BULLYING

DEFINITIONBullying is the use of force, threat. or coercion to abuse and aggressively dominate others. Behaviors used to assert such domination can include verbal harassment or threat, physical assault or coercion. Rationalizations for such behavior sometimes include differences of social class, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, appearance, behavior, personality, reputation, lineage, strength, size or ability. If bullying is done by a group, it is called MOBBING.

BASIC TYPES OF ABUSE

VERBAL

CYBERPHYSICAL

EMOTIONAL

EMOTIONAL BULLYING Emotional bullying is any form of bullying

that causes damage to a ‘victim’ psyche and/or emotional well-being. Emotional bullying has been seen in a variety of relationships, including child friendships, emotional child abuse, intimate partnerships, teenagers, co-workers and more.

VERBAL BULLYING Verbal bullying is any slanderous( συκοφαντικός)

statements or accusations that cause the victim undue (άδικο) emotional distress. For example, a less athletically inclined peer may be called nerd or wimp. Unlike physical bullying, by definition verbal bullying is harder to see and stop. It tends to occur when adults aren’t around to stop it and the effects of it are not obvious.

Verbal bullying can be very damaging and may have long term psychological effects on the victim.

PHYSICAL BULLYING Physical bullying is a serious problem,

affecting not only the bully and the victim, but also the students who witness the bullying. Physical bullying can take many forms such as hitting, pushing, tripping, slapping, stealing or destroying possessions including books, clothing or pocket money. It occurs when a person uses overt bodily acts to gain power over peers.

CYBER BULLYING Cyber bullying is when a child or teen is

threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. This form of bullying can easily go undetected because of lack of parental supervision. Cyber bullying includes abuse using email, blogs, instant messaging, text messaging or websites. Many who are bullied in school are likely to be bullied over the Internet and vice versa.

WHY DO CHILDREN AND TEENS BECOME BULLIES??Bullying is usually associated with an imbalance of power. A bully has a perceived authority over another due to factors such as size, gender or age. To identify bullies we need to focus on how they act. Individuals that choose to be a bully are not typically born with the characteristic. It is a result o f the treatment they receive from authority figures, including parents. Bullies are overtly concerned about their appearance and their popularity. The confident bully has a very high opinion of themselves and feels a sense of superiority over other students.

SIGNS OF BEING BULLIED Coming home from

school with bruises Having damaged

clothing, books or possessions.

Often ‘losing’ things that they take to school.

Complaining of frequently not feeling well before school or school activities.

Withdrawing from others.

Trying to take a weapon to school.

Talking about suicide or violence against others.

Wanting to run away. Displaying low self

esteem. Acting sad or depressed Mood swings, including

anger or sadness.

USEFUL ADVICE If a student is a victim of bullying, show love and

support the child and explain that the bullying is not their fault, and that what the bully is doing is wrong! Talk to the victim to find out when and how the bullying is taking place, then talk to the teachers and school administrators about the problem. Don’t encourage the victim to fight back. Often the best way to deal with bullies is to avoid them or react as little as possible. If the victim is struggling with feelings of depression or anger, seek counseling to help them deal with their emotions.

Parents should talk to their children often about what goes on at school, and if they ever see or experience bullying. Parents should encourage their children not to support bullying, even by watching it, and to report it if it’s happening.

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