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The Bully Spectrum
Your Child Could Be a Bully or a Victim
By Melanie VanNuys
Too often, we don't take bullying seriously. Young people who are bullied are more likely to skip school or completely drop out. Statistics show that 60 percent of boys who were bullies in middle school had at least one criminal conviction by the time they were 24.
What should a parent do if a child is on either end of the bully spectrum? First, become educated! Know that bullying is not always a rite of passage, but instead can be a serious issue that affects the health of children nationwide. Next, don't worry! There are things parents can do to help:
- Stop and listen to the affected child, and take their complaints seriously.
- Be responsive, and take the appropriate actions to intervene.
Here are a few ways to determine if a child is being bullied:
- Your child comes home with torn, damaged or missing pieces of clothing, books or other belongings.
- Your child has unexplained cuts, bruises or scratches.
- Your child frequently appears anxious or suffers from low self-esteem.
"Bullying absolutely has to be dealt with, not brushed off," Rogers says. "The bully has to be removed from the situation so the other children don't have to put up with it."
On the other side of the coin, who's the bully? Here are a few common characteristics of a child who is or can be a potential bully: