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What's Bullying

Bullying is not always easy to define. However, experts in the field of the prevention of bullying, says that bullying includes: 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. Racist: Racial taunts, graffiti, gestures. Sexual: Unwanted physical contact or abusive comments.
 

 

Emotional bullying, like ridicule and exclusion, seems to be more common than physical violence and it can also be the most difficult type of bullying to cope with or prove.

Persistent bullying can result in:
  Depression - This may affect the individuals level of concentration as it involves the brain and can cause numerous problems. Low self-esteem - Where one tend to de-grade themselves as a result of being bullied. Shyness - Here individuals are embarrassed to express themselves. Poor academic achievement - Fair of attending school, which may affect individuals academic progress. Isolation - Been abandon by friends as a result of them been afraid of been bullied too. Threatened or attempted suicide - Where one feel like their is no need to carry on living.
 

 

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.
  • Change their usual route.
  • Not want you to go on the school bus.
  • Beg you to drive them to school.
  • Be unwilling to go to school (or be 'school phobic' ).
  • Feel ill in the mornings.
  • 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  • Become withdrawn, start stammering, lack confidence.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.
  • Ask for money or start stealing (to pay the bully).
  • Continually 'lose' their pocket money.
  • Refuse to talk about what's wrong.
  • Have unexplained bruises, cuts, scratches.
  • Begin to bully other children, siblings.
  • Become aggressive and unreasonable.
  • Give improbable excuses for any of the above.

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    How you can help your child?

    If you are worried that your child is being bullied, ask him or her directly. Children who are being bullied are often frightened to tell what is happening so be prepared for your child to deny at first that there is anything wrong. Encourage your child by saying that you want to help and support them, whatever the problem.
    Take your child seriously and find out exactly what goes on in their life. Don't promise to keep the bullying a secret but reassure your child that you will help them sort out the problem.

    If you find that your child is a perpetual victim and they are bullied wherever they go, try to find out how your child reacts to other people. Perhaps they don't know how to talk or play with other children? Help them develop social skills by role playing with them (pretend you are another child and help your child work out acceptable responses. If you discover your child is being bullied because they have a socially unacceptable habit (picking their nose for example) help them change this behavior.