Teens & Preteens
Community educators at Graces Smith House visit local middle and high schools every year. In 2018, we educated 6,877 youth in Dutchess County on bullying, dating violence and more.
Middle School Students
Bullying stops when students become ‘upstanders.’ When upstanders see bullying, they step up to say or do something to stop it.
What does bullying look like? Bullying can take on many forms, such as:
What can you do if you see bullying?
Bullying stops when students become ‘upstanders.’ When upstanders see bullying, they step up to say or do something to stop it.
What does bullying look like? Bullying can take on many forms, such as:
- Leaving someone out of an activity on purpose
- Tripping, pushing or knocking someone’s books out of their arms
- Making hurtful remarks, insulting or putting someone down
- Stealing, destroying or damaging property
What can you do if you see bullying?
- Make sure the student being bullied is OK.
- Team up with your friends to let the bully know that the behavior will not be accepted.
- Tell a trusted teacher, coach, guidance counselor or adult what happened.
What does cyber bullying look like?
What can you do if you know about a cyber bullying incident?
Cyber bullying is a crime. Talk to your parents or a trusted adult for guidance. There are times when the internet service provider and police need to be contacted - an adult can help you with that.
Connect for Respect (C4R)
This annual leadership institute meets for four days over the summer. Kids learn how to recognize different forms of bullying, methods to combat the behaviors and how to be upstanders. They also learn strategies for raising awareness in their schools.
For information about registering, contact our community educator at 845-452-7155 ext. 20.
- Posting insulting and hurtful comments about a person.
- Posting insulting and hurtful pictures or videos of a person.
- Excluding someone from activities or threads by ignoring their comments.
- Responding to someone’s post in a mean or hurtful way.
- Targeting someone by repeatedly posting the same comment over and over.
- Threatening someone with physical harm.
What can you do if you know about a cyber bullying incident?
Cyber bullying is a crime. Talk to your parents or a trusted adult for guidance. There are times when the internet service provider and police need to be contacted - an adult can help you with that.
Connect for Respect (C4R)
This annual leadership institute meets for four days over the summer. Kids learn how to recognize different forms of bullying, methods to combat the behaviors and how to be upstanders. They also learn strategies for raising awareness in their schools.
For information about registering, contact our community educator at 845-452-7155 ext. 20.
High School Students
Teen dating violence can include abuse that is physical, emotional, verbal or sexual in nature. Unhealthy or abusive relationships take many forms, and there is not one specific behavior that causes a relationship to be categorized as such. However, there are certain behaviors that should raise a red flag, such as:
What can you do if you see teen dating violence?
Call our hotline at (845) 471-3033 for advice.
How can you help a friend?
Teen dating violence can include abuse that is physical, emotional, verbal or sexual in nature. Unhealthy or abusive relationships take many forms, and there is not one specific behavior that causes a relationship to be categorized as such. However, there are certain behaviors that should raise a red flag, such as:
- Excessive jealousy or insecurity
- Stalking
- Invasions of your privacy
- Unexpected bouts of anger or rage
- Unusual moodiness
- Pressuring a partner into unwanted sexual activity
- Blaming you for problems in the relationship and not taking any responsibility for the same
- Controlling tendencies
- Explosive temper
- Preventing you from going out with or talking to other people
- Constantly monitoring your whereabouts and "checking in" to see what you are doing and who you are with
- Falsely accusing you of things
- Vandalizing or ruining your personal property
- Taunting or bullying
- Threatening or causing physical violence.
What can you do if you see teen dating violence?
Call our hotline at (845) 471-3033 for advice.
How can you help a friend?
- Tell them you know they feel bad and what they are going through is hard
- Tell them it’s not their fault
- Encourage them to tell a trusted adult
- Help them develop a safety plan
- Listen, believe them, and don’t judge
- Tell them they deserve respect
- Offer them resources and be respectful of their decisions
- Don’t put down their partner
- Encourage them to join extracurricular activities
Call us at (845) 471-3033 for help.
Get Involved
United Peer Council (UPC)
This group of high school students from all over Dutchess County want to learn more effective ways of helping their fellow students address teen dating violence in their schools. They do this by learning to co-facilitate workshops, hosting outreach events and educating peers and community about the cycle of teen dating violence.
Love Shouldn’t Hurt Conference
This is a day-long event that invites high school students from across Dutchess County to learn how to break the cycle of teen dating violence. Students and chaperones attend interactive and engaging workshops to challenge the social norms that perpetuate and normalize abuse. It is held every March at Dutchess Community College.
United Peer Council (UPC)
This group of high school students from all over Dutchess County want to learn more effective ways of helping their fellow students address teen dating violence in their schools. They do this by learning to co-facilitate workshops, hosting outreach events and educating peers and community about the cycle of teen dating violence.
Love Shouldn’t Hurt Conference
This is a day-long event that invites high school students from across Dutchess County to learn how to break the cycle of teen dating violence. Students and chaperones attend interactive and engaging workshops to challenge the social norms that perpetuate and normalize abuse. It is held every March at Dutchess Community College.
