What Is Bullying?
Bullying, as a general act, is an aggressive act to coerce or harm someone vulnerable. While it can occur at all ages, the most common victims are children. The most common perpetrators of those who bully children, are other children. Those who bully use their superior power, possibly repeatedly, in the form of making threats, conducting physical violence, and/or other similar acts.
Generally speaking, there are four types of bullying:
- Verbal bullying (for example: taunting, insults, threats)
- Physical bullying (for example: taking another’s property, causing bodily harm, tripping others on purpose)
- Social bullying (for example: telling rumors, embarrassing someone, leaving someone out of a social event)
- Cyber bullying (for example: saying mean things online in a public forum, threatening someone online, posting private pictures of someone on Facebook)
In 2017, a study found that approximately 20% of all United States students (ages 12 to 18) were bullied. In a separate study based in the United States, 19% of students in grades 9 – 12 were bullied on school grounds. In a different study based on United States students under nine years of age, 20% reported being physically intimidated, 20-30% were socially bullied, and virtually none were cyber bullied. Generally speaking, in the United States, 30% of children bully other children.
On a global scale it was revealed in 2018 that approximately 32% of boys and 28% of girls experienced bullying in school. Of these countries, ten of them had bullying rates over 60%. Specifically, 65% of girls, and 62% of boys, were bullied in the classroom.
Why Do Children Bully?
Abuse, trauma, and lack of attention are some reasons why a child may choose to bully another. Abuse may come in the form of drug-addicted parents, or parents who physically or sexually abuse their child. Or something entirely else. Trauma, by this same extension, can be derived from being bullied by another child or adult. Bullying, for others, can be a form of acting out, in order to get the attention of a parent.
While these reasons necessitate a certain level of sympathy for the bully, it is important to realize they do not justify the behavior. Naturally, the bullying behavior should be corrected as soon as possible.
What Are Some Signs Of A Child Being Bullied? What Are Signs That A Child Is A Bully?
Some signs that a child is being bullied are listed below, however, it’s not always apparent that a child is being bullied. Please don’t rely on the below items as a comprehensive list, a child may show signs they are being bullied in other ways.
- Injuries they will not detail
- Damaged/lost items of theirs, especially ones of value
- Pretending to be sick, injured, or otherwise unwell
- Binge eating, and conversely skipping meals. They may not have eaten their lunch
- Trouble sleeping
- Poor grades, little interest in school, or refusal to go to school altogether
- Immediate loss of friends/regular social interactions
- Lowered self-esteem
- Running away from home, harming themselves, or discussing suicide seriously
A child may be a bully if they exhibit the following behaviors. Like above, please note this is not a comprehensive list:
- Get into fights or arguments frequently
- Are friends with known bullies
- Often blame others for their problems
- Get detention/punished in school a lot
What Can Parents, Teachers, and Children Do To Prevent Bullying?
For parents, if you believe your child is being bullied or is a bully themselves, it’s recommended to first find out exactly what happened to your child/what your child is doing. Once that has been done, bring it to the attention of their teachers and the school administration. From there, you and the school can work together to resolve the situation.
Teachers should work towards establishing a safe school environment, and to respond immediately when bullying does occur. Be sure to engage parents and their youth in this pursuit of making a safer school.
Children who are being bullied, or believe someone else is being bullied, should report this to a teacher or school administrator. Be sure to detail as much as possible, so that the adult has the best possible understanding of what is going on.