We all play a role in the prevention of school bullying, and most people have directly or indirectly participated in, witnessed, or experienced some form of bullying in schools. Whether you are the teacher, parent, adolescent or child everyone has directly witnessed ,participated or experienced a form of bullying.
Bullying is defined as a distinctive pattern of repeatedly and deliberately harming and humiliating others, specifically those who are smaller, weaker, younger or in any way more vulnerable than the bully. School bullying may occur either in schools, on campus, or outside of school, but it is due to relationships created in school settings.
Types of Bullying
Direct Bullying and Indirect Bullying
Direct bullying is different from indirect bullying as direct bullying involves direct contact with the one being bullied. Indirect may not. An example of direct bullying would be throwing something at a person, or yelling hurtful words at them. An example of indirect bullying might be spreading rumors about a classmate.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is any type of bullying that happens online. It can be hurtful comments on a personal site or deceptive private messaging.
Physical Bullying
Physical bullying always involves physical contact with the other person. This can mean hand-to-hand, but can also mean throwing items, tripping, or eliciting others to cause physical harm to a person.
Emotional Bullying
Emotional bullying involves using ways to cause emotional hurt to another person. This can include saying or writing hurtful things, causing others to gang up on an individual, purposeful ignoring, or spreading rumors.
Sexual Bullying
Sexual bullying refers to any sort of bullying, done in any manner, that is related to a person’s gender or sexuality. Examples can include forcing someone to commit intimate acts, making sexual comments, or unwanted touching.
Verbal Bullying
Verbal bullying means using any form of language to cause the other person distress. Examples include using profanities, hurtful language, negatively commenting on a person’s appearance, using derogatory terms, or teasing.
Bullying in Higher Education
Many people wrongly assume that bullying stops in high school, but bullying still occurs in higher education as well. This can happen in many forms, and comes with special challenges due to students living away from home and on their own in many cases.
Why do people bully
People bully because it can be an effective way of getting what they want, at least in the short term, and because they lack the social skills to do so without harming others.
Bullying also is a way of establishing social dominance, although over time, as children’s behavioral repertoires generally broaden, it becomes an increasingly dysfunctional way.
Child and adult bullies have a tendency to have low tolerance for frustration, trouble empathizing with others, and a tendency to view innocuous behaviors by their victims as being provocative. They are more likely to suffer from a mental health problem compared to non-bullies.
Bystanders of bullying, those who witness it but are neither the primary bully nor the victim, tend to succumb to what they believe is peer pressure to support bullying behavior and fear of becoming the victim of the bully if they don’t support the behavior. Further, bystanders are at risk for engaging in bullying themselves if they encourage the bullying by paying attention to the behavior or laughing about it.
Effects of bullying
Consequence
People who have been victims of bullying can have low self esteem which can lead to depression.
Some victims of bullying show physical and/or emotional distress as a result of bullying in schools or at the work place.
Adolescents who were bullied have a higher chance of developing depression in adulthood.
It can make students feel lonely, unhappy and frightened.
Students may end up missing school, see their marks drop or even leave school altogether because they have been bullied.
How to prevent bullying
Teach Kindness and Empathy
Children should know from an early age what effect their behavior has on others. They should be taught to see others’ perspectives to help them understand other people emotionally.
Making opportunities for connections
When students feel that their peers are part of their group or community, they will be less likely to bully and more likely to stand up to other students bullying and breaking apart the community they helped build
Addressing Behaviors& removing labels
Labeling a child as a bully does not help the situation. Teachers and parents should look at bullying behaviors instead of identifying who is a “bully.”
Bring Peaceful Solutions
Peaceful solutions are the answers to bullying, not spreading more hate. Do not bully a bully, or encourage hate or violence in the student being bullied.
Communicate openly
Communication is key with bullying prevention. When children feel like they can talk to adults in their community, they are more likely to report bullying, and to avoid bullying by working out their feelings verbally.
Lets be kind to one another. If you know anyone who needs professional help, do reach out to us today.
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