What is Bullying?
Bullying is the intentional infliction of physical or emotional pain by a peer. There is also a mismatch of some sort - the bully is either older, bigger, stronger, more socially secure, more confident, or holds some other type of advantage.
Repeated bullying can lead to negative self-esteem and mental health issues. Kids who have been bullied report struggles with anxiety, loneliness, and depression.
Sadly, some children even take their own lives rather than deal with the effects of bullying.
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The statistics surrounding bullying are disturbing:
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Professionals estimate that over 160,000 children skip school each day to avoid being bullied.​
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Over 3.2 million students are bullied each academic year.
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Almost 1/5th of students report being bullied two or more times each month.
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25% of surveyed teachers don't believe there's anything wrong with bullying.
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68% of children diagnosed with autism report being bullied
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10% of students dropout of school due to bullying.
Bellicose Martial Arts' Bully Defense System
In the ever-evolving landscape of educational psychology and student welfare, the urgency to address bullying in schools has led to the development and implementation of various evidence-based bullying prevention programs.
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Educational system bullying prevention programs are comprehensive strategies implemented in schools to deter bullying behavior, support victims, and educate students on the importance of kindness, respect, and empathy.
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Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is one evidence-based, tiered framework with demonstrated efficacy for supporting students behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health.
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The Bully Defense System (BDS) at Bellicose Martial Arts provides another valuable resource for teaching bully prevention and de-escalation techniques to children. Our Bully Defense System incorporate evidence-based facts from PBIS, the science of Applied Behavior Analysis, and martial arts techniques which focus on controlling an altercation without injury if a physical event does occur.
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BDS was developed by our head martial arts instructor, Professor Charles Cherry. Professor Cherry is a retired federal law enforcement agent with a Masters degree in Applied Behavioral Analysis from University of West Florida and a Masters in Business Management from Amberton University. Professor Cherry combined his 30 years of law enforcement experience with his education and martial arts background to develop a unique approach to combating bullying.
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We believe that children should have both the physical and verbal tools to avoid being bullied.​
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The Bully Defense System at Bellicose Martial Arts will teach your child to stop - de-escalate - resolve - handle conflict of physical boundaries, but if necessary, as a last resort, the use of very effective defensive skills.
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The skills taught in BDS include striking combinations from traditional martial arts, like Karate and Tae Kwon Do at the beginner level. The intermediate students are taught Boxing and Thai Boxing skills that are more closely related to an assault they may encounter.
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The students at all levels also receive a healthy dose of ground fighting skills from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, and Wrestling.
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Additionally, BDS incorporates evidence-based de-escalation techniques to help student avoid conflicts before they ever occur.
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Gain the peace of mind to know that you're given them the training they need to get home safe!
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We hope to see your child's continued growth as we expand their martial arts repertoires.
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WTOP’s Stephanie Gaines-Bryant shares her personal experience and insight as a mother of a child with special needs.