An Anti-bullying Site
Bullying has always been a problem in schools, but only recently has began to gain more attetion in the United States. The problem is that many Americans consider bullying a notmal part of growing up. If we believe that it is o.k. to abuse someone because he or she is different from us, we are less likely to prevent someone from being hurt. Being bullied is not a rite of passage, it is abuse.
Bullying is characterized by a power imbalance. The bully is someone who has more power than the victim. This power may be size, gender, race, number (of supporters), sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. Bullying can happen in all schools, not just large urban schools. It happens in elementary, junior, and senior high schools alike
There are three tpes of bullying. Physical bullying is any kind of unwanted physical contact. It could be hitting, kicking, hair pulling, or it may even be sexual harrassment. Boys are more likely to participate in physical bullying but girls can as well. Relational bullying is characterized by purposely excluding the victim from social interactions, and spreading rumors. Girls are more likely to use this form of bulying. Verbal bullying is the most common type of bullying. It involves name callying, teasing, and taunting. There is another new form of verbal bullying called cyber bullying. This involves using the internet and cell phone text massaging to torment the victim.
There are many things that teachers, parents, school adminstrators, and even children and teens can use to prevent bullying. Check out some of the external and internal links to see how you can help schools be a bit safer.