What Misconceptions Are About Bullying?
What Misconceptions Are About Bullying?
By Bertil Hjert
The truly understanding what bullying is will help to stop and prevent it. Because of the possibility of physical and emotional injury, all cases of bullying must be taken seriously.
Here you can read about some misconceptions about bullying:
- Bullies have low self esteem
A misconception is that bullies have low self esteem. Many bullies are popular and very confident. Bullies are not the unconfident kids trying to make up for their problems. Bullying may actually be a way that kids try to dominate others and assert their power.
They want to fit in with their friends and use bullying to achieve this. Often they act in conjunction with the friends. It is also a way to control and impress their friends, although in the wrong way.
- Victims should toughen up
Bullying is a normal part of childhood and the victims should just toughen up is a common stereotypical view and the biggest misconception. To think in this way can have serious consequences for both victims and bullies.
It should not be tolerated and letting a bully continue picking on others just reinforces their behavior and sets them up to continue making poor choices for the rest of their lives. The victims can also suffer from low self esteem, depression, and a poor self image.
- Bullying only in high class schools
This occurs only in lower class neighbourhoods and schools. This is not the case, and plenty of bullying cases occur in high class neighbourhoods and schools. Bullying can occur no matter what socioeconomic class a child is in. Many upper-class schools have bullying problems because children feel as though they are better than others and try to show how much power they have over children they perceive as weaker than them.
- Bullying is most common in high school
Another misconception is that bullying most commonly occurs in high school rather than in younger children. Studies have shown that bullying occurs at all ages but the most common ages are in middle school, not high school and elementary.
Children from 9-13 years old are the most likely ages to bully. Children in this age group are just beginning to face stress in school and the pressure to fit in, so bullying becomes a common way cope with these problems.
- Boys are the only kids that bully
Boys are the only kids that bully is also wrong. In fact boys are bulling more than girls. However girls can also be bullies. Bullying among boys is often physical where girls tend to use emotional bullying by saying mean things and spreading rumours to humiliate people. Both types of bullying can have devastating effects on bullying victims and leave them with self esteem problems and a lifetime of insecurity.
- Bullying target is to demean a person
Many people think that remarks made with bullying most commonly target intelligence and are meant to demean a person. Experts mean that the most common insults are about a kids perceived sexual orientation. As ridiculous as it sounds, this is the most common thing kids tease each other about.
- Bullying is not a big deal
Many parents think that bullying is normal and is no big deal, but once they know how serious it can be they will be more concerned.
Parents and teachers working together is the best way to stop bullying and help a bullying victim. Parental involvement is also important to solve the problem. Addressing both the bullying victim and the bully is the best way to prevent bullying in your school.
For more Articles, News, Information, Advice, and Resources about Bullying please visit BULLYING ADVICE
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