Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Some Ideas On How To Deal With Bullying

By Nelda Powers


Bullying is a problem that most of us have had to deal with in one part of our lives or the other. For a good number of people, it is a constant problem that they have to face every day. Bullying can be defined as the repeated act of aggressive behaviour to dominate others. It can be in form of mockery, threats, abuse and coercion towards particular targets. It has been linked to variation in gender, physique, class, religion; race, just to name a few. Bullying is one of the factors contributing to increased suicide cases especially among teens. As a result, various movements and laws have been created on how to deal with bullying.

The vice is broadly divided into three types. These include physical, emotional and verbal abuse. Each of these categories may be accompanied by violence, coercion, intimidation, insults or physical violence. There is a disproportionately high number of emotional abuse cases in females compared to their male counterparts. In the males, the predominant type is the physical abuse. Mockery is used almost equally in both sexes. It is frequently used when the victim resembles the opposite sex in their physical appearance or when they have any other physical disability or abnormality.

The vice may be classified as either indirect (social aggression) or direct. The aim of bullies in the indirect form is to make the victim feel lonely. They do this by gossiping about the target, laughing at them, calling them names and even staring at them. Direct bullies openly take advantage of individuals by pushing and pulling, shoving, biting, and pinching among others

One would wonder why bullies take so much pleasure in aggression. Research has shown that most bullies lack self esteem and therefore use physical and emotional abuse for the purpose of concealing their weaknesses. Another reason could be jealousy or resentment. Some bully because they have been victims before or have lived in such an environment.

Some bullies may be obsessed with tormenting others because they suffer from psychiatric conditions. Bullies are usually characterised by high a temper and feeling too good about themselves outwardly though this may not be the case in reality. In addition, bullies report poor performance academically

There are many negative effects associated with this problem including depression and a feeling of loneliness. The victims also have their self-esteem lowered markedly and start to lose interest in life activities. In extremes, it may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. The victims become bitter and may themselves become violent in future. If one manages to stand up to a bully, they gain a lot of respect in return.

Parents, teachers and guardians are encouraged to attend anti bullying training programs to be help children cope. Schools can also come up with policies and peer counseling sessions. The state can actively participate by instituting laws against such behaviour.

To deal with bullying, learn to adopt a defensive approach. Do not feel inferior to the perpetrator as this will only make them stronger over you. Ensure that you remain confident when your bully approaches and let them know that you are not an easy target.




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