Watch Out for Bullying at School
Bullying is not a surprising case found in the school environments. It happens not only in western school, but also in eastern school. This article will discuss about the definition of bullying, the types of bullying, characteristics of children who bully others, characteristics of the bullying victims, and how to solve it.

Bullying can be described as repeated negative events, which occur over time; directed at a special individual and carried out by one or several people. Bullying is an act of aggression causing embarrassment, pain, or discomfort to another person. It’s an abuse of power that can either be planned or unintentional. In bullying, there’s a clear imbalance of power. Bullying is basically anything that makes a person feel hurt, whether it is physical or psychological. No matter if it is physical or psychological, bullying is wrong.

There are two types of bullying. The first type is indirect bullying, which includes intentionally rejecting or freezing someone out of a group. The second type is direct bullying. There are three categories of direct bullying--physical bullying, verbal bullying, and bullying yourself. Physical bullying includes pushing, shoving, hitting, kicking, stealing, etc. Verbal bullying includes mockery, taunting, name-calling, verbal threats of violence, and so on. When you bully yourself, it usually includes emotional abuse. Telling yourself that you’re fat or ugly is an example of bullying yourself.

Parents and teachers should pay attention to the incidence of bullying occurred to their children or students. Children who bully others share common characteristics, which are impulsive, hot-headed, dominant; asily frustrated; lack empathy; have difficulty following rules; and view violence in a positive way. Boys who bully tend to be physically stronger than other children.

Contratry to those who bully others, those who become victims organisasi the bullies may reveal possible warning signs which are
  • Comes home with torn, damaged, or missing pieces of clothing, books, or other belongings
  • Has unexplained cuts, bruises, and scratches
  • Has few, if any friends, with whom he or she spends time
  • Seems afraid of going to school, walking to and from school, riding the school bus, or taking part in organized activities with peers (such as clubs)
  • Takes a long, “illogical” route when walking to or from school
  • Has lost interest in school work or suddenly begins to do poorly in school
  • Appears sad, moody, teary, or depressed when he or she comes home
  • Complains frequently of headaches, stomachaches, or other physical ailments
  • Has trouble sleeping or has frequent bad dreams
  • Experiences a loss of appetite
  • Appears anxious and/or suffers from low self-esteem
Those who bully may have underlying causes lead them to do bullying to others. One of the them is the one related to their family life. Their family may provide a lack of warmth and involvement on the part of parents. Their parents may show verly permissive parenting (including a lack of limits for children's behavior) that cause children to do whatever they want to do without much correction. A lack of supervision by parents may also cause this negative behavior. Harsh, physical discipline and bullying incidences at home may cause children bring this behavior to their school settings.
If you find that your child is bullying others, you will need become involved and actively stop this behavior. Here are seven steps you can take:
  • Make it clear to your child that you take bullying seriously and that you will not tolerate this behavior.
  • Develop clear and consistent rules within your family for your children’s behavior.
  • Praise and reinforce your children for following rules and use non-physical, non-hostile consequences for rule violations
  • Spend more time with your child and carefully supervise and monitor his or her activities. Find out who your child’s friends are, and how and where they spend free time.
  • Build on your child’s talents by encouraging him or her to get involved in pro-social activities (such as clubs, music lessons, non-violent sports).
  • Share your concerns with your child’s teacher, counselor, and/or principal. Work together to send clear messages to your child that the bullying must stop.
  • If you and/or your child need additional help, talk with a school counselor and/or mental health professional.

Bullying should be prevented if it has not occured yet, and must be solved if it occurs since it can bring fear and hopelessness into the life of an innocent child. Sadly, many caregivers and bystanders don't act when they see a child getting bullied on the playground or in their neighborhood. Such inaction can mean misery for children who are subjected to bullying on a regular basis. Years after the bullying has come to an end, people who were bullied as teenagers have poorer self-esteem and higher levels of depression than other adults.
In learning how to communicate with each other, it's natural for children to argue among friends, experience anger or frustration, and "play fight." But, bullying is different. A bully harasses and degrades a victim for the sole purpose of causing pain. Constant name calling, threats, physical abuse, and gossip can leave a child seriously hurt and depressed. In a national survey, one in sixteen students said they were bullied during a single school term. That means, statistically speaking, there is at least one scared, bullied child in every single classroom. These victimized children don't have the power to stop the bullying. They need your help.

Other references:

http://www.bignerds.com/essays/Bulliying/5175.html
http://parentingteens.about.com/od/bullying/Bullying_and_The_School_Bully.htm
http://www.charityguide.org/volunteer/fifteen/bullying.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/J0113061/bullies4.htm

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