Bullying can involve direct acts such as physical violence and intimidation, as well as more indirect forms, such as isolation, exclusion and humiliation. Usually, the victim is tormented repeatedly by the same bully(s). Both bullies and victims tend to have certain characteristics. The bully's aim is to dominate others through physical or emotional control, while the victim tends to lack self-esteem and confidence.
There are many reasons why kids bully others---sometimes it is simply to pick on someone weaker, and other times it is a behavior they have learned from being treated badly at home. Kids who are targets of bullying may become bullies themselves out of retaliation. Adults and school officials should be aware that bullying can escalate to criminal behavior if it is not dealt with at a young age.
In a 2005 study published in the "Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine," researchers found that both bullies and victims did not perform as well in school as did bystanders. The National School Safety Center explains that victims often feel anxiety throughout the school day, worrying about when the bully will strike again. This anxiety affects performance and attendance. For the bully, his or her behavior can lead to disciplinary action such as suspension or expulsion, resulting in disruption of learning. Experts warn that these kinds of behaviors can lead to domestic violence, child abuse and criminal behavior later in life.
Banishing bullying from school campuses requires effort and commitment on the part of staff, students and parents. In the majority of bullying situations, there is a bully, a victim and bystander(s). In order to eliminate bullying from a school, all three need to be talked with. Successful bullying prevention programs involve a whole school approach, in which bullying behavior is not tolerated by anyone. According to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), schools must acknowledge the problem of bullying on their campuses and be willing to change.
According to The National School Safety Center, " preventing and responding to school bullying is the work of every administrator, teacher, school staff member, student and parent." Some of the strategies for prevention include assessing the scope of the problem, creating policies to address bullying, being fair and consistent with rules and consequences, training teachers and staff, educating the students/bystanders about bullying and teaching parents about bullying and its consequences.
Victims of bullying should be encouraged to confide in a caring adult at school who can help. In addition, victims should stick close to friends and avoid places where bullies hang out. The bystanders can help by promoting a bully-free environment at school and getting involved in campaigns to prevent bullying. Most important, bystanders should report incidents of bullying to school faculty and staff. Students should never take matters into their own hands or intervene.
Parents can start by teaching their children about bullying and its consequences at home. Children should be encouraged to disclose if they are being bullied, and parents should report it immediately to the school. Parents need to be familiar with school policies on bullying so that they can work with school administrators and teachers. According to the Kids Health From Nemours website, a child may not be upfront with his parents that he is being bullied, but there are some warning signs. These include noticeable anxiety, loss of appetite, insomnia and not enjoying the usual activities. We also need to remember that bullies need support, too. If a child is bullying others, it is a sign that he needs assistance and perhaps professional help.