Bullying & Victimisation
Signs of Bullying
Has your child ever come home from school saying that they have been bullied? Or, have you ever suspected that your child was being bullied, but not been able to get to the bottom of it? In fact - would you recognise bullying if you saw it?
Any kind of disagreement, fight or unpleasantness can be distressing for your child and for you - but not all conflict is bullying. In general there are a number of key differences between bullying and a one off incident of nastiness.
Take a look at the bullying signposts below. If your child reports an incident which has more than one of the characteristics - then you may be dealing with bullying and both you and your child may need to take action.
1. A punch, nasty names or just a look
Bullying is not just a physical thing. Being left out of a group, ignored or taunted can be just as hurtful.
2. It's meant to hurt
Accidents do happen. A friend might trip you up without meaning to or damage something of yours. The difference with bullies is that they mean to hurt us. It's not accident!
3. Repetition
We all have bad days when we push and shove or snap at our friends. This doesn't make us bullies. Bullies pick on the same people again and again and again...
4. A Power Game
Bullies love power. They like to be bigger, smarter or stronger is some way than their victim. They also tend to like the back up of a gang. Bullies hardly ever pick on people who will answer back or a group of people.
Some questions for you to think about
- Who would you turn to if you thought your child was being bullied in school?
- What would you do if the problem continued unchecked?
- How would you react if you found out that your child was a bully?