What is Bullying?

What is Bullying?
Monday, February 23, 2009

Bullying is a problem all over. Many children and teens have to deal with more than one bully and sometimes even friends can bully. Any child can be bullied, particularly younger children and those who have few friends or are easily intimidated. At any age, bullying can take many forms. For example:

* Physical bullying includes hitting, punching, kicking and other types of physical harm, as well as destruction of a child's property.
* Verbal bullying includes teasing, name-calling, taunting and racial slurs, as well as spreading gossip or malicious rumors.
* Cyberbullying includes harassing e-mails or instant messages, as well as intimidating or threatening Web sites or blogs.

If your child is being bullied, he or she may remain quiet out of fear, shame or embarrassment. Be on the lookout for these warning signs:

* Damaged or missing clothing or other personal belongings
* Unexplained bruises or other injuries
* Few friends or close contacts
* Reluctance to go to school
* Poor school performance
* Headaches, stomachaches or other physical complaints
* Trouble sleeping or eating

Bullying is a serious issue that needs to be stopped. Prevention and intervention are the keys to eliminating bullying. This blog is one for teachers, parents and students. As an educator in the Riverview Gardens School District, our staff was required to participate in a 3 hour bullying seminar, which included videos, role playing and intervention and prevention plans. I can't tell you how useful this seminar has been for me in my classroom. Many of the problems our students face each day can be handled in the classroom. Yes, bullying is a big issue, but if we stay focus and keep the lines of communication open and activate the intervention and preventions plans, bullying very well may cease to exist.