Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance, a threat to harm someone physically, socially or emotionally, and is often repetitive in nature.  Both the bully and the victim may have serious, lasting problems that could be overcome through the benefits of professional counseling support.

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Types of Bullying

 

Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions 

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• Taking or breaking someone’s things

• Pushing or tripping

• Hitting, kicking, pinching, spitting

• Rude or mean facial or hand gestures

 

Verbal bullying saying or writing mean, hurtful, humiliating things.

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• Name-calling

• Derogatory remarks & insults

• Teasing, taunts

• Inappropriate sexual comments

 

Social Bullying (sometimes referred to as relational aggression) behaviors that focus on damaging a person’s social connections within the peer group.

 

• Spreading gossip or starting rumors

• Creating cliques, for the purpose of excluding someone from the peer group

• The silent treatment

• “Takebacks” saying something cruel, then pretending it was a joke

• Cyberbullying through IMs, text messages, blog postings, social media

• Using “code names”, or trash talking within earshot of the person

 

Three Antidotes to Bullying

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Learn the social skills to successfully get into a group and be part of a group.

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Be a friend.  Choose friendships wisely, they play a big role in preventing bullying.  If a child has at least one good friend that weathers life’s storm, that is a great asset in preventing or countering the effects of bullying.

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Strong sense of self. Help your child feel strong, confident, capable, cooperative, resourceful, and resilient. Teach her to externalize the behavior of the bully.