The Seriousness Of Bullying

“Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never harm you”. How many times have we heard this said?

Bullying is when someone says or does something to harm or hurt another person. Bullying can be name calling; hitting, pushing and shoving; being excluded from activities; it is anything where one person tries to dominate another person.

Bullying takes place in the home, at school, at work and various day-to-day activities, such as swimming clubs, gym clubs, etc. The most commonly reported bullying takes place in schools.

Many parents assume that bullying violence is something most children grow out of as they grow older, except for gang activity and the like. Unfortunately, this is not the case. In a scientific survey, published in the prestigious journal Social Work, researchers found that one in four of the juniors and seniors in high school had experienced actual violence (not just threats) in their dating relationships. Bullying is not something children outgrow. In fact, bullies can turn into teen batterers with violent relationships.

There are serious psychological effects that bullying can have on a child. Not only does a child become afraid to go to school, but they may also become physically sick at the thought of having to go. A child may become depressed and blame him/herself for what they are going through. Each of these effects paves the way towards that child’s life in adulthood.

In the United Kingdom, the statistics show that at least 16 children a year commit suicide due to being bullied at school. The number of adults who commit suicide due to bullying is not known, as it is not frequently reported.

The long term effects that bullying can produce, which is known as PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) include: tearfulness, loss of self-esteem and confidence, anxiety, disbelief, joint and muscle pains, panic attacks, anger, reactive depression, fatigue, excessive guilt, suicidal thoughts, sleeplessness, and migraines.

Let us not treat bullying so kindly, as a victim having to experience this on a day-to-day basis can be driven to suicide. If you suspect that someone you know is being bullied, then they need your help. Let us make ourselves aware of why people bully and how we can help the victim, as well as the bully.

Related Links
www.bullying.co.uk

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