Bullying can come in many forms, and all of them result in an imbalance of power among children. Name calling, teasing and making threats are verbal bullying behaviors. When a child excludes another regularly, or spreads rumors about her, she is using psychological manipulation. Stealing a child's belongings, hitting, kicking and pushing are all physical abuses that may be used by a bully. Some characteristics are more identifiable with girls, and others are attributed more often to boys.
A girl may bully as a way to ensure her place in her social circle. She may be prone to jealousy, have feelings of superiority, a lack of empathy or have poor impulse control. She may alienate another child by teasing her, spreading rumors, whispering to others in her presence or by sending ridiculing emails to other friends about her. She may encourage other children in her group to follow suit. A girl may also be capable of bullying a boy in this manner.
A boy may bully due to a need to feel more powerful and dominant in his social circle. He may have an impulsive personality, a lack of empathy and may idealize violence. By middle school age, he may be more likely to smoke or drink alcohol. He may alienate another child by using threats, name calling and cyber-bullying. He may engage in beating up other boys to show his dominance and may use rejection to bully a girl victim.
There are several possible factors that can lead to childhood bullying in both girls and boys. A child may have a role model who displays abusive bullying behavior in the home. There may be a lack of supervision and discipline on the parent's part, allowing permissive behavior. The child may have poor academic achievement. The teachers and administrators at the school may be apathetic toward the signs of bullying, and there may be a lack of rule enforcement.
Parents who spend time with their children, giving them the attention and supervision they need in order to stay out of trouble, can be effective in avoiding bullying behavior. They should always provide their children with clear and consistent rules. Parents can also be models of good behavior by not ridiculing others in front of their children. Parents and teachers need to work in partnership to raise awareness about bullying in the schools, and should intervene as soon as they see inappropriate behavior.