Bullying – The School Virus
“You’re fat!”, “You run like a girl!”, “No one wants to be your friend!” These are the sort of nasty things that you hear children saying to one another in movies. The thought of your child being the victim of bullying or the person doing the bullying, doesn’t seem as real. The day you send your child off to school in their small uniforms and peanut butter sandwiches in their backpack is the day they are exposed to this sort of bullying behavior.
Making jokes and teasing one another is a normal act for children to participate in. It’s part of growing up and developing a personality. The line however does need to be drawn when teasing and “harmless” joking around becomes hurtful and demeaning. Bullying is a common problem amongst school children. It comes in different shapes and sizes but can certainly become bigger and more damaging than “you’re a loser.”
The consequences of bullying
It is hard to build up self confidence for a young child being bullied. Depression, anxiety, lack of sleep and psychological problems are just a few of the issues that a bully’s victim is faced with. If bullying is on- going, it could possibly cause psychological damage.
Some children are very secretive and don’t open up to parents or teachers. If the problem is kept quiet, it could escalate and spiral out of control. In many countries all over the world, parents have lost their daughter or son to “bullicide.” This is the suicidal term for ending your life because of being a victim to bullying.
Bryanwood Therapy and Assessment Centre are perfectly adept at helping you and your child cope with bullying. Contact us today on +27 11 706 2269 for information on how we can help you or email us on bryanwood@bryanwood.co.za.
What bullying signs to look for in children
There are many behaviors that a child who is victim to bullying may show:
▪ Not wanting to go to school.
▪ Feeling ill in the mornings.
▪ Doing badly in their school work.
▪ Becoming withdrawn.
▪ Having nightmares or crying themselves to sleep.
▪ Beginning to bully other children around them.
▪ Becoming aggressive.
▪ Having unexplained bruises, cuts or scratches (in extreme cases.)
There is a large range of benefits offered to children, when issues like bullying, how to deal with bullies, sex education, anger management etc. are confronted at school with professionals. Children are taught how to develop and improve social skills and build self confidence. Children are encouraged to speak about their insecurities. Sometimes school teachers are not equipped or do not have the time to be able to talk to learners about “life” issues.
For information on school workshops or for individual therapy for both Primary and High School learners, call Bryanwood Therapy and Assessment Centre on 011 706-2269 or 011 706-0907 or 011 463- 1488. Alternatively email bryanwood@bryanwood.co.za
Bryanwood Therapy and Assessment Centre offers customized workshops for specific groups. These groups are run by members with specific expertise. The Therapy Centre can also arrange targeted talks with school children on specific topics.
Every child or group of children has different problems. These need to be assessed and dealt with. By handling an issue early on and educating school children on the consequences of bullying and other issues, a child or a number of children will not fall victim to bullies nor will they take on a bullying persona.
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