By: Ishmel Brown-Crawford

Did you know that according to Dr. Michele Borba, about 160,000 students miss school every day because they believe that they will be bullied? Bullying is defined as “the act of intimidating a weaker person to make them do something”. This is a major problem that many children face. Today I will be addressing the issue of bullying. First, we will look into what bullying really is. Next I will explain the different types of bullying.

Why do people bully?

There are many reasons people bully. Most of all it makes the person feel more powerful. They feel like no one can touch them and they get to do whatever they like. Some may have stress at home with their guardians and might take their frustration out on others. In addition, they may have been bullied in the past and now demonstrate bullying behaviors to others.

Bullying can take on many forms.

These include physical, verbal, non-verbal, and cyber bullying. Physical bullying is the most visible type of bullying. Some examples are: purposely bumping in to someone, pushing, and fighting. Verbal abuse is the source of most violence in schools. Here are some examples of verbal abuse: name calling, instigating, and gossip to name a few.

Non-verbal bullying is just as hurtful as other types of bullying. Did you know that 80 percent of communication is through non-verbal language? Some people don’t have to use verbal communication to intimidate their victim. They can use stare downs and aggressive body language to scare others.

Cyber bullying inflicts damage to victims as well. Since our technology has become more advanced people have found new ways to bully others. Texting, prank calls, and social networking sites provide new opportunities for bullies to strike.

The most important thing to remember is don’t put yourself a situation in which you can be bullied.

© Copyright, Ishmel Brown-Crawford, 2010, All Rights Reserved