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What is bullying?
Bullying, as defined is:1. to treat in an overbrearing or intimidating manner.
2. to force one's way aggressively or by intimidation. (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.)
According to Ken Rigby (1996), he stated that bullying contains seven key features. These are:
1. An intention to be hurtful
2. This intention is carried out
3. The behaviour harms the target
4. The bully overwhelms the target with his or her power
5. There is no justification for the action
6. The behaviour repeats itself again and again
7. The bully derives a sense of satisfaction from hurting the target
(Source: Amelia Suckling & Carla Temple, ‘Bullying, A Whole School Approach’, pg 69-70)
Forms of bullying
There are many forms of bullying and they can be categorised as the following:1. Physical
2. Verbal
3. Non-verbal
4. Cyber
PHYSICAL
Among the various categories of bullying, physical bullying is the most serious and can result in serious injury by the victim. These include but are not limited to:1. Shoving/Pushing
2. Making someone do something they don't want to do
3. Bashing/Slapping
4. Spitting saliva
5. Taking/Damaging the target's property(s) Example : A student had hung another student over a staircase railing and threatened that he would drop him down. That victim had then committed suicide.
VERBAL
1. Mean and/or insulting words/Vulgarities Constant negative critism for UNSPECIFIED ALLEGATIONS
Teasing (on appearance, dressing, etc.)
To inflict unto others humiliation 2. Threatening Disciplinary actions for UNSPECIFIC REASONS
Threatening notes (e.g. written on school textbooks) 3. Spreading Rumors
4. Gossiping
5. Extortion
6. Racial Bullying
7. Visual Bullying
NON-VERBAL
1. Relational/Relationship bullies – bully(s) and target(s) have a relationshipIgnoring or leaving a person out intentionally
Treating a person as if he/she is invisible
Rejecting a person for who he/she is For many younger students at primary school this is the most difficult form of bullying to report as it has many subtle expressions. Students will generally describe exclusion as when they are ignored, not allowed to play, made to feel invisible, given the worst job in the group or when the group runs off and hides from them.
2. Facial expressions/Body language
CYBER (INTERNET)
1. Blog
2. Email
3. Chat Rooms
4. Handphones/Phones (through SMS or calls)
In Summary
Bullying is a prominent reality faced by people of all ages.
It is one of the most contentious issues in area of occupational health and in providing a healthy and safe school environment
Effects of being bullied
Although these are some of the effects listed, having any one sympton does not necessarily mean a problem with your child. It is just a guide should you happen to notice something is wrong with your child.
1. In School Being seen having possessions of weapon (e.g. pen-knifes, scissors)
Skips school very often (e.g. truancy)
Not wanting to take part in school organized activities/excursions or outings.
Goes home messed up (e.g. torned clothes, unexplained cuts and bruises etc.)
Afraid of school (e.g. excuse being not feeling well)
Taking the longer route home
Not riding the school bus
Asks that you drive/accompany them to/from school
Feeling depress
Losing items/money frequently
Stealing
Asks for extra allowance
No interest in school - grades drop.
2. At Home Depression (e.g. moody or feeling of worthlessness)
Relationship Problems (e.g. no sense of security)
Loss of Self-Esteem (e.g. no confidence in oneself or negative thinking)
Anxiety (e.g. feeling scared when there doesn’t seem to be a clear reason)
Lost of appetite
Drug & Alcohol abuse
Difficulty getting To sleep (e.g. tossing in bed often)
Cry themselves to sleep.
Loneliness (e.g. due to rejection from peers)
*Bullycide (e.g. Death as a result)
Why do they bully?
There are many reasons why these bullies target others. Of which some can be prevented easily than others. Listed below are just some of the reasons why:
Out of boredom
To seeking attention
To prevent others from bullying themselves
Feeling of being in control or big and powerful or stronger
To gain popularity
Family background
Mindset that it is just a normal thing because they see others doing it
For fun
Do it to hang out with the right/popular group
Effects on the bullies
Short Term Can’t maintain close friendships, however, they’re sometimes viewed positively by their peers
Normally not doing well in school
Not well liked by their teachers (do not connect well)
Long Term Likely to use drugs & alcohol as adolescents
If no intervention takes place, aggression of bullying will often lead to more serious acts of delinquency & including criminal activity
Intervention & Prevention
As defined in the dictionary, intervention is to involve oneself in a situation so as to alter or hinder an action or development whereas prevention is the process of taking proactive measures against something possible or probable. Childen and youths need to help against these bullies and something must be done to stop the problem from happening again.
How can I help the child?
Children who are bullied need clear messages of support from not only the teachers but also their parents. Teachers play critical roles in identifying and helping students who are bullied and creating a healthy and safe climate in school.
1. Parents Focus on your child
Be supportive and gather information about the bullying
Never tell your child to ignore the bullying
Empathize with your child
Do not encourage physical retaliation
Contact your child's teacher and/or principal - emphasize that you want to work with the school to stop the bullying
Do not contact the parents of the bully
Help your child become more resilient to bullying by encouraging your child to make friends, ensuring a safe and loving home environment or teaching your child safety strategies.
2. Educators Keep matters in private with the child
Spend time with him/her
Assess the child’s feeling about the bullying
Emphasize the confidential nature – be clear about who is going to be involved in helping the child
Get additional information from other adults
Communicate with other colleagues – ask them to observe the children
Work with the child’s parents to gather more information of the bullying
Tips for on-the-spot intervention of bullying
Immediately stop the bullying
Refer to the bullying and to the relevant school rules against bullying (where applicable)
Support the bullied child in a way that allows him/her to regain self control
Include the by-standers in the conversation and give them guidance about how they might appropriately intervene or get help next time
If appropriate, impose immediate consequences for the bullies
Do not use conflict resolution to resolve the matter
Documenting bullying
Documentation is necessary in preventing and eliminating bullying that occurs. It also helps to identify the areas of bullying that is most evident and create a solution for it. Some examples of how to document are: Assess bullying in your school
Assess nature and prevalence of bullying in your school
Tracking suggested and confirmed incidents
Have students write down the incidents in anonymous
Have questionnaire of bullying, being bullied and observing bullying
Have teachers and other school staff to complete the questionnaire
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