|
The
2005 Character's
Cool Contest had 5,502 students participate from 250 schools
in 40 states.
Demographic
Information
| Age |
|
11
|
8%
|
|
12
|
23%
|
| 13 |
29%
|
| 14 |
19%
|
| 15 |
9%
|
| 16 |
5%
|
| 17 |
4%
|
| 18 |
3%
|
| Gender |
|
Female
|
51%
|
|
Male
|
49%
|
| Ethnicity |
|
American
Indian or Alaska Native
|
1%
|
|
Asian
|
4%
|
| Black
or African American |
13%
|
| Hispanic
or Latino |
15%
|
| Native
Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
1%
|
| Middle
Eastern or Arab |
0%
|
| White |
62%
|
| Some
Other Race |
5%
|
|
1 - Completely
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5 - Not
at all
|
|
5%
|
6%
|
21%
|
25%
|
44%
|
What
is your experience with bullying
or teasing? Check as many as are
true.
|
I
have been the victim of bullying
or teasing before
|
57%
|
|
I
have bullied or teased someone
else before
|
41%
|
| I
have watched as someone
else was being bullied |
82%
|
Below
are some possible reasons why someone
would bully or tease others. Think
about a person you know who behaves
this way. (Maybe it is you.) When
you have that person in mind, click
on all the reasons why you think
that person would treat people in
a hurtful way.
|
They
may be trying to get attention
|
78%
|
|
They
are kidding. They do not mean
any harm
|
38%
|
| They
may be covering up the fact
that they feel insecure or lonely |
59%
|
| They
may come from homes where there
is a lot of fighting or violence |
71%
|
| They
may have low self-esteem |
60%
|
| They
may have been bullied by someone
and are trying to get even |
53%
|
| They
feel afraid and powerless themselves |
37%
|
| They
may think they look tough when
they make others look weak |
74%
|
| They
think it makes them popular
with their peers |
70%
|
| They
may not have any real friends |
53%
|
Kids
who are bullies aren't as all-powerful
as they want the world to think.
They make some really poor choices
that hurt people. And what bullies
don't understand is that when they
deliberately hurt others, they are
hurting themselves too. When you
go around hurting others on purpose,
it's hard to feel good about yourself,
to have any self-respect. What are
some emotions a bully might feel?
|
Powerful
|
75%
|
|
Angry
|
69%
|
| Excited |
19%
|
| Cool |
69%
|
| Popular |
62%
|
| Tough |
84%
|
| Afraid |
36%
|
| Insecure |
44%
|
| Weak |
27%
|
| Accepted |
41%
|
Share a story
about a time when you have been
in a bullying situation - as either
the bully, the victim, or the witness.
How did you feel and what did you
do?
Read
some of the students' answers.
Let's think
about the second side of bullying,
the victim. Kids get picked on for
lots of different reasons. How often
do you think kids get picked on
for the following reasons?
| |
1
Never
|
2
|
3
Sometimes
|
4
|
5
All the time
|
| Their race |
7%
|
14%
|
40%
|
22%
|
17%
|
| Their religious
beliefs |
14%
|
26%
|
30%
|
18%
|
11%
|
| Their handicaps |
11%
|
16%
|
22%
|
25%
|
27%
|
| Who their
friends are |
4%
|
14%
|
30%
|
29%
|
23%
|
| Where they
live |
18%
|
26%
|
27%
|
17%
|
13%
|
| How they
dress or look |
2%
|
5%
|
17%
|
25%
|
51%
|
| How smart
they are or aren't |
8%
|
17%
|
30%
|
23%
|
23%
|
What are some
emotions a victim of bullying and
teasing might feel? Check as many
as you would like.
| Humiliation |
84%
|
| Embarrassment |
87%
|
| Anger |
76%
|
| Powerlessness |
75%
|
| Trapped |
66%
|
| Rejected |
72%
|
| Left
out |
71%
|
| Confused |
50%
|
| Hurt |
90%
|
| Frustrated |
69%
|
| Desperate |
46%
|
| Alone |
76%
|
| Unloved |
60%
|
| Sad |
85%
|
| Unpopular |
76%
|
In this modern
day we have access to the Internet
and other technology that make communication
easier. It also provides more chances
for kids to bully each other online
and through cell phones. What are
some examples that you have heard
of kids cyberbullying each other?
|
Creating Web
sites that make fun of others
|
50%
|
| Taking
cruel pictures with digital
phones and sending them around |
59%
|
| Gossiping
about others in online chat
rooms |
77%
|
| Logging
on using someone else's identity
without their permission |
54%
|
| Sending
anonymous messages or spreading
rumors |
78%
|
Do you think that victims of cyberbullying
feel just as bad as victims of other bullying?
Have you ever participated in cyberbullying?
If so, tell us what the situation was and how it made you
feel.
Read
some of the students' answers.
Let's think
about the third side of bullying,
the witness. "Empathy"
means relating to and understanding
someone else's feelings. Now that
you have stopped to think about
it, how much empathy do you feel
for a person who is bullied?
| 1
- None |
5%
|
| 2
- A little more |
10%
|
| 3
- The same |
26%
|
| 4
- More |
31%
|
| 5
- A lot more |
28%
|
Do you think
that kids who laugh along with the
bully or join in the bullying share
some responsibility for what is
happening?
Do you think
bullying is a problem at your school?
Do you think
bullying is a problem at your school?
Why?
Read
some of the students' answers.
What are some
things we can do to stop bullying?
Select as many as you would like.
| We
could spend more time talking
about how respectful behaviors
help us, our families, our communities
and the world. |
54%
|
| We
could encourage kids to do the
right thing by talking to an
adult they trust when someone
is being mistreated or bullied. |
69%
|
| We
could anonymously report incidents
of bullying to a trusted adult. |
68%
|
| We
could spend more time putting
ourselves in the place of those
being bullied. |
58%
|
| We
could learn ways to see things
from another person's perspective. |
68%
|
| We
could ask ourselves if we want
to live in a world where hurtful
behaviors are acceptable or
where respectful behaviors are
expected. |
59%
|
| We
could always ask ourselves this
question: "Is this the
way I would want to be treated?' |
75%
|
How much do
you agree with the following statements?
|
1
Strongly Disagree
|
2
Disagree
|
3
Undecided
|
4
Agree
|
5
Strongly Agree
|
| "If
more people practiced good character
by being respectful and caring
there would be less bullying
and fewer hurtful behaviors
in the world." |
4%
|
7%
|
21%
|
37%
|
31%
|
| "It's
important that kids learn how
to develop strong character
so that the world can be a safer,
healthier and more prosperous
place to live." |
2%
|
5%
|
23%
|
39%
|
31%
|
| "Learning
how to be a person of character
is as important as learning
math, science and language arts." |
5%
|
9%
|
25%
|
29%
|
32%
|
What character
traits do you think are most important
for all people to have in order
to help stop bullying? Rank the
choices below in order of most important
(1) to least important (5).
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
| Positive
Self-Esteem |
15%
|
20%
|
22%
|
24%
|
19%
|
| Respect
for Self and Others |
21%
|
15%
|
15%
|
28%
|
31%
|
| Integrity |
21%
|
20%
|
24%
|
19%
|
16%
|
| Tolerance |
19%
|
21%
|
22%
|
21%
|
17%
|
| Courage |
15%
|
18%
|
23%
|
21%
|
23%
|
Kids should
always feel safe and accepted --
whether they are at home, at school
or online. What is some advice you
would share with kids who bully?
What are your ideas about stopping
this problem?
Read
some of the students' answers.
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