Some people may call it harassment, abuse, meanness or drama. However bullying is labelled, it’s always considered to be harmful and unwanted behaviour. Bullying is done on purpose and is usually repeated.
Bullying is when someone uses their power to hurt, frighten, exclude or insult someone else. Bullying often occurs between people close in age and is never OK. Bullying can be a difficult experience, but it’s important to remember that you’re not alone.
Types of bullying
Bullying can affect a person’s feelings, relationships, self-esteem and sense of safety. It can also make people feel uncomfortable in everyday situations at home, work or school. Bullying can come in many different forms including:
- Physical bullying: harassing someone by hitting, shoving, tripping or any other use of physical force.
- Emotional or psychological bullying: harassing someone with verbal attacks, hurtful comments, name-calling or teasing.
- Cyberbullying: harassing someone over social media, text, email, websites and other digital channels.
- Social bullying: harassing someone by excluding them, spreading rumours or giving them “the silent treatment.”
- Discriminatory bullying: harassing someone based on sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender identity, religion or anything else perceived as making them “different.”
- Bullying affects the majority of Canadian children, at least once, throughout their childhood. For some kids, bullying is a daily reality. Bullying is about power and the abuse of power – and abuse is not a normal part of childhood. The effects of bullying are immediate and long-lasting, putting our children at risk for a number of physical, social and mental health problems. As parents, these risks should not be acceptable. Adult intervention stops bullying – it is our responsibility.
Risks for Children who bully
Children who bully are learning to use power and aggression to control and victimize other children. If their behaviour is not addressed they risk growing up not knowing the difference between right and wrong. They risk high rates of delinquency, substance abuse, academic problems and a future of crime. Children who bully risk a lifetime of difficult relationships with others, including being bullied themselves.
Risks for Children who are being bullied
Children who are being bullied feel increasingly powerless and become trapped in relationships in which they are being abused. If the imbalance of power is not addressed, these children will experience social anxiety, loneliness and a sense of hopelessness. They will suffer from headaches, stomach aches and low self esteem. They will want to avoid school, risking their academic performance and increasing their isolation. Children who are being bullied are at higher risk of depression and are more likely to contemplate, attempt or commit suicide.
The Parent’s Role
Parents are responsible for creating positive environments that promote children’s ability to create and maintain healthy relationships. By helping children develop the essential social skills to navigate peer conflicts and by minimizing opportunities for negative peer interactions, parents can help adjust the imbalance of power inherent in bullying relationships.
Bullying can take on many different forms as children progress from early childhood to adolescence. During this time, your child could rotate between any of three characters: the one being bullied, the one bullying and the one watching it all happen. Regardless of what role your child plays, bullying has long-term negative consequences and must be challenged.
This section offers information and practical strategies parents can use to help their children build healthy relationships and prevent violence., Back home we have tough laws , any body do the bullying will be dismissed from the school for good and if he/ she was older the family pays fine and second time they will send him/ her to prison and rehabilitation and third time will be not allowed to go to any school.