15 Bullying

Introduction

Interpersonal violence is a behavior used to obtain control and power over a person (Boston University, 2022). This type of abuse can take on many forms, including physical, emotional, sexual, and economic (Boston University, 2022). Therefore, interpersonal violence also includes the use of threats, stalking (both in person and electronically), isolation, and intimidation. Interpersonal violence is the leading cause of death for children and young adults, as these tactics are often enforced through bullying (Boston University, 2022). Bullying is the most common form of interpersonal violence in schools and communities (Boston University, 2022). Therefore, it is necessary to know what causes children to develop bullying behaviors, and how to address these risk factors.

The types of bullying include physical, verbal, social, and cyberbullying (National Centre Against Bullying, 2022). Physical bullying occurs when a child or their property is physically harmed in any way. Verbal bullying is supplied by a range of verbal behaviors, including teasing and name-calling. Social bullying damages someone’s social reputation or causes them to feel excluded. Lastly, cyberbullying occurs over an electronic platform, such as social media or text messaging; this is the most common form of bullying in schools, as the bully remains anonymous or does not have to experience face-to-face conflicts (National Centre Against Bullying, 2022). To learn more about the negative impacts of childhood internet use, please visit the Internet Safety chapter of this text.

Why This Is Important?

In a recent study, over half of the participants (students) had bullying tendencies (Yüksel-Şahin, 2015). This is important as many children experience negative mental health outcomes as a result of bullying (Areseneault, 2017). Specifically, bullied children are more likely to develop anxiety and depression (Areseneault, 2017). A child’s tendency to become a bully or a victim of bullying depends on many different environmental factors. However, parenting styles have the most substantial impact on a child becoming a bully (Martínez et al., 2019).

Environmental Effects 

There is no designated “right” or “wrong” way to parent a child. However, certain parenting styles are directly associated with bullying (Martínez et al., 2019). Of the four distinct parenting styles, authoritarian parenting, which involves strict and stern behavior, is associated with a high risk of bullying tendency. In contrast, the authoritative parenting style, which involves high levels of acceptance and love, is correlated with a low risk of bullying (Martínez et al., 2019). This is based on the idea that children who grow up in an affectionate and candid home are less likely to develop bullying tendencies (Gómez-Ortiz et al., 2016). Therefore, children who are subject to physical punishment are more likely to become bullies (Gómez-Ortiz et al., 2016). The Parenting Styles chapter of this book further explains the impact that different parenting styles have on children.

Specifically, boys and girls experience bullying in varying ways. This has to do with the way they are parented (Gómez-Ortiz et al., 2016). In many cases, boys are parented with higher levels of verbal aggression, while girls are parented with physical punishment. Children who have been physically punished believe that it is a way to control others, and possibly use bullying as a mode of coping with their home lives (Gómez-Ortiz et al., 2016). As a result, a recent study found that girls who are treated with physical punishment are more likely to verbally abuse their peers (Gómez-Ortiz et al., 2016).

Speaking of gender, children of the LGBTQIA community are the most high-risk group to experience bullying (Riese, 2016). A survey of 760 students found that the most likely group to be bullied are “kids who are gay or thought to be gay” (Riese, 2016). Since approximately 5 to 9 percent of youth are LGBTQIA or uncertain about their sexual orientation, it is necessary for caregivers to be aware of their child’s situation and show them the love and support they need (Riese, 2016). Please see the LGBTQIA Youth chapter for further information on children a part of the LGBTQIA community.

Resilience Strategies

Resilience against bullying is directly dependent on the culture a child grows up in (Cohen et al., 2019). Racial and ethnic diversity impact a child’s daily life, which therefore affects their response to bullying. A child’s personality characteristics lead them to be successful or unsuccessful when responding to adversity (Cohen et al., 2019). For example, children who grow up in a home that supports independence develop high levels of self-esteem and better coping skills. However, children who grow up very dependent on their family have low self-esteem levels. When a child with low self-esteem endures bullying, negative health effects result, including the development of mental health disorders and death by suicide. Therefore, children need to grow up in a home with support, communication, and love (Cohen et al., 2019).

