Bullying Is A Part of Life
Bullying is an unfortunate part of life. Kids can be cruel, and they can be especially cruel to other kids. Most of us can remember being bullied or teased as children.
Even though bullying is common to most of us, it is not something that should be taken lightly. Recent major events have shown a light on the effects of bullying. Among other things it can lead to:
- Suicide
- Murder
- Lashing out
It is important that parents, teachers, and concerned students keep a look out for both bullies and victims of bullying. It is also important to recognize that bullying can happen in several different ways. The most common are:
- Verbal – Name calling, teasing, threatening.
- Mental – Gossiping, intimidating, making someone a social pariah.
- Physical – Beating, pushing, stealing.
The sooner responsible individuals can recognize bullying, the easier it will be to take action before something drastic happens.
Who Are the Primary Victims?
Bullying happens everywhere across all cultures, economic levels, and ethnic lines. Every culture has some aspect of bullying.
The usual victims of bullies are those kids who are perceived as being weaker in some respect. They may be physically weaker, or just shyer than their peers. Also children with low self-esteem and social problems are often targets.
Children like this are seen as easy targets for bullies as there is little chance they will stand up for themselves.
What Are the Results of Bullying?
Both victims and perpetrators are affected by bullying.
As mentioned above, in severe cases, the victim may resort to suicide. There have been numerous reports in the past few years of teenagers committing suicide as a result of being bullied.
Victims may also turn to violence. They may take their frustrations out on their attackers and react violently. Or they may take them out on whoever is most accessible at the moment.
Bullies also carry these traits into adulthood. Kids who are bullies often grow up to be bullies as adults, have difficulty forming meaningful relationships, and develop other social problems.
What Can We Do About Bullying?
If you are a parent and you suspect your child is being bullied, give them a chance to talk about it. Don’t react emotionally. Listen to what they have to say and look for clues.
You should encourage your child to stand up for themselves if they feel they are being bullied. Let them know that most bullies look for the weakest individual and the best way to stop them is to show them you are not afraid.
Also encourage your kids to get new friends. If they have a group or clique of their own, it is unlikely the bully will want to bother them. There is strength in numbers.
Finally, if the situation gets really bad, let the teachers and authorities at your child’s school know of the situation. One of the benefits of the recent media coverage of bullying episodes has been to make school officials more aware and responsive to the problem.