March 2005
What Is Bullying?
Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intended to cause harm or distress, occurs repeatedly over time, and occurs in a relationship in which there is an imbalance of power or strength. Bullying can take many fo rms, including physical violence, teasing and name-calling, intimidation, and social exclusion. It can be related to hostile acts perpetrated against racial and ethnic minorities, gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual youth, and persons with disabilities.
Ninety percent of 4th through 8th graders report being victims of some form of bullying. Boys are typically more physically aggressive (physical bullying), whereas girls rely more on social exclusion, teasing, and cliques (verbal or emotional bullying). Bullying can also take the form of cyber communication, e.g., via email (cyber bullying). It is estimated that one in four boys who bully will have a criminal record by age 30.
Who Are Bullies?
Children who regularly bully their peers tend to be impulsive, easily frustrated, dominant in personality, have difficulty conforming to rules, view violence positively and are more likely to have friends who are also bullies. Boys who bully are usually physically stronger than their peers.
Moreover, several risk factors have been associated with bullying, including individual, family, peer, school, and community factors. With respect to family factors, children are more likely to bully if there is a lack of warmth and parent involvement, lack of parental supervision, and harsh corporal discipline. Some research suggests a link between bullying behavior and child maltreatment. Also, schools that lack adequate adult supervision tend to have more ins tances of bullying.
Who Is Being Bullied?
Children who are bullied are often cautious, sensitive, insecure, socially isolated, and have difficulty asserting themselves among their peers. Boys who are bullied tend to be physically weaker than their peers. Children who have been victims of child abuse (neglect, physical, or sexual abuse) or who have disabilities are also more likely to be bullied by their peers. You might be: The bully fears exposure of their inadequacy and incompetence, your presence, popularity and competence unknowingly and unwittingly fuel that fear. Seen as a well-defined set of values which you will not compromise. Seen as having a sense of integrity. Seen as having at least one vulnerability that can be exploited. Jealousy and envy are strong motivators of bullying. Giving unwarranted or invalid criticisms. Overruling, ignoring and isolating a person. They regularly choose the target by offensive remarks and language or give the silent treatment. They single out and unfairly treat a person differently to other peers. They Degrade, threaten, or humiliate. They encourage you to feel guilty and to believe you are always the one at fault.
A bully is a mini terrorist to the school population. Unchecked it can get worse.
They look for easy "targets."
What’s an easy target?
A child who unknowingly puts themselves in a position to get bullied and teased by another child or group of children.
But this is not always the case, it depends on the situation, and how well your child tolerates the acts.
Bullies are predatory and opportunistic.
Popular with people.
The person to whom people come to for advice, getting more attention than the bully.
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Bullies also know that they are doing this behavior, and on some scale are like a little terrorist running around the school.
Bullies have a demeanor about them that signifies self justification for their acts.
Bullies are predatorial and usually pick on people of less strength or size.
They threaten, intimidate, and force physical violence on others.
Bullies also do this because they may have issues that are bothering them and they may not know how to deal with their stress properly.
Bullies also look for easy targets for domination purposes, to gain or regain their popularity.
Some will do it to get the attention off them to hurt someone of less popularity or non liked. Some have a bad demeanor about them because of home situations or abuse.
Females are vicious in acts toward each other, in all areas of their physical self, including how they dress and act. Often, violent events can occur due to online postings, and that of rumoring.
Typically kids will use the grapevine in school to demote others. This has a bad aftereffect. Schools should disrupt this as much as possible.
Bullies will offend time and again, it is up to the school how much they monitor a child that bullies but, one thing is definitely for sure; the lawsuits will continue to rise as long as they don't get a good handle on them. Policies are one thing, good management is another.
