Children and teenagers often have minor disagreements resulting in some sort of physical scuff or verbal abuse. While these situations are not positive and should be addressed, they do not represent instances of bullying. Bullying behavior usually displays itself as part of a pattern. For example, if one child regularly insults another child without provocation, these would be instances of bullying. Long-term bullying can be traumatic for students who experience it.
While many people are familiar with the classic give-me-all-of-your-lunch-money bully, bullying actually manifests in several common forms. Verbal abuse in the form of insults or name-calling, physical abuse such as shoving, tripping or hitting, and being forced to do things against your will qualify as bullying. More subtle forms of bullying include social exclusion and rumor spreading, and gender, race and sexual orientation may also come under fire. Cyber bullying is a newer form of bullying where classmates deliver these social or verbal insults via text, email or social networking platform.
Bullies do reap some benefits for their unruly behavior. Some children become bullies because they want to control the world around them. Others receive some sort of direct benefit for their actions, such as money or attention. Finally, some bullies simply take pleasure in hurting other people. Isolating and removing a student's motivation for bullying can be an effective method for ending the problem.
Students on the receiving end of a bully's wrath may experience several negative side effects. Poor grades, depression, low self-esteem and thoughts of suicide can result from brutal bully behavior. These problems can have long-lasting impacts on the identity of a child and will influence how he develops as an adult. Students acting as bullies are more likely to commit vandalism, drink and smoke, and fail academically.