Introduction

School bullying is a serious issue that affects many students and their families. In this guide, we’ll discuss the types of bullying, who is at risk, and how to get help.

What is bullying?

Bullying is repeated, intentional behaviour that is intended to cause physical or emotional harm to another person. It can be physical (pushing, hitting), verbal (name-calling), or psychological (leaving someone out on purpose). Bullying often happens in person but can also happen online or through technology.

The difference between bullying and conflict is that bullying isn’t mutual—it involves an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim, who may be targeted because they are different from other students in some way. The bully may target a student he/she perceives as weaker than himself/herself.

Bullying isn’t just about being mean; it’s about intentionally hurting someone else physically or emotionally by making fun of them or threatening them with violence—even if the words aren’t said directly to you!

Why do young people bully?

• They feel unhappy, bored or angry.
• They want to feel powerful.
• They want to feel popular.
• They want to feel important.
• Low self-esteem and poor social skills are often responsible for bullying behavior in some kids, especially if they have been bullied in the past themselves. Some children with low self-esteem may be more likely to bully others because they are less sensitive to the feelings of other people and more likely to interpret a situation negatively (e.g., “They don’t like me so I will hurt them before they hurt me first”).

How do young people get help with bullying?

• Talk to a trusted adult.
• Ask for help.
• Get help from a counsellor.
• Use the school’s anti-bullying policy and plan to avoid bullying if you can’t stop it yourself. If you don’t know what the policy is, ask your teacher or principal, or check online; all schools have one of these policies and they’re meant to protect students who are being bullied by other students at school (but not necessarily from home). You might also want to talk with an adult who knows what’s going on at home—a parent, older sibling, aunt or uncle—or someone like an older cousin who lives in another city but who has been through similar problems when she was younger: she’ll know that even though you feel alone now this isn’t something that lasts forever!

Who is affected by bullying?

While it’s true that bullying can affect anyone, it’s important to remember that children and teens are the most likely victims. This is because they don’t have the same resources as adults do to protect themselves from harm.

It’s also important to note that children who are bullied may not be able to recognize or report their situation as a form of abuse. Sometimes incidents of bullying appear to be normal behavior in school settings; for example, teasing or name-calling is common among students who know each other well and may not seem like bullying if there isn’t any physical harm involved—but these actions still qualify as bullying if the student being teased feels unsafe or anxious about attending school because of them.

What are the types of bullying?

There are different types of bullying, but they all involve some form of harassment. The most common kinds are physical, verbal and emotional bullying. These can take place in person or online.

Cyberbullying is the act of using technology to harass someone else (for example: sending mean texts or emails). It can be difficult to tell if you’re being cyberbullied because it’s not as obvious as face-to-face harassment and it’s easier for bullies to hide behind their screens — but there are ways to tell if you’re being cyberbullied. Here are some examples of cyberbullying:

• Sending pictures that hurt your feelings without asking first
• Posting mean comments about you on social media sites like Facebook or Instagram
• Giving out personal information about someone else without their permission

How can parents tell if their child is being bullied or bullying others?

As parents, we all want to ensure our children are happy and healthy. But what do we do when they become troubled? We may think that if they come to us with a problem, then it’s our job to fix it—but what if it isn’t that easy? If a child has been bullied or is being bullied, they may not be able to tell their parents about it. They could feel ashamed or embarrassed and just want the bullying to stop without having to tell anyone else about it.

If you’re concerned that your child is being bullied:

• Take note of any changes in their behaviour
• Look for signs of distress
• Look for signs of depression or anxiety

You can end school bullying.

If you or someone you know is in a situation where they’re being bullied, there are actions that can be taken to stop it.

• Don’t ignore it. If someone is bullying you, tell an adult right away. Even if it’s hard and embarrassing to talk about with adults, they will help.
• Don’t make fun of the bully or hang out with them so they feel accepted by others. This could lead other people in the group who aren’t being bullied yet to start bullying others too! Bystanders who do nothing when they see someone being picked on may also get bullied themselves later on because “no one likes a tattletale.” Also don’t make fun of yourself for being bullied either; this will only draw more attention from other students who might want to tease/bully/mock both of you at once!
• Be kind and friendly toward everyone no matter what their race/religion/sexual orientation etcetera might be–even those who might seem mean! You’ll find that most bullies are actually just insecure about something themselves so always remember: No matter how bad things seem now there’s always hope for tomorrow!

Conclusion

We know that bullying can be a difficult topic to talk about, but we hope this article has helped you understand the issue more clearly and given you some ideas for how to make it better. Throughout our research, we were surprised by how many stories there are of people overcoming bullying—not just people who went on to lead happy lives and become successful adults, but even kids with disabilities or physical disabilities who have found ways to use their experiences as motivators instead of excuses. If you’re struggling with this right now, please remember that there is always hope—and help available!