Tag: bullying

The guiding rule of action should be to intervene too early rather than too late. ~ Dan Olweus, PhD, and founder of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

Although bullying prevention efforts tend to focus on middle schools and high schools, bullying behavior begins at much younger ages.  According to researchers and developers of the Eyes on Bullying Program, Dr. Ronald G. Slaby and Dr. Kim Storey, it starts as early as 4-years old:

The topic of bullying continues. Parents have questions, and this parenting expert has the answers! How can I prevent my child from being a bully? What is the new breed of bullies? What are some tips and advice to help children who are being bullied? What are parenting tips to help their children if parents discover their child is being bullied? What are signs that your child may be being bullied? These are just but a few of the top questions that parents ask about with regards to bullying. Provided below are the top 7 questions asked and answered from this Family Therapist/Psychotherapist’s lens.

Children with ADHD often suffer with impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity, making it difficult for them to perform well in school and to establish positive, long-term peer relationships.

Of particular difficulty is the role that ADHD can play in bullying. Because of the behavioral symptoms, many children with ADD find themselves either being bullied or being the bully themselves. Often the source of bullying is the very impulsivity that characterizes ADHD, and that is a source of struggle for many children, teens and even adults.

Dear Mr. Dad: The assistant principal at my daughter’s school called me in for a meeting today and told me that my 12-year-old is bullying several children in the school. I am in shock. This isn’t behavior I’ve ever seen in my child and I’m frankly having a hard time believing it. What should I do?

As tempting as it may be to dismiss this as some sort of mistake or overreaction on the part of the school principal, you need to take these complaints seriously.

Bullying doesn’t hurt you just when you’re a kid. In fact, the impact of childhood bullying can haunt you long past school years and well into adulthood. Recent research shows that bullying can cause social anxiety, shame, anger, and low self-esteem in adults, and as a result, individuals who were once bullied may continue making "safe" or "defensive" choices instead of choosing bolder, more beneficial options.

Does the title of this article bring up images of self-centered, egotistical, indulgent children? After all, the Millennial Generation (those children born after 1980), have gotten the rap of being the group of children that are both savvy educationally and technologically efficient and the most indulged compared to previous generations of children before them. Yet, here’s the myth buster: teaching children to say "I love me" or to practice the tenets of self-love does not turn children into a generation of narcissists or demanding, selfish children. In fact, it leads to the complete opposite.

In case you haven’t heard, bullying is a hot topic in schools. It is likely you and your spouse have already sat through a bullying awareness assembly, seen your favorite celeb blog about standing up to bullies, or have read about another tragic teen suicide triggered in part by bullying. And if you haven’t been a victim of a bully, I’d be willing to bet you have witnessed some of this drama firsthand.

"So what?" you’re probably saying. "It’s not like anyone is actually pro-bully."