When bullying occurs, there is a bully and a victim, but there are usually other people who are standing by – witnessing, participating, or standing up against what is happening. These bystanders, depending on how they behave, will either negatively or positively affect how the bully reacts. The bystander will either join with the bully […]
The Dangers of Cyberbullying
In the last 15 to 20 years, there has been a significant increase in social media. The days of calling your friends to talk on the phone are now replaced with text messaging, chatting over video games, Instant Messaging and FaceTime. There are much fewer in-person conversations happening for children. The phone is now considered […]
What is Relational Bullying, really?
Growing up, many of us heard the typical sayings: “boys will be boys,” “girls are just mean sometimes,” and “it’s part of growing up” whenever our peers were teasing or making fun of one another. There wasn’t the understanding or acknowledgement of what this “rite of passage” could do to our self-esteem, long-term. Sometimes, the […]
How Do You Know Who Is Liable for Bullying?
Finding out your child has been bullied can leave you concerned and uncertain. Usually you don’t learn that your child has been bullied until it has escalated out of control. Too frequently, a child’s friend is so alarmed by an emotional (and possibly suicidal) social media post that they notify the parent of the child […]
How do you talk to the school when your child is being bullied?
When you find out your child has been bullied, you want to take action. But talking to the school can be hard. Even so, it’s important to make sure that, as a parent, you meet with the principal right away. You need to make sure that the bully or bullies are attending the same school […]
Is This Really Bullying?
Today we hear the word “bullying” a lot. Kids will say that someone is “bullying them,” but what does bullying really mean? What does it really look like when a child is being bullied? Let’s start with what bullying is not. Bullying is not a confrontation or conflict between two peers. It isn’t a verbal […]