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Bullying comes in many forms that involve an imbalance of power. Pushing or shoving, social exclusion, verbal threats or name calling. No matter what form it takes, bullying has many negative effects.
When children are bullied, it can lead to:
“Getting bullied can be a really traumatic experience for anyone and especially for a child,” says Hannah Simon, M.D., assistant professor of Clinical Psychiatry and child psychiatrist at Weill Cornell Medicine. “[Additionally], bullying is evolving as our technology moves at rapid paces.”
These new forms of bullying expanded to the digital realm can make bullying harder to detect. Some bullying doesn’t produce any noticeable warning signs. It’s important to ask children whether they experience any bullying behavior.
How can you prevent bullying?
Bullying prevention starts with creating an inclusive space that welcomes and respects all children. Communicating to your child an expectation of how to treat others promotes respect and kindness. When people learn to actively listen to others, it can promote positive interactions and help establish a culture of tolerance and understanding.
When bullying occurs at school, Dr. Simon recommends talking to authority figures.
“Be an advocate and talk to the school,” she says. “Liaison with the school early on to make sure they’re aware of the situation.”
Most schools offer bullying education, which helps correct the problem over time. Until then, help your child learn resilience with the following coping techniques:
With the advent of cyberbullying, parents have new challenges. Maintain full access to your child’s devices, store all devices in a public space such as the kitchen and end screen time at the same time every night. These small tips reduce the risk of potential cyberbullying.
If your child is a bully, these tips may help.
“Just because a kid may engage in bullying, it does not necessarily mean they are a bad kid,” Dr. Simon says. “They made a mistake, and there are many opportunities to remedy that.”
Find a doctor at Weill Cornell Medicine to help manage bullies and other childhood issues.