School Bullying

Bullying at school is an old yet serious issue, and parents need to be very informed about their children, in order to prevent them from being bullied. I read this news today: “Insults and threats followed 15-year-old Phoebe Prince almost from her first day at South Hadley High School, targeting the Irish immigrant in the halls, library and in vicious cell phone text messages” (Reitz, 2010), and was compelled to think about how can I save my child from being abused in school premises. I remember myself being slapped by a girl from the same grade, and the thing continued for a week. And, I was so timid that I would not even tell my mom about it. 

Bullying is defined as that continuous, unwanted behaviour (like shouting, mimicking, calling names, threatening, written abuse, forcing to do nasty things, and much more), having patterns of unreasonable and illogical criticism and disapproval, compelling the victim to get isolated, humiliated and singled out in crowd. There may be a myriad of facets of bullying. Bullying may be physical, emotional, cyber, oral, or written. Racism and sexual harassment also come under the umbrella of bullying. 

The point is how to prevent our kids from being bullied. In schools, teachers should promote such healthy relationships between students, that no student feels hatred for another student. Teachers should keep an eye on bad boys. Parents should be informed about their children's daily activities, especially their physical condition when they come back from schools. Parents should communicate with their children to develop confidence in them. These little things can save our precious little ones from being abused by their peers. 

Reitz, S. (2010, March 29). 9 charged with bullying Mass. teen who killed self. Associated Press.   Retrieved May 17, 2012, from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100329/ap_on_re_us/us_school_bullying