School Bullies – Learn How to Deal With the Problem
There have been bullies almost since the beginning of time. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and no matter how a child may try they will have to deal with a bully at one point or another throughout their lives. These offending children will usually choose to attack your child while they are at school, as it is much easier to do with the limited amount of supervision. There are ways of dealing with school bullies however, and teaching your children these methods now will save them a lot of trouble in the future.
How School Bullies Effect Your Child
There are many effects of bullying, and all of them are negative and potentially long term. That is why immediate action should be taken to stop bullying whenever it occurs. Low self esteem, lack of achievement, loss of friends, depression, and in rare cases even suicide are all caused by a child being bullied. These are scars that a child will carry with them into their adult lives, and these effects could keep them from being successful as an adult.
Watch for Warning Signs
The first thing you need to do as a parent or teacher is to look for warning signs that a child is being bullied. School bullies are aggressive in their attacks of weaker children, so it is best to start by looking at children who are physically or mentally weaker than the others. Other warning signs include:
• Their belongings or clothing are often torn by the end of the day.
• They have nightmares that they will not talk to you about.
• The child no longer wants to go to school.
• Their grades are beginning to decline.
• They have few friends and are noticeably sad or depressed.
• They have very low self esteem and not many friends.
Take Action to Stop the School Bullies
In order to stop a bully, a child should first start by trying to simply ignore the bully or walk away. In many cases this will work, although it is far less effective and may even provoke an offender who is extremely aggressive or older. Standing up to the bully is one of the best things that a child can do to end harassment, especially if they do it with a few of their friends. If all else fails, a child should be taught to seek help from an adult right away.
School bullies are a problem that has always been around and will probably always be. However, immediate action should be taken to stop this aggressive action as it can cause lasting damage not only to the one being picked on, but the bully as well.
