As children are getting ready to go back to school, many parents are more worried about their safety at school than their academic performance. The credit goes to the increasing number of bullying cases reported across the country.
According to the American Psychological Association, about 70 percent of middle and high school students are the victims of bullying, every year.
The following are some categories of children who are at a higher risk of bullying, according to stopbullying.gov :
- Children with unique physical features such as overweight or underweight
- New student of a school
- Children who do not have the capacity to protect themselves
- Children who are depressed, anxious or low self esteem
- Students who are less popular and having very few friends
- Children with annoying or provoking nature
Following are the children belonging to the category of bullying others:
- Children possessing social power, having a strong connection with their peers and those who have the tendency to dominate others
- The other category includes children who are anxious and have low self esteem
According to experts, bullies come from a family, providing extreme physical punishment, where one parent is very strict and other very lenient, making the child confused about the right and wrong. Violent video games and television programs also play a vital role in creating bullies, according to clarksville online.com.
It is crucial to find a permanent solution for the school bullying episode as it can have a negative impact on a student's physical and mental growth and academic life.
Loneliness, sadness, depression, anxiety, health complaints and low academic performance are some of the effects of bullying. Children who are bullied are more likely to miss, skip or drop out of school.
Children who bully others are more likely to consume alcohol and drugs, get into early sexual activity and engage in fights and drop out of school.
Apart from that, those who witness bullying -"bystanders" are also at a higher risk of facing mental problems, like depression and anxiety and are more likely to engage in tobacco, alcohol and drug use.
Parents and school authorities can play a major role in preventing bullying by communicating freely with them, understanding their problems.
The following are some recommendations for schools to prevent bullying, provided by Rodger Dinwiddie, a national speaker on Best Courses of Action in Bullying Prevention, as reported by Clarksville online.com.
- Examining the prevalence of bullying in a school environment and finding solutions to prevent it
- Finding support from all staff/ parents in a school
- Forming a bullying prevention coordinating committee
- Making the staff clear about normal fights and bullying
- Providing adult supervision to the areas where bullying is more likely to occur
- Discussing and educating students about bullying
