Bullying
Bullying is not a new issue. It begins as early as elementary school. Everyone remembers being “teased” as a child or adolescent. However, with the advent of the internet and cell phones, bullying has become more anonymous, global, and severe. Bullying is also no longer just physical and perpetrated only by boys. Mean girls bully too and can use “relational aggression” (RA) to humiliate, devastate and isolate other girls. There have been increasing reports of teenaged girls committing suicide and teenaged boys bringing guns and other weapons to school. Weapons are used for self defense or to inflict harm on peers they feel are responsible for bullying or the teachers who didn’t stop them. Solutions to this problem not only include targeting the bully and victim, but also mobilizing the silent majority of peer “bystanders”. Children, parents, teachers and counselors must work together to stop bullying. We can help!