Bullies
Bullying behavior is defined as an ongoing physical or verbal mistreatment where there is an imbalance of power-usually a bigger, older child picking on a smaller, weaker one.
Bullying
behaviors can include but are not limited to the following examples. Being
called names, teased, hit, attacked, pushed or
punched,
having your bag and other possession stolen, having rumors spread about you,
being ignored and left out, etc… Children can get bullied at school, at
the playground, in class, in the restrooms, on their way to and from school, on
the bus or in the park.
Bullying is not a normal, natural or acceptable part of growing up. Many children get hurt both physically and emotionally from these abusive peers, and it’s not just the victims that are affected.
Young bullies can grow up to be abusive adults, students and peers witnessing the bullying are distracted, intimidated and upset and bullying in the classroom prevents students from learning and teachers from teaching. Bullying is an extreme, severe, frequent behavior. Bullying behaviors are systematic; it’s routine, ongoing and can last weeks, months, and even years. Bullying can begin as early as preschool and last throughout the high school years. It usually occurs and escalates when children reach middle age. Students who engage in bullying behavior seem to have a need to feel powerful and in control. They seem to derive satisfaction from inflicting injury and suffering on others, seem to have little empathy for their victims and often defend themselves by saying that the victims provoked them in some way.
Typically, a bully is male but studies and experiences show that girls engage in bullying behaviors almost as often as their male counterparts. The tactics that girls use differ from boys in that they are less visible. Boy bullies tend to resort to one-on-one physical aggression, while girls tend to bully in groups through social exclusion and the spreading of rumors.
In most cases, there are three types of bullies.
The physical bullies are action oriented. This type of bullying includes hitting, kicking, spitting on or damaging the victim’s property. As the bully grows older, their attacks usually become more aggressive.
Verbal bullies use words to hurt or humiliate another person. This type includes name calling, insulting, making racist comments and constant teasing. Bullying in this way is the easiest to inflict on other children. Its affects may be more devastating in some ways than physical bullying because there are no visible scars.
The third type of bully is the relational or relationship bully. These bullies try to convince their peers to exclude or reject a certain person and cut the victim off from their social connections.
Bullying is a serious problem for many children and all forms of bullying are abusive and can dramatically affect children. No child deserves to be a victim of bullying behavior. All children have the right to a safe, comfortable environment while attending school, playing on the playground or walking home.
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