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BULLYING
Bullying occurs in every country around the globe when kids aren't
tolerant of each other. It is a universal problem faced by kids of
every age. It happens in schools, neighbourhoods, and homes every
single day.
The more you know about bullying, the more you can do to stop it.
Did you know there are many different kinds of bullying? Bullying
can be as simple as calling somebody a name or as hurtful as
pushing someone down. There are many strategies you can use to
stop bullies and to help others.
Did you know that bullying isn't just someone punching you in the
face or a bully calling you a name that you don't like? Bullying is a
lot more than that. There are even different types of bullying.
Different Kinds of Bullying
1. Physical bullying includes any physical contact that would hurt
or injure a person like hitting, kicking, punching, etc. Taking
something that belongs to someone else and destroying it would
also be considered a type of physical bullying. For example, if
someone was walking down the street and someone came up to
them and shoved them to the ground, that would be physical
bullying. In elementary and middle schools, 30.5% of all bullying is
physical.
2. Verbal bullying is name-calling, making offensive remarks, or
joking about a person's religion, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic
status, or the way they look. For example, if there was a group of
kids who made fun of another kid because he couldn't run as fast as
everyone else, it would be an example of verbal bullying. 46.5% of
all bullying in schools is the verbal type. Verbal aggression is when a
bully teases someone. It can also include a bully making verbal
Consequences
Many people think that bullying is a normal part of childhood or that
"kids will be kids." However, research shows that in fact, bullying
can cause negative academic, physical, social, emotional, and
psychological consequences on victims, bullies, and witnesses.
These consequences can be short-term or long-term. Bullying can
also greatly affect the overall climate of a school.
Victims
First of all, as a result of being bullied, victims may experience
many immediate mental or physical health-related consequences.
Studies show that victims have more anxiety, sadness, sleep
difficulties, low self-esteem, headaches, stomach pain, and general
tension than their peers who are not being bullied. Researchers
from Finland discovered that victims are more likely than bullies to
suffer from anxiety disorders, such as depression, separation
anxiety, panic disorder, etc. Also, this psychological stress can cause
victims' bodies to be less resistant to disease and infection, and
therefore they may get sick more often.
In the social area, victims have few friends or none at all. Due to
their high anxiety level and low self-worth, it is very hard for them
to make friends. This leads to feelings of isolation and believing that
they are not even worthy of having friends. Also, other kids often do
not want to become friends with the victims, because they are
afraid that they will be bullied as well. Another reason that other
kids do not hang around with victims is because they worry that
peers will not like them if they associate with the victims.
Feelings of loneliness and sadness on the part of victims can also
lead to consequences related to their learning and school success.
Being a victim can result in poor school attendance, because many
victims become afraid of going to school. They are also scared of
riding the school bus or using the bathroom at school. One study
found that 8% of 8th graders in the U.S. miss at least one day of
school per month for fear of bullies. Victims often receive lower
grades due to attendance problems, and also due to their stress and
worry. They become obsessed with the bullying and how to try to
avoid it. This leaves little or no time, energy, or concern for
schoolwork and learning. A vicious cycle can occur because the
victim's poor school performance can lead to embarrassment and
anxiety, which can in turn cause them to be picked on even more.
Another possible result of being bullied is that victims may become
violent, either at the time of the bullying or in their futures. This
may go from empathizing with the victim to later thinking that the
bullying is acceptable. This is their way of preventing themselves
from feeling more guilt in the future; they will simply not even
recognize that someone is being hurt.
Witnesses also develop a lot of anxiety and stress. They worry that
they will also become a victim and therefore their feelings of safety
and security at school decrease. This leads to negative feelings
toward school, which can also contribute to problems with learning
and achievement.
After reading about the effects of bullying on bullies, victims, and
bystanders, do you think it makes sense to say, "Kids will be kids?"
We don't! We think that the research about the consequences of
bullying really shows that we must all do everything we can to
prevent childhood bullying. Be a H.E.R.O. in your school,
neighbourhood and community: Help Everyone Respect Others!