How to Address Bullying at Home

When the child’s caregiver is made aware of a bullying situation, they must take action immediately. The child must explain the entire situation to their caregiver, as they need to be aware of everything that has happened. To prevent further bullying the child must practice assertiveness with their caregiver. Caregivers should teach their child to say phrases like, “Stop bothering me,” to their bully (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2022). Also, bullied children must seek out help from a qualified adult present at times when they are most likely to be bullied (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2022). A qualified adult includes teachers, coaches, and counselors. If these adults are aware of the child’s situation, they can look out for them, and prevent any unnecessary contact between the victim and bully. Lastly, the caregiver needs to take their child to a mental health counselor, preferably a psychiatrist (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2022). As stated multiple times throughout this chapter, bullying is traumatizing; therefore, the only way to know how bullying has mentally affected a child is to have them clinically evaluated.

On the other hand, parenting a child bully can be a difficult task to take on. The following infographic explains ways in which a caregiver should and should not parent their child bully.

How to Handle Your Child Bully Infographic

For more information on how to help your child who is being bullied or bullying others, please visit: Healthy Children 

Resources

Resources for bullying prevention at a child’s school depend on a lot of different factors. The best way to become aware of these resources is to talk to an administrator or counselor. However, there are multiple nationwide organizations that are working to decrease bullying among children. These resources and their goals are listed below:

• D.A.R.E. America
  • D.A.R.E America focuses on awareness, education, and prevention of bullying by prioritizing the health of all children through the incorporation of lesson plans in schools, as well as the formation of school assemblies through D.A.R.E. officers and administrators.
• STOMP Out Bullying
  • STOMP Out Bullying provides a range of information about bullying, including ways to incorporate bullying prevention in the classroom. For example, this resource provides information on World Bullying Prevention Month and how to enroll your school or classroom in the activities involved.
• Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center
  • Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center provides free bullying prevention information in an educational format for K-12 kids as well as their support system. These educational resources can be used in school, at home, or at specific bullying prevention events.

References

Alannah and Madeline Foundation. (2022, February 27). Types of bullying. National Centre Against Bullying. https://www.ncab.org.au/bullying-advice/bullying-for-parents/types-of-bullying/

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2022). Bullying: it’s not ok. healthychildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Bullying-Its-Not-Ok.aspx

Arseneault, L. (2017). The long-term impact of bullying victimization on mental health. World Psychiatry, 16(1), 27-28. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20399

Boston University. (2022). Domestic and interpersonal violence. https://www.bu.edu/fsao/resources/interpersonal-violence/

Cohen, E., Eshel, Y., & Kimhi, S. (2019). Individual resilience: A major protective factor in peer bullying and victimization of elementary school children in Israel. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(19-20), 8939 –8959. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260519863192

D.A.R.E. America. (2022). Bullying: awareness, education, and prevention. https://dare.org/bullying-awareness-education-and-prevention/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwmPSSBhCNARIsAH3cYgZGKSQ_LxG_QEmpoSNH-o7BnzAEIrGvv8Bcp4sSbkTNuPJKdjbROJQaAiGYEALw_wcB

Gómez-Ortiz, O., Romera, E., M., & Ortega-Fuiz, R. (2016). Parenting styles and bullying. The mediating role of parental psychological aggression and physical punishment. Child Abuse and Neglect, 51, 132-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.10.025

Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center. (2022). Classroom education and activities.  https://www.pacer.org/bullying/classroom/

STOMP Out Bullying. (2022). Bullying in schools-change your school community. https://www.stompoutbullying.org/bullying-schools-change-school-community?gclid=Cj0KCQjwmPSSBhCNARIsAH3cYgZdX09lzBmwRIcP8ne3RLwOPOhfdbwTDKGxFzw6wiA0X1GGgn3ayzoaAmYBEALw_wcB

Riese, J. (2016). Youth who are bullied based upon perceptions about their sexual orientation. Hazelden Foundation. https://www.violencepreventionworks.org/public/bullying_sexual_orientation.page

Yüksel-Şahin, F. (2015). An examination of bullying tendencies and bullying coping behaviors among adolescents. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 191, 214-221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.415