Bullying Among Adolescents
Ways Parents Can Identify and Prevent Bullying
Bullying
Bullying is when a specific child becomes the target for verbal, physical, social, or any other type of abuse. Bulling is mostly common in the adolescent years.
In school, some bullies can be the "high-status" students. Even though these types of bullies are leaders and athletes, most of these people are disliked because the they are cruel to their classmates.
Children who have the weak characteristics have a higher chance to become the victim because they have a weak physically appearance and they are most likely to be afraid to stand up for themselves.
Cyber - Bullying
Cyber bullying is also known as "electronic aggression." In a journal written by Sabina Low and Dorothy Espelage, it states that "electronic aggression is defined as any type of harassment or bullying that occurs through email, a chat room, instant messaging, a website (including blogs), text messaging, or videos or pictures posted on websites or sent through cell phones."
In the year 2008-2009, the National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics states that 6% of students from the 6th to 12th grades are affected by cyber-bullying.
In the year 2011, the Youth Risk Surveillance Survey states that 16% of high school students are affected by cyber-bullying.
Cyber-bullying is becoming a major problem in society today. Because technology is increasing dramatically, the act of identifying cyber-bullying is getting more difficult.
Physical Bullying
Physical bullying is when a certain child is a target for physical abuse.
Physical bullying can injure or even kill the victim that is being bullied.
Most children who are bullied will have bruises, cuts, and even broken bones.
Verbal Bullying
Verbal bullying is a type of bullying where a certain child is the target for verbal abuse. Most people in adolescent years cannot tell the difference between joking around and verbal abuse. Verbal abuse can include calling people names and insulting the victim.
How Bullying Affects an Adolescent
Physically:
Many children have injuries that are unexplainable like bruises, cuts and scrapes, or broken bones.
Bullying could be present if your child's belongings are being destroyed.
Mentally:
Most victims of bullying show signs of worthlessness, anxiety, and depression, which can cause behaviors like running away from home and suicidal thoughts. Children who are bullied can also have frequent nightmares and a lack of sleep.
Some children who are bullied will have a change in their eating habits. Some children will start skipping their meals and start binge eating.
How to Identify Bullying
The best way to identify bullying is to have a great relationship with your child. Having a great relationship with your child will let them know that you are there for them. Children are scared to tell their parents when they are being bullied.
Knowing how your child acts will help you see the signs of how bullying affects your own child.
Credits
Menesini, E., Nocentini, A., & Calussi, P. (2011). The measurement of cyberbullying: Dimensional structure and relative item severity and discrimination. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, And Social Networking, 14(5), 267-274. doi:10.1089/cyber.2010.0002
"Home | StopBullying.gov." Home | StopBullying.gov. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Web. 25 July 2013.
Berk, Laura E. Development through the Lifespan. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2007. Print.
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