Rhea Josyula

August 30, 2024

Imagine a child dreading going to school or avoiding the playground in fear of getting bullied. Bullying is unfortunately more widespread than we realize and is increasing in prevalence. In the UnitedStates, approximately 1 in 5 children between the ages of 12 and 18 experience bullying.

Bullying is defined as repeated aggressive behavior intentionally used to demean and control someone using words or actions.Bullying often stems from a perceived imbalance of ‘power,’ where the person who is bullying creates a hostile environment for the target or victim.Bullying is also often repeated, to minimize the victim with their words and actions. The reasons for bullying vary from physical appearance to race, gender, ethnicity, economic status, and sexual orientation.

Bullying can take many forms, including physical (shoving or beating), verbal (name-calling or spreading rumors), and social (exclusion from activities). Bullying occurs commonly in schools, starting as early as elementary school. The impact of bullying on a kid is profound with an increased risk of stress, anxiety, social isolation, and decreased academic performance. In extreme cases, bullying can result in suicides or self-harm.Unfortunately, while a significant number of bullying incidents happen in school, less than 50% of incidents are reported to school authorities.

These statistics highlight the importance of focusing on bullying, getting kids the support and help they need, and creating safe environments in school and online. While it is hard for parents and care givers to watch their children get bullied, they play a critical role in helping the children cope with bullying. Parents can proactively help foster independence and provide tools to help kids cope with bullying if they encounter it.

Overview

Prevalence of Bullying: Approximately 1 in 5 children in the US between the ages of 12 and 18 experience some form of bullying (physical, verbal, or social). Specifically, cyberbullying is on the rise, affecting approximately 15% of kids globally.
Causes of Bullying: Bullying is often driven by perceived power imbalances, resulting from differences in appearance, race, gender, economic status, and sexual orientation. Women and LGBTQ+ individuals are often more vulnerable to bullying.
Recognizing signs of bullying: Bullying can lead to severe emotional and psychological consequences, such as increased stress, anxiety, social isolation, decreased academic performance, and in extreme cases, self-harm, or suicide.
Role of Parents and caregivers: Despite its prevalence, less than 50% of bullying incidents are reported. Parents and caregivers play a crucial role in supporting children, fostering independence, and helping them cope with bullying, both in school and online.

Understanding Bullying

Bullying is a pervasive issue that has significant social, emotional, and psychological impacts on children, making it a pressing mental health issue facing children today. It is crucial for parents to understand bullying, whether it is the reasons, symptoms, or coping tools to help their kids successfully navigate it.

There are several forms of bullying, each with distinct consequences for the victim:

Physical: This form of bullying involves acts of physical aggression including hitting, kicking, punching, threatening gestures, and damage to property. This is usually the most recognizable form of bullying as there is physical evidence. According to research, boys are more likely to be physically bullied, compared to girls.
Verbal: As the most frequent form of bullying(79%), this involves written or spoken taunts, name-calling, and threats. This can be used to make fun of a child’s appearance, race, sexual orientation, or other characteristics. Verbal bullying may also be difficult to recognize given it is often perpetrated by friends and passed off as good-natured ‘teasing’. Asa result, verbal bullying has lasting long-term impacts on the target of bullying.
Social/ Relational: This form of bullying is the second most common form of bullying (50%) and impacts a child’s relationships and social image. It can include spreading rumors or excluding someone from a group.
Cyberbullying: This is a digital form of bullying and is growing the fastest, given the increased use of technology and social media by younger generations. It can consist of sharing embarrassing information, commenting hateful messages, or creating fake profiles to defame someone.

Bullying most commonly occurs in school, starting as early as middle school. Statistics show that about 50% of tweens, aged between 9 and12 have encountered bullying at school, and 15% have experienced bullying online. Statistics also show that children who are bullied are likely to continue to get bullied unless some form of intervention occurs. These statistics underscore the importance of recognizing and addressing bullying before it causes long-term damage.

Recognizing Signs of Bullying

While children may not inform their parents of the issues they face, there are several ways to recognize if your child is getting bullied:

Behavioral changes: Telltale signs include sudden changes in mood, difficulty sleeping, and withdrawal from social interactions and activities they typically enjoy. Children may also show changes in eating patterns, with increased or decreased appetite, skipped meals, or poor diet choices.
Physical changes: Unexpected bruises and withdrawal from physical affection like hugs could be signs of bullying.Additionally, wearing layers of clothes to cover up bruises is a potential sign that your child may be abused.
Academic changes: Signs to watch out for include sudden decline in grades, lack of interest in homework, loss of interest ingoing to school or other activities, and frequent excuses to miss school.
Emotional Changes: Typical signs include lows elf-esteem, mood swings, trouble sleeping, or at times, sudden displays of anger or aggression. These sudden mood changes may be more prominent immediately following social interactions where your child may be bullied.
Social changes: Appearing distant or aloof, avoiding social interactions with friends and family, and making excuses about not going to school can all be signs that your child is getting bullied.

Watching for one or more of these signs can help parents recognize if their child is getting bullied. People who are bullied, especially kids, develop troubling behaviors with long-term impacts. Repeated bullying can often lead to bigger issues including thoughts of self-harm, violence, and in extreme situations, even suicide. One study found that teens who experience cyberbullying are four times more likely to have thoughts of suicide. Children who are bullied may also turn to drugs and self-destructive behavior as a coping mechanism.

How Parents Can Help

Parents are a crucial factor in how a child can find the self-confidence and coping skills to deal with bullying:

Foster open communication: It is critical to create a safe space for children to talk about their day and experiences, including bullying. Encourage kids to share details of their day and anything that may be bothering them. Role modeling sharing is also a powerful tool to keep the lines of communication open.
Empower children: Even before they experience any bullying, helping children with their self-esteem can be helpful. Teaching them assertiveness and acceptable social behavior can help them not only identify bullying for themselves, but also help them be upstanders when theywitness someone else being bullied. Discussing the importance of staying calm, walking away, and seeking help when they experience bullying are also helpful life skills.
Create strong social bonds: Helping your children find a group of friends or a team where they can form strong relationships, can help them withstand bullying. This could be a sports team, a choir group, or another favorite activity that your kid enjoys. Research also shows that socially happy children are more likely to bounce back from bullying experiences.
Collaborate with others: If you suspect your child of being bullied, discuss the issue with their teacher, counselor, or school administration to get help. Collaborate with the school to outline clear guidelines for acceptable behavior and processes to report bullying.Additionally, seek out other parents who feel enthusiastic about the topic to help in the campaign as well as role model this behavior at home, school, and in the community. More broadly, get involved with anti-bullying campaigns or other initiatives that emphasize empathy and kindness.
Monitoring online presence: Discussions with children on acceptable online behavior is a critical first step. There are several tools that can monitor their online presence and the sites they use. Occasionally monitoring their social media activity is also helpful to catch cyberbullying early on.

Seeking Help

Parents play a critical role in creating a safe space for children to discuss their experiences if they face bullying. In addition to providing mental health support and coping techniques, it is important for parents to get professional help for their children and the family if the situation escalates. There are several therapy mechanisms that have proven to benefit the victim and their families including social skill training, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medication.

Conclusion

Bullying among children is a growing concern, especially with the increase in social media use. Given the multi-faceted nature of bullying and its harmful effects on children, it is important for parents and caregivers to remain vigilant and support their children. We encourage parents and caregivers to stay informed and proactive in preventing and addressing bullying. Do not hesitate to seek help from your school and community, as well as see professionals if needed. Parents are also encouraged to share this information with other parents to create a bullying-free community.