Long Term Emotional Issues Related to Bullies and Their Victims – Thomas Gagliano

Long Term Emotional Issues Related to Bullies and Their Victims

The Need to Control Others
February 26, 2012
Ashland Hazing Incident Puts Spotlight on Bullies
September 13, 2012
The Need to Control Others
February 26, 2012
Ashland Hazing Incident Puts Spotlight on Bullies
September 13, 2012

According to the ASPCC (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) each day an estimated 160,000 students in the USA refuse to go to school because they dread the physical and verbal aggression of their peers. As the new school year is about to begin, both parents and children are gearing up to deal with the growing number of bullying incidents we’ve been reading about and seeing in news reports almost daily. Here are some sobering facts as reported by the ASPCC:

Victims of bullying often experience:

  • Reluctance to go to school and truancy,
  • Headaches and stomach pains,
  • Reduced appetite,
  • Shame, anxiety, irritability,
  • Aggression and depression.

The ASPCC also reveals that the effects of bullying often continue many years into adulthood. In the most extreme cases, targets have taken out their anger and despair through school shootings or by committing suicide. Students who habitually bully miss the opportunity to learn an alternative to aggression.

Research tells us that bullies:

  • Often develop a habitual tendency to abuse power
  • Are increasingly shunned as they reach the higher grades, and
  • Approximately 25 percent of school bullies will be convicted of a criminal offense in their adult years.

While it’s understandable that parents and those in authority positions often want to punish bullies for their behavior, it’s important to also focus on the victims of bullying and learn to keep the lines of communication open so that they feel safe to speak up should they ever feel threatened or unsafe. If a child tells someone in a school or organization and it’s not taken seriously, get involved. Speak to other parents, make a phone call, write a letter – bullying won’t stop until we collectively have the determination and resolve to get and remain involved in our children’s lives and the organizations in which they participate.

What are your concerns about bullying as this new school year gets underway?

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