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What is Bullying?
Bullying is not always easy to define. A
child may encounter bullying attacks that are:
· 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.
Of course, a bully will often rely on a mix
of these techniques, and include other children in the bullying, either
as witnesses or active participants. Repeated attacks may escalate in
intensity.
Emotional bullying, like ridicule and
exclusion, seems to be more common than physical violence and, judging
by what young people tell us, it can also be the most difficult type of
bullying to cope with or prove. New methods have also followed this old
problem—texting, cruel photos from a mobile, emails and web-based
attacks are increasingly prevalent—this is cyberbullying.
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.
Persistent bullying can result in
· Depression
· Low self-esteem
· Shyness
· Poor academic achievement
· Isolation
· Threatened or attempted suicide
Possible signs of Bullying
A child may indicate by their behavior that he or she is being bullied.
If your child shows some of the following signs, bullying may be
responsible and you might want to ask if someone is bullying or
threatening them.
Children may:
· be frightened of walking to and from school or change their usual
route
· not want you to go on the school bus or beg you to drive them to
school
· be unwilling to go to school (or be 'school phobic'), feel ill in the
mornings or begin truanting
· begin doing poorly in their school work
· come home regularly with clothes or books destroyed
· come home starving (bully taking dinner money)
· become withdrawn, start stammering, lack confidence
· become distressed and anxious, stop eating, attempt or threaten
suicide
· cry themselves to sleep, have nightmares
· have their possessions go missing
· continually 'lose' their pocket money, ask for money or start stealing
(to pay the bully)
· refuse to talk about what's wrong
· have unexplained bruises, cuts, scratches
· begin to bully other children, siblings, become aggressive and
unreasonable
For further information about bullying or
child abuse contact:
Address: Kidscape, 2 Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1W 0DH.
Phone: 020 7730 3300 Fax: 020 7730 7081
Helpline: 08451 205 204
Our helpline is for the use of parents,
guardians or concerned relatives and friends of bullied children.
If you are a child and are experiencing
bullying problems, then please visit or ring
Childline 0800 1111
Website:
http://www.kidscape.org.uk
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