Have you ever been bullied? Have you ever been the bully? Most children have been a part of a bullying situation at some point.
What exactly is bullying? Bullying is when an individual is mean and hurtful toward another over and over again. Unfortunately, bullying is widespread, and there are many types of bullying. There's physical bullying, which means the bully kicks, bites, pinches, and does other physically harmful things. There's verbal bullying, which includes name calling and mocking others. There's emotional bullying which isolates and excludes others. Nowadays, there's even cyber bullying. With all the technology available, it's easy for a bully to harass others with hurtful images or messages all the time. In general, whatever the type of bullying, girls tend to be more psychological when bullying while boys tend to be more physical about it.
Why do some kids bully others? Many times they've been picked on by someone else. They know what it's like to have been bullied. They would like to feel powerful and in control. It may be a way to handle his or her own difficult situation. Bullies like to pick victims that are not likely to fight back. Parents and school officials need to prevent bullying. They also need to get to the root of the bully's problems to change the bully's ways. Bullying can't be tolerated. Almost twenty-five percent of bullies become criminals.