Physical Bullying in Schools

by mommytotwo | More from this Blogger

10 Aug 2006 04:08 PM

Bullying is often considered an act of physical aggression towards another student. As I have discussed in two of my previous blogs, bullying also can come in other forms, such as emotional and cyber bullying. Physical bullying is perhaps the most well known form of bullying and is often the type of bullying that boys choose to use.

Did you know that physical bullying often starts to increase as students go from year to year in elementary school? Did you know that it often peaks during middle school and it often begins to slow down during high school?

What is physical bullying? Physical bullying is the actual act of harming a peer, such as a shove, a kick or a hit. It can also be pinching, biting, or any other type of unwelcomed and inappropriate physical contact between a bully and his victim. Unfortunately, physical bullying occurs often enough in schools that it has caused a countrywide need for training by school staff. Fortunately, most schools are taking notice of this problem and are implementing bully programs for the schools in their district.

What happens if your child is the victim of a physical bully at school? What if your child has bruises or marks as the result of another child? Bullying is something that typically occurs over an extended period of time. Is your child coming home with unexplained marks on him? Is your child sharing with you that he is often hit or tripped at school by peers or one particular peer? If so, then your child is most likely becoming a victim to physical bullying.

Schools these days should all have a bully-proof plan in place. If your child is a victim of a school bully and it is physical, you have several options. First, demand that the school do something and make sure their bully plan is enforced. Second, the school has the option of allowing your child to press charges against the bully, if he or she wishes to. This is something that you as a parent will need to decide upon. Third, it is so essential for me to stress that no parent should teach his or her child to fight back, even if the bullying is physical. If you teach your child to become physical back to the bully, then your child also runs the risk of consequences, simply because he chose to use his fists instead of following the school protocol for dealing with a bully. Instead, make sure you or the school counselor is working with your child on how to be assertive and handle the bully appropriately.

Schools should be a safe place for our children. It is important that we as parents teach our children how to respond to physical bullying. It is also important that the school your child attends has a policy in place to deal with it. If your child is a victim of physical bullying, the school needs to be dealing with it. Your child should have an adult in the school to notify if the bullying doesn't stop even after going through the proper procedure for dealing with a bully who is physical.

I ask again, as I have in my previous bullying blogs, what is your school doing about bullies, specifically physical bullies?

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Valorie Delp (49340) 14 Aug 2006 03:35 AM

Hey Kaye! I was just reading the news this morning and saw this: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14275238/ It's a video game that mimics bullying I guess. Just thought you might be interested. Great article!

mommytotwo (526) 14 Aug 2006 09:40 AM

Thanks for drawing this to my attention Valorie! This just horrifies me! I don't get these companies that make and market this type of "game" to children. Unbelievable!

-Kaye

babydawn (7008) 14 Aug 2006 09:56 AM

I have to say that I disagree with not fighting back. I will never tell my child that they can not defend themselves. It is a right that we have. My child will never be in trouble at home if he fights in defense of himself/herself, even if he/she gets suspended from school. Now, if my child starts the fight, that is a whole other story.

Let me tell you one of the biggest reasons I feel this way. When my husband was in elementry school (I don't remember the exact grade, I think it was 2nd or 3rd) he moved to a new state. He started a new school and was sat in front of a large boy who bullied him constantly for the first week. This boy slapped him in the face and stole his pencils and broke them among other things. He was unable to concentrate. He tried bringing it to the teachers attention and it was dismissed. One day he went home and his father found out. His father told him that he was to go to school and defend himself. The next day the bully started in on him again and my husband fought back. Yes, he was sent to the principles office, yes his father was called, yes, his father defended his postion and said "my son comes here to learn, he is unable to do so with this kid picking on him all day, your damn right I told him to fight back, and I would do it again."

Guess what, my husband was not picked on for the rest of the year.....

MannaGray (5) 30 Jun 2009 07:55 PM

Bullying is such a difficult issue to deal with... different responses work in different situations. I am a special education teacher and I know the struggle to help children, especially children with disabilities, cope with and deal with bullying.

I have just been discussing this on my blog at www.learn2bebuddies.blogspot.com