In recent years, bullying has become a phenomenon affecting children all over the world. In this blog post I will describe to you the causes and types of bullying, as well as how to detect and address it.
Background
Although it has always existed, it seems that in recent years it has spread to schools, where children are more exposed to it. Therefore, parents and teachers have to know how to distinguish the different types of bullying in order to determine if a child is suffering from it and to find solutions, as soon as possible.
Bullying is a phenomenon characterized by harassment and/or intimidation of the abuser on the victim within the school setting. The harasser enjoys feeling superior to the harassed and enjoys his suffering.
Its constant repetition can harm the victim in very different ways to the point that it can lead to isolation, loss of self esteem, or in the worst cases suicide. Detecting and addressing bullying as soon as possible is fundamental for the victim. Also, we can not forget the importance of knowing and mastering the guidelines for preventing it.
To set the tone of my blog, in the following video, Northern Illinois University experts offer tips to identify bullying behaviors, and what schools and parents can do to combat bullying in the classroom:
Many of the school age children have been exposed to some form of bullying or know of a friend that has suffered one of the types of it. In essence, they have witnessed behavior of this type in their social environment, have participated in some form of it, either as a victim or as an aggressor.
On the other hand, some of students recognize that they would not ask their teacher for advice, in the event that they are involved in a violent situation. More importantly, only a small percentage of those who suffer are able or willing to report it.
Causes of Bullying
Bullying can occur in any private or public setting and is manifested for personal or family reasons. One of the most common personal causes is the low self-esteem of the harasser. That leads him to feel superior to the harassed.
The causes for bullying associated with the family include problems between parents, whether these are economic or involve relationship. Victims of bullying can suffer from various negative psychological effects.
Therefore, the earlier it is detected, the sooner it can be addressed. Research on the subject has found that the negative psychological effects suffered by by the victims of bullying remain with them for well over 40 years.
The effects of this experience can range from stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as psychosomatic disorders or even problems of socialization.
The Four Types of Bullying that Exist
When a child is suffering from a form of bullying, often times it is very difficult to identify it. According to the world wide organizations studying the subject, there are four different types of bullying.
1. Verbal Bullying
The harasser addresses the victim with insults, threats, cruel jokes or exclusive phrases about his appearance, sexual condition, race or disability. An example of this is when a child messes with another child for his obesity or lameness.
These children tend to be absent, moody or show a lack of appetite.
2. Physical Harassment
It involves aggressive and intimidating behavior on the part of the harasser, which includes kicking, hitting, tripping, blocking or pushing. An example of this is when a child who pushes someone else or trips him at recess.
This type of harassment is difficult to detect, but usually shows up in the form of bumps, bruises or marks that can be hidden from the parents. The children experiencing this type of harassment also suffer of frequent headaches or stomachaches that prevent them from going to school.
3. Social Bullying
This type of harassment is more complicated to detect because it usually happens behind the victim’s back. It usually happens when the victim is forgotten or intentionally ignored by his friends or companions. The child being bullied feels that he is invisible in class, the dining room or the extracurricular classes.
The victims tend to isolate themselves and avoid joining the rest of their classmates. It is usually more common among girls and its consequences can be worse than physical bullying.
4. Cyberbullying
Due to the rise of new technologies, and in particular of social networks, some children feel harassed by these means. The harasser can spread false rumors, unpleasant jokes, photos or lies causing great discomfort to the victim.
It usually affects minors who connect to the Internet or those who are mobile or tablet users. The effects of this are usually reflected in changes in sleep pattern, in addition to the increase in headaches and lack of interest in going to school.
This type of bullying can also be characterized by sexist or unpleasant comments about the victim in social networks, taking the place of their identity or pressuring them to do something they do not want, such as taking a sexually provocative photo.
To capture the impact of bullying, let me take the moment to share a video from Ms. Tina Meier, who is the Founder and Executive Director of the Megan Meier Foundation (https://meganmeierfoundation.org/). She travels throughout the country as a keynote speaker on bullying and cyberbullying, addressing students, educators, administrators, parents, youth rallies, counselors, law enforcement, and other professionals. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.
Conclusion
In this blog post I provided you with some background information regarding bullying. Specifically how this is characterized by harassment and/or intimidation. I highlighted for you the causes for bullying, one being the low self-esteem of the harasser. I then described for your the four types of bullying that exits. These are verbal, physical, social, and cyber bullying.
Bullying can cause serious psychological problems and forever change the emotional relationships of the victim. One of the alternatives that the victim will try is not to go to places where they can meet the harasser. That will be the case of avoiding going to parties, social get together, sports events or in the majority of the cases, school.
Detecting any of these types of bullying is often difficult for parents and teachers. However, if we realize that our child does not want to go to school, does not want to relate or socialize with peers, or shows physical signs of some type confrontation, such as bruises or blows, we must find a way to address the situation, as soon as possible.
The effects of bullying for our children can be very important for their future happiness and well being.
Have you experience bullying with any of the members of your family? Are there any other form of bullying that I may have missed? What are your experiences addressing bullying?
