Bullying Information Articles

What is Bullying - For most Kids, It’s A Nightmare That Never Seems To End.

By Mandy-Jane Clarke

What is bullying?  Bullying is an act of aggression towards another.  Either through verbal or physical abuse, bullying leaves the victim helpless.  Bullying can be utilized through name-calling, racial slurs, ethnic slurs, sexual connotations, vandalism or physical violence.  Bullying is about power and control.  It is used to increase one’s presence in a group and attain the popularity one desires.

Bullies come in all shapes and sizes.  Whether it’s girls or boys, their ability to render their victims helpless is their ultimate goal.  They have no respect for authority, they are usually angry, have no empathy for the victims they hurt, and enjoy seeing their victims cower in the face of defeat.

For those who take on this role, it is all about bullying their peers into submission.  The bully is the alpha male or female.  He or she controls the others in the group, uses them to intimidate the victims, and ensures that if caught, no one will confirm who the bully is or what they have done.

Bullies are in every school across the country.  They can be identified by their demeanor, their prior record in other schools, and the apathetic way in which they view education, teachers and administration officials.  They disrupt classrooms, initiate fights in cafeterias and schoolyards, follow potential victims home, and in the worse case scenario – beat them up after school and away from the perimeter of the building.  

Studies have shown that while bullying occurs mostly in middle schools, it does also occur in elementary schools.   As the aggression progresses, these bullies go on to high school and engage in gang activity.  They are prone to use weapons, drugs, alcohol, and are involved in violent activities.  Research has shown that by the age of 20, these teens will have a criminal record.

How to stop bullying has been the subject of much discourse among scholars, education officials, parents and schools.  There seems to be no clear-cut alternative to the problem.  For parents at least, all they can to is to talk to their children about bullying and make them understand it is wrong, it can hurt, and it can ruin their educational career in the future.  Parents also need to become part of the school process.  Currently there are Parent Coordinators in schools who can participate and actively pursue measures which will stop the abuse by bullies.  Information about bullying should be sent home to all parents, and consistent letters should be sent home on how to stop bullying in schools.

Workshops run by psychologists should be implemented in the schools so that every member of the staff can recognize the signs of bullying.  There should also be programs for kids who are on the cusp of becoming bullies, as well as self-help programs for those who have been victims of bullying. 

What is bullying?  For most kids, it’s a nightmare that never seems to end.

This article is courtesy of http://www.Stop-Bullies.com Stop-Bullies.com is a resource site covering specific areas of Bullying .