There are many types of bullying. Some bullies use verbal or written tactics like teasing, name-calling, or inappropriate sexual comments. Some bullying is social and includes a whole group of people, these situations include, leaving someone else out on purpose, spreading rumors, or embarrassing someone publicly. The third and most aggressive kind of bullying is physical. These situations include hitting, kicking, and punching or taking and breaking someone’s things.
 
Tips for Children Being Bullied:
 
1.Understand the Bullying
Bullying is a learnt behavior. Bullying is often a coping mechanism for children who are going through stressful situations at home, which may include verbal, emotional, or physical abuse.
 
2.If You Feel Safe Enough: Speak to the Person Bullying You
Sometimes the person bullying you may have no idea that you are affected or hurt by their actions. Speaking to the bully can be an affective way to check their actions and words.
 
3.Never Stay Silent
Bullying affects many people but almost half of those people never mention it because they are embarrassed or afraid. Speak to someone even if you don’t want to report the behavior, you should never feel alone.
 
4.Is Bullying a Crime?
Bullying can be a serious crime. If someone physically or sexually attacks you, uses racist or prejudiced language towards you, or shares your private information or images online – these are all important signs that you should reports your bully to the police or a school official.
 
5.Don’t See Yourself as the Problem
People do not experience bullying because of their sexuality, gender identity, race, appearance, disability, or any other personal traits. Bullying happens because of the bully’s attitude towards these unique factors. The person bullying you is the one with the problem, not you.
 
Tips for Parents Whose Children are Being Bullied:
 
1.Talk About it
Talk about bullying with your kids and have other family members share their experiences. Discuss the different types of bullying, cyber, verbal and physical bullying. If your child opens up about being bullied praise him/her/them for being brave enough to talk about it. Consult with your child’s school to understand their policies and find out how staff and teachers can address the situation.
 
2.Remove the Bait
If the bully targeting your child is after lunch money or techy gadgets, you can help neutralize the situation by encouraging your child to pack a lunch or go to school gadget free.
 
3.The Buddy Rule
Two or more friends standing on the playground at recess are less likely to be picked on than a child alone. Remind your child to use the buddy system when on the school bus, in the bathroom, or in between classes.
 
4.Keep Calm and Carry On
If a bully strikes, your child’s best defense may be to remain calm, ignore hurtful remarks, tell the bully to stop, and simply walk away. Bullies feed off the response to their hurtful remarks or actions. A child who isn’t easily ruffled has a better chance of staying off a bully’s radar.
 
5.Don’t Fight the Battle by Yourself
Speaking to the bully’s parents can be effective, but it is generally more successful and constructive when a school counselor or official can mediate. 


​If you are interested in taking Acacia's Anti-Bullying Class, contact us at (208)-498-1760

​When working with individuals who struggle with substance abuse or dependence there are many strategies that can be beneficial.  Both individual and group therapy can be utilized to help the patient have a greater chance in their recovery and overcoming addictions.
Individual therapy allows the patient to build a trusting relationship with a counselor that will not judge them and allow the individual a place to discuss their feelings and problems thus freeing themselves from their burdens.  In many cases this allows the individual to feel better about themselves and the recovery process.  However, individual counseling is not just about allowing the patient to talk, it allows the counselor to teach a variety of important life skills and coping skills that will help the individual manage the stress in their lives.
Some benefits to individual therapy include:

• Discovering the motivation to use drugs and alcohol
• Addressing various stages of recovery
• Discussing sensitive topics such as relationships, sex, and self-esteem concerns
• Developing new life skills and perspectives working through anxiety, depression, and much more.
• Reclaiming a sense of power to move forward.
• Building and strengthening relationships.

Group therapy allows individuals to be in a setting in which they can resolve problems in relating to other people in the group, problems from which they have attempted to "escape" by means of addictive substances.  As social beings, individuals are, whether they like it or not, part of groups; they are born into a group (family) and throughout life join groups that shape their behavior , self-esteem, and affect their physical and mental health.
Some benefits to group therapy include:

• Positive peer support and pressure to abstain from substance use.
• Limiting isolation which many substance users experience.
• Enabling members to witness the recovery of others.
• Helping members learn coping skills from other members when dealing with substance use and other problems.
• Providing information to new members new to recovery.
• Providing and receiving feedback from other members in the group.
• Encouraging, supporting, and reinforcing members in their recovery.
• Groups teach members social skills.
• Allows members to effectively confront other members about their substance use and other harmful behavior.
• Allows members to gain some sense of structure and discipline in their lives.
• Instill hope

There are advantages to utilizing individual and group therapy, but by incorporating both individual and group therapy in the recovery process the individual is likely to become successful.   Each form can build on the other as one can work with internal struggles and the other helps relate to others and feel less isolated from the individual's problems.  Recovery is not about abstinence, although it helps, it is about changed behavior and a changed lifestyle in which making decisions are no longer harmful to oneself and to others, that is the ultimate goal in recovery.  

References
​Benefits of Individual Therapy in Recovery (2015) - The River Source. https://www.theriversource.org/blog/benefits-of-individual-therapy-in-recovery/
Substance Abuse Treatment: Group Therapy (2005) - Treatment Improvement Protocol Series, No. 41. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64223