We all know and heard that school life is generally referred to as the golden era of a person’s life. It is the time that he/she cherishes for the rest of their life.
But, there is no denying the fact that this period is not the same for everyone. For instance, while this period would have given trauma to many kids that haunted them for the rest of their lives, there must be others who have loving memories from this period.
When we talk specifically about the trauma, one of the most common yet ignored trauma during an individual’s childhood is bullying.
As per one of the studies by the Research Gate, “the prevalence of bullying is very high in India, which is approximately 50-60%.” When kids are bullied, they feel helpless, stressed, and small.
Understanding Bullying
According to Stopbullying.gov, bullying can be defined as “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance.
The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.” Bullying is an action or planned set of actions that can be implemented by one person against many or by a group of people against an individual.
It is not gender-specific; anyone, be it girls, boys or transgenders, can get bullied.
When we talk about bullying, it is normal for many people to confuse it with teasing and ragging but it is important to understand that all the three are different from each other.
All three can be considered as acts of aggression that can be verbal/mental abuse and extreme of all can even result in losing a life or putting a person in lifetime depression.
Yet, the difference between them is as mentioned below:
Bullying is when nastiness continues with the intention to hurt the other person. It is about the imbalance of power between the person being bullied and bully.
While the bully feels powerful, his intention is to keep the other person in control, and make him/her feel small and powerless. It has also been observed that the person who bullies is going through a rough phase in life or at home.
To get rid of it, he/she bullies another person to make himself feel powerful and confident.
Teasing can be hurtful or playful where either one person feels uncomfortable due to remarks or both parties enjoy it. It stops when the person who is being teased requests to stop it multiple times.
Ragging started as a one-time ritual and its purpose was to introduce or initiate new members into a social group. However, after a certain period of time, few people began to use it in a wrong way, thereby, hurting the new members.
For the benefits of the students, the activity is now banned in most of the colleges.
Types of Bullying
Bullying can be categorized into four different types as mentioned below:
Physical bullying is easy to identify and includes hitting, pushing, even stealing or damaging things.
Verbal bullying is the most common. It is quick and can be done easily without getting caught as there are no artifacts of this except for a witness.
This type is implemented using harsh words, cruel jokes, mean gossip, etc. against the person being bullied.
Social-emotional bullying hurts the person being bullied a lot yet is hard to trace as it hardly leaves any spot. It makes a person feel sad, scared or alone.
The activity includes cornering someone out on purpose and putting derogatory remarks in front of other people.
Cyberbullying is a type of bullying that is executed online. With the passage of time, this is becoming more common. Bullies use text messages, apps, and emails to bully the person.
It includes posting photoshopped images on social media, making fake profiles, etc.
Ways to Stop Bullying
As a parent, it becomes your responsibility to always ask your child about how his day was in school and other small things like what he likes in school and what he doesn’t.
Try to notice if there is any sudden behavioral change in your child. If your child tries to avoid going to school or he only wants to be in school, it is important for you to know the reason in both the cases.
Simply assuming the reasons like your child is trying to run away from their studies that’s why he/she is denying to go to school or he/she has many friends and a good teacher which is why he/she wants to be in school is not recommended.
For a kid, it is normal to be an introvert and being bullied. But, that does not mean that you will not take a stand against it.
It is important to make them understand that they must talk to their parents or update their school teacher about this behavior who will aid them in the right way.
It is also the responsibility of the school staff to be more attentive and careful in all the activities in school.
One must remember that while bullying might seem to be a small issue, it actually is not. It can lead to long-term mental health issues in children. Therefore, taking the right steps at the right time is important.
If there is any child you know who has been a victim to bullying and needs professional help, there are several private clinics available in India.
Athena Behavioral Health, which is now NABH-certified, is one of the best one in Gurugram. They have some best in the industry experts who understand a child’s mind better than anyone and the impact of bullying on a child’s life so if you feel or child needs a consultation on treatment facilities from a professional, please reach us through email at customercare@athenabhs.com or call us at +91 9289086193 It is our privilege to take the pain out of yours!
Also Read:
How to Control Anger Issues
How to Safety Detox from Drug Addiction
Mental Health Effects of Cell Phone Addiction
How to Practice Mindfulness for Mental Health and Well Being
