Bullying – What is is all About Anyway?

As a school counselor I see a lot of bullying going on.  It seems like in middle school bullying, clicks, and gossip are such huge problems.  With bulling I have learned that it rarely gets better by just punishing the one who bullies.  To intervene effectively the bullymust feel the emotional pain of his victim.  Asking questions like, “what do you think it feels like to get bullied?” Have you even been bullied?”  Why do you bully?”  How does it make you feel when you bully”  Wow, this boy said, that his life has been horrible since the bullying started, how does that impact you?”  All of these questions attack the root of the problem with bullying.  For the bully, there is either an over-confidence problem or the polar opposite, no confidence.  Provide an environment for your child where they feel comfortable talking to you about what is going on at school.  If your son or daughter is bullying, listen to your teachers, talk to your student regularly and hold you child accountable for treating individuals with respect and dignity.