What is Bullying and How can we help?
By: Whitney Crank
October is a month dedicated to National Bullying Prevention. Statistics show that 20% of ages 12-18 experience bullying and 15% experience cyberbullying. It is important to understand exactly what bullying is and how we can help prevent bullying within our school. “Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance...the behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time” (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 2020). For a situation to be considered bullying, it must include an imbalance of power and it must be repetitious. An imbalance of power means a person who uses their power to control or hurt others. Repetition means the bullying behavior happens more than once or has the potential to continuously occur.
There are four different types of bullying. The first type is verbal bullying which is saying or writing things that are hurtful. This includes name-calling, inappropriate comments, or threats. The second type of bullying is social bullying which involves hurting someone’s image or their relationships. This type of bullying can include spreading rumors, public embarrassment, or leaving someone out purposefully. The third type of bullying is physical. Physical bullying involves harm to someone's body or possessions. This can include hitting, spitting, or breaking someone’s things. The fourth type of bullying is cyber bullying which is hurtful behavior that takes place over digital devices. This can look like mean messages, public embarrassing posts, and mockery on a social media platform.
You may be thinking how can I stop bullying or what can I do to help? The best ways to prevent bullying include education, communication, encouragement, and modeling. Education is a great way to help others understand what bullying is. When we understand what bullying is we are more likely able to identify it. Knowing strategies to stay safe, adults to talk to, and how to stand up is key in preventing bullying or hurtful behaviors. Communication is also important for parents, students, and teachers. Conversations about bullying can help develop understanding about how bullying is affecting those around us and what we can do to help. Encouraging students or others to do what they love is also important. Keeping kids involved in sports, volunteer work, and hobbies can be so crucial to meeting a support group, building confidence, and building friendships. Lastly, it is important that we model how to treat others with respect. People learn through actions. If you want bullying to stop, modeling the proper way to treat others can be a huge first step. Even when it feels like no one is watching, people are learning from your behavior. Be the difference and start the process of change.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020, July 20). What is bullying. Stop bullying. https://www.stopbullying.gov/bullying/what-is-bullying
Source: Whitney Crank, Counseling Intern