Source: National Voices for Equality, Education and Enlightenment
Misperceptions & Facts
Girls don’t bully.
Oh, yes they do! While they don’t usually physically bully their targets as often as boys, they often use verbal and social bullying. Bullying for girls escalates during middle school.
Words will never hurt you.
Words can leave deep emotional scars.
It was only teasing.
Teasing in which a child is not hurt is not considered bullying. Teasing becomes bullying when the intent is to hurt or harm.
Bullying will makes kids tougher.
No, it does not make someone tougher. It has the opposite effect – lowering self esteem and self worth. Bullying creates fear and increases anxiety at any age.
Some people deserve to be bullied.
No. Just no. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and consideration.
Telling a teacher about bullying is tattling.
No. Tattling means sharing petty secrets or information about other people to cause trouble. Telling means reporting a harmful or dangerous situation to an adult to help protect someone. It’s okay to tell.
Bullying is a normal part of childhood.
It may be a common childhood experience, but physical or emotional aggression toward others should not be tolerated as a consequence of childhood.
Children who are bullied will almost always tell an adult.
No. Adults are often unaware of the bullying, mostly because it goes unreported. Studies show that only 25-50% of bullied children talk to an adult.
Children who bully are mostly loners with few social skills.
Research indicated that bullies are often the popular students, those considered ‘cool’. In many cases, they have friends who provide support for their behavior.
Bullied kids need to learn how to deal with bullying on their own.
Some children have the confidence and skills to stop bullying when it happens, but many do not. Children shouldn’t be expected to deal with bullying on their own. Bullying is a form of victimization or peer abuse. www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov
Children who observe bullying don’t want to get involved.
Most children who see bullying don’t like it. They want to help, but don’t know how. They can also be afraid of the bullies turning on them. Bystanders can have a powerful influence in preventing bullying.
Related articles
- Bullying at School and Online (education.com)
- Low Self-Esteem and Bullying: How are they related? (education.com)
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