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Different people have different definitions of bullying, but four characteristics qualify a situation as
bullying: the behavior has to be intentional, be repetitive, be hurtful, and involve an imbalance of power.
Intentional—Children can hurt other children by accident. Bullying, however, is always
intentional and meant to cause some sort of harm, whether it is physical or verbal. This behavior may persist even after the
victim has asked the bully to stop.
- Repetitive—In most cases, bullying happens repeatedly. Bullies often
target children who they know will not do anything about the behavior, so they can continue bullying as long as they like.
- Hurtful—Bullying is a negative behavior that may include physical or
verbal harm. The types of hurtful behavior that qualify as bullying are varied, but they all cause harm of some sort to the
victim.
- Imbalance of power—If two children hold an equal amount of power, one
cannot bully the other. This imbalance of power can come from different sources, including age, size, strength, and social
status.
As educators we know what bullying is. Many times however, our students do no realize they may be taking part in bullying
without even knowing it!, see the list below for examples:
- Name calling
- Teasing
- Spreading False Rumors
- Ignoring others
All these can be forms of bullying. Children tend to think of bullying as someone who is always getting
beat up by sombody else. As educators we know that you can bully somebody without ever physcially touching
them.
Many children are surprised when they learn that their behavior is really bullying. Once they realize what
bullying really is it's much easier to convince them to stop.
That's what my program, "A Bully Free Me" is all about. I use Magic, Music and
Story Telling to convey the information listed above. But that's not all, what about the children that
are victims of bullying? See the list below to see what I have to say to them:
- Try to stay with a group of people if possible. It can be more difficult to face a bully alone.
- Directly and respectfully stand up to bullies, even if you aren’t the person being picked
on. Stay calm and let the bully know that unkind behavior is not okay.
- Avoid fighting. Speaking up is the right thing to do, but being verbally aggressive or using
physical force will likely make the situation more dangerous.
- Tell adults what is going on. If an adult is not available during the situation, be sure to
report it later. Parents, teachers, and counselors can help you stay safe and solve the problem.
Together we can help stop the growing problem of Bullying in our schools. It's my intention to be a positive
tool to help bullying become a thing of the past. I look forward to working with you soon.
*** I also provide a teachers guide for discussion after the program is over.
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