By Silvia Sowa

Bullying

B ullying is abusing.

It consists on the repeated

acts against one person or
group. It is a common
situation, more than people
might think.

It involves attempting to create or enforce one

person’s power over another person. It can be

Physical. Pushing, kicking, hitting, pinching and other forms

of violence or threats.

Verbal. Name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumors, persistent

teasing.

Emotional. Excluding (sending to Coventry), tormenting,

ridicule, humiliation.
It can be the mix of all of them.

It usually happens at schools.

It includes not only the offender, but

even the witnesses and non active
participants.

Who? Why?
Kidscape.com describes that children
who bully may seem to focus on one
presumed characteristic of a child.
However, do remember that a child’s
alleged “difference” is not really the
point of the bullying—bullies are
playing with power any way they
can. Children who are bright are
often bullied, as are children with
learning differences; tall children are bullied, as are small ones.
Anything goes, but in our experience, bullying is often:

Racist. Racial taunts, graffiti, gestures.

Sexual. Unwanted physical contact or abusive comments.
Homophobic. Any hostile or offensive action against
lesbians, gay males or bisexuals or those perceived to be
lesbian, gay or bisexual.
Abuse of the vulnerable. For example, children with physical
disabilities, on the autism spectrum, or with special
educational needs. We also see bullying in children who
are careers, children who have suffered a death in the
family.
 Signs…
 Low self esteem
 Depression
 Isolation
 Poor academic achievement
 Change of mood
 Be frightened all the time
 Become anxious, distressed
 Stop eating
 Cry, have nightmares, sleep more than
normal
 Come regularly with clothes destroyed
 Be unwilling to go to school
 Begin truanting
 Have possessions missing
 Fill ill in the morning
 What to do?
Listen to your child, teenager, friend….take it
seriously
Ask him/her directly
Be aware of signs
Keep a diary of incidents
Talk with teachers, directors
Get together with other parents to organize
ways to stop bullying
Help your child make friends
Ask for help to organizations, take courses, get
informed

The important thing here is

to stop bullying!!!