What is Bullying ?

    Bullying can be described as any behavior towards another that is unwarrented, but let us go beyond the lighthearted teasing in which almost all children and even adults will, from time to time, engage in, to the persistant antagonistic behaviors which belittle and socially harm other children. These include namecalling, humiliation, exclusion, threat, hitting, extortion, blackmail, predudice. All are violent activities and are usually developed in early elementary school ages. According to studies, the most promonent time for being bullied, is in grade two, and for being a bully is in grade three. Although, most often, the bullying is short in duration, 1 day or perhaps 2, upwards of 20% of elementary age children will be the victom of persistant bullying, lasting a week or longer. The preteen years are most important in recognizing the traits of bullying in order to take corrective measures to head off what could become more serious and more violent behavior in middle and late teens and even into adulthood. Violence in adults is very often the result of being a bully or being a victim of bullying in childhood.

Most bullies tend to come from homes with;

• little or no parent supervision.
  
• Inconsistant discipline.
  
• extremely rigid discipline.
  
• little family and sibling closeness.

The following is a quote from a 1996 report by the American Psychological Association. "Those who reported the highest bullying behavior were also most likely to report 'significantly greater levels of forceful parental discipline, viewing of TV violence, misconduct at home and in the community, and fighting,' the researchers concluded. They also spent less time with adults, had fewer adult role models and fewer positive peer influences. Thirty-two percent of them lived in a step-family household and 36 percent lived in a single parent household. They also had a higher level of exposure to gang activity and easier access to guns."

The following is from North Dakota State University
NDSU Extension Service

Even though bullying is very similar to other forms of aggression, there can be some distinctive features:

• The intention of bullying behavior is purposeful, rather than accidental
  
• The goal is to actually gain control over another child through physical or verbal aggression.
  
• Usually bullies make their attack without any real reason, other than they see their victim as an easy target.
  
• Bullies are usually more popular with their peers than children who are simply aggressive.
  

Symptoms that a child might be a victim of bullying:

• acts moody, sullen, or withdraws from family interaction
  
• becomes depressed
  
• loses interest in school work, or grades drop
  
• loses appetite or has difficulty getting to sleep
  
• waits to use the bathroom at home
  
• arrives home with torn clothes, unexplained bruises
  
• asks for extra money for school lunch or supplies, extra allowance
  
• refuses to go to school (15 percent of all school absenteeism is directly related to fears of being bullied at school)
  
• wants to carry a protection item, such as a knife
  

For more imformation on bullying and youth violence along with preventive and intervention measures, please visit the following sites.

• CYFERNet Youth Development CYFERNet is a registered trademark of the National Children, Youth and Families at Risk Initiative.
  
• Taylor Road Middle School in Georgia.
  
• Bullying: A Survival Guide from the British Broadcasting Corporation.
  
• National Education Service
  
• Bully Beware Canadian organization against bullying presents information about bullies, victims, and what schools can do to help eliminate this problem.

From Bully B'Ware - Stories and Articles on Bullying