemented in a large social group setting such as a school, but it is also applicable on an individual level. N.I.N.J.A. provides 5 simple and easy-to-remember anti-bully strategies to combat bullying from the perspective of the bullied, the bystander, and even the bully. Although the goal is to be able to execute all 5 strategies simultaneously, the key to our system is that only ONE needs to be executed in order to successfully stop bullying. This allows a person to choose one or multiple methods that they are most comfortable with.
N.I.N.J.A. Strategy Breakdown Never Be a Bully The easiest way to get rid of bullies is if everyone decided not to be one!
Interrupt the Bullying Put a stop to the bullying by using methods such as saying "Stop it!", speaking up, calling for a teacher, or simply walking away. Interrupting is NOT physically pushing, fighting, or putting yourself in a dangerous position.
Never Encourage the Bully Don't encourage the bully by laughing, playing along, or joining in.
Just be Friends Everyone can use more friends; befriending the victim or even the bully can eliminate the negative effects of bullying as well as the need to bully.
Always Tell an Adult About the Bullying Talk to a trusted adult (parent, teacher, counselor, coach, etc.) about bullying for advice, help, and support.
3 Levels of N.I.N.J.A: The Anti-Bullying System
There are three distinct levels in which N.I.N.J.A. addresses bullying: the social group level, the close family and friends level, and the individual level. The three levels do not have to be addressed in order nor do they all need to be completed before moving on to the next in order to be successful. However, the more solid each level is, the greater the impact on bullying.
Level 1: Deals with the general population of the affected area in a broad sense.
Goal: To reduce instances of bullying in a social group.
Method: Give the individuals a number of options to deal with bullying so that the individuals in the group learn that bullying is unacceptable.
Example:
A school is a prime example for a large group where bullying is a daily issue; unfortunately, school are often under-equipped. Because many of our students attend the surrounding schools, we feel it is The Way of the Shadow's duty to lend aid to local schools and lessen the impact of bullying. Partnering with the school administration and PTA, we arrange demonstrations and assemblies based around N.I.N.J.A. and the topic of bullying. Throughout the school year, we make repeat visits in order to reinforce the "N.I.N.J.A. Way."
Level 2: Deals with nuclear adults surrounding a bullied child.
Goal:
To involve the parents in the anti-bullying process by giving them the knowledge, means, and resources to assist the child in dealing with bullying.
Method:
Educate adults on anti-bullying methodologies, teach them how to recognize signs of bullying, encourage the forming of partnerships between involved adults (i.e. parent/teacher meetings), and encourage open discussion on bullying issues between the child and the adults.
Example: Primarily, as instructors, our goal is to develop relationships with our students and their families and make ourselves approachable. Our unique relationship with the student allows us to be a facilitator when it comes to talking about the sensitive topic of bullying with parents. Partnering with the parents and other involved adults, we develop a plan to deal with the bully.
Level 3: Deals with the bullied individual on a personal level.
Goal:
Give the child social, emotional, and physical tools and techniques to deal with the bullying directly (should both group and adult involvement fail or be unavailable).
Method:
Working and training the individual on both a short and long term basis to build confidence (understanding that it is not their fault), and LASTLY giving them the skills required to deal with a bully physically should the need arise for their self-protection.
Example: Our ultimate goal at The Way of the Shadow is to develop character traits in students that will help prevent bullying from starting or continuing such as assertiveness and self confidence. Students who refuse to be targets are less likely to end up being targets for bullies. We build these traits through our regular training classes by encouraging students to be high-energy, not timid, and perform to the best of their ability. We also incorporate in-class bullying scenarios as part of our training program.
Responding to a bully with physical force can result in disciplinary action from the school. Therefore, we explore all the options available to the student to avoid such measures. If all else fails, we prepare the student to stand up for themselves by whatever means necessary to keep the student from being injured or bullied further.
Anti-Bullying Partnership with Schools Want us to do an Anti-Bullying Demonstration at your school? We would love to help your school become a Bully-Free Zone. Contact us if you would like us to visit your school for an Anti-Bullying Demonstration or partnership!
Home
About Us
