Bullying in schools and its lasting effect on children have been important topics of conversation for years. Despite efforts to put a stop to it, recent studies show that bullying is still a top concern among both parents and students.
About half of U.S. teens — 53% — say online harassment and bullying are major problems for people their age, according to a spring 2022 Pew Center Research survey of teens ages 13 to 17. Another 40% describe it as a minor problem, and just 6% say it is not a problem.
With more work to do, it’s important to know what exactly constitutes bullying, recognize signs that it is happening, and identify resources to support teachers and parents in their prevention efforts.
What is Bullying?
Bullying is any unwanted aggressive behavior, specifically among school-aged children, involving a real or perceived power imbalance.
Making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and deliberately excluding someone are all actions that constitute bullying. Bullying behaviors are repeated or threatened to be repeated.
The reality of bullying is that children who experience it are likely to have lasting negative physical, social, emotional, academic, and mental health issues. Kids who bully others are also at risk of concerning behaviors, such as engaging in violence and other risks into adulthood.
Types of Bullying
Bullying takes several forms and happens in various scenarios — from face-to-face to behind a computer screen. Here are a few examples of the most common types of bullying:
- Verbal bullying is when words are used to harass, hurt, intimidate, belittle, or scare another person. Name-calling, spreading rumors, and insulting are all examples of verbal bullying.
- Physical bullying is any type of bodily harm, including hitting, kicking, punching, and any other form of physical contact.
- Social bullying is when a person targets someone else’s reputation or relationships. Gossiping, intentionally excluding someone, and spreading rumors all constitute social bullying.
- Cyber bullying is the use of technology — including social media, cell phones, and gaming platforms — to threaten, embarrass, or harass someone.
Signs of Bullying
There are typically warning signs that indicate some form of bullying is happening. The following are some of the most prominent signs of bullying:
- Physical injuries, such as bruises or scrapes that appear without a realistic explanation, could be signs of physical bullying. The location of certain injuries can also be telling, for example, bruises around an arm can be a sign that someone was forcefully grabbed. Frequent headaches or stomach aches and faking illness to avoid certain situations are also physical symptoms commonly associated with bullying.
- Acting withdrawn and avoiding regular activities often happens when a child desperately needs to avoid confrontation or humiliation. Isolation becomes a coping mechanism to keep distance between a child and whoever is harassing them.
- Inability to sleep or eat regularly results from stress on the body. A child could be restless and anxious from enduring bullying behaviors, interrupting their ability to relax and feel comfortable enough to eat and sleep well.
- Changes in behavior and emotional changes can happen when a child becomes agitated, feels helpless, or experiences a hit to their self-esteem as a result of bullying. Other signs of distress include sadness, irritability, and fearfulness.
How to Prevent Bullying
Now that we’ve defined bullying and acknowledged its serious impacts, the next natural consideration is how to stop bullying. These prevention efforts are a great starting place to open the conversation.
- Clearly communicate with children what bullying is and the extreme harm it can cause. Empower them to speak up if they witness bullying or are being personally victimized. Start by fostering open conversations in which students feel heard and supported.
- Establish trusted resources to report instances of bullying, such as teachers, guidance counselors, and parents. Students are more likely to report bullying if they know they will be taken seriously.
- Encourage individuality; be positive about the unique differences among everyone. It’s often the differences between students that are used as fuel for bullying. When students collectively value uniqueness, no one feels the need to lash out and target others.
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- Showcase kindness and respect, making it the norm. Empathy and compassion are important regardless of age. The earlier these qualities are instilled, the better children will treat others in and out of the classroom.
- Establish a zero-tolerance policy for bullying and disrespect toward others. Be consistent about enforcing consequences for those who bully. It’s also worth taking the time to address underlying issues that bullies may be dealing with, such as low self-esteem or insecurities.
- Involve parents and members of the community by:
- Hosting seminars or special guest speakers
- Promoting inclusivity
- Sharing success stories of anti-bullying efforts
- Implementing an anonymous reporting system
- Empowering students to lead their own initiatives against bullying
- Advance your education to establish yourself as a valuable resource in your school community. The University of San Diego offers an online certificate program centered on bullying prevention. Your studies will incorporate real-world scenarios and current events to instill the knowledge required to be a strong advocate for students in need.
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Bullying Prevention Resources
- In addition to the 100% online Bullying Prevention in Our Schools certificate, USD offers teacher resource content on our blog, including a post titled, “8 Anti-Bullying Classroom Activities to Use in Your Classroom.”
- Stopbullying.gov is a website managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with facts about bullying, laws and policies, training centers, and more.
- The National Bullying Prevention Center provides interactive resources organized by grade level to educate students, parents, and educators.
