Bullying

Bullying is common between teenagers, mainly at school but also outside of it. Actually at least 10% of them are bullied on regular basis.
Most of all it can be physical or verbal but it follows a certain pastern. Boys tend to use physical threats and the victim can be either a boy or a girl. On the other hand, girls stick to their gender when it comes to the victim and they usually use verbal offences. 

However, all bullies search for weak children, often younger or smaller than them, with not too many friends and easily intimidating. This is because, teenagers who bully are eager to control and dominate others because they have somehow been victims of physical abuse or bullied themselves. 

Bulling is something that can cause terrible suffering. It can interfere with your social and academic life and without early intervention it can lead to emotional and even legal difficulties.

Mostly bulling victims became depressed or reluctant to go to school and their grades can be poorer. Children who have been bullied can even attempt suicide. 

When bullying is detected, the best thing to do is to seek help from professionals. Pediatrician, teacher, principal, school counselor or psychiatrist, anyone who can help the child understand the cause of the bullying and maybe to help the school create a program to prevent and stop students´ destructive behavior.

To combat bullying you can try anger management training, peer mediation, conflict resolution and increased adult supervision on playgrounds, in lunch rooms, bathrooms, on school busses or unsupervised halls.

What is most important is to detect this problem, find professional assistance as soon as possible and try to diminish lasting emotional concecuenses for the child. 

By: Magdalena Rom

Learn more here: http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/bullying