Understanding Bullying and Genes and Behavior Handout
Understanding Bullying: The Bully and the Bullied
Ramon Eduardo Gustilo Villasor, Ph.D., R.G.C., CCOP
Education
What is Bullying?
- “Exposure to long term, repeated negative actions on the part of one or more persons.” (Olweus, 1999)
- These “behaviors are purposely designed to inflict or attempt to inflict injury or discomfort upon another.” (Olweus, 1999)
- Bullying strategies usually included verbal insults, taunting, teasing, and name-calling. (Villasor, 2002)
What are Bullies?
- “Someone older, physically larger and stronger, who intimidates someone smaller, weaker, and younger in order to establish his power and superiority.” (Villasor, 2002)
- A person who “likes to flaunt his superiority (mayabang, siga) by either using physical intimidation (inaapi, inaaway ang maliliit), or verbal taunting (teasing, put someone down) with the goal of embarrassing (napahiya, itinataboy) the victim in front of others.” (Villasor, 2002)
Types of Bullying?
1) Verbal Bullying – Includes teasing or picking on someone, discrimination because of looks, religion, beliefs, and taunting.
2) Physical Bullying – Includes inflicting injury on others, picking on someone who is weaker, smaller, or younger; takes advantage of being older, bigger, or stronger, superior and powerful.
3) A number of bullying definitions that fall under either physical or verbal bullying – Such as taking one’s money, food, or things. A form of expression, nothing to do, and cruelty.
Examples of Bullying Behavior
1.Saying hurtful and unpleasant things.
2.Making fun of others.
3.Using mean and hurtful nicknames
4.Completely overlooking someone.
5.Deliberately excluding someone from a group of friends.
6.Hitting, kicking, pulling hair, pushing or shutting a person inside.
7.Telling lies.
8.Spreading false rumors.
9.Sending mean notes.
10.Trying to get other students to dislike another person
Other signs of Bullying
- Withdrawal
- Becoming difficult and argumentive
- Aggressive behavior
- Fear of going to school
- School work problems
- Missing possessions
- Nightmares and disturbed sleep
- Bed-wetting
- Stealing
- Injuries
- Low self-esteem
- Regression – Less independent.
- Depression – Possible Suicide
Towards a Child-friendly Environment—Baseline Study on Violence Against Children (August 2010)
- “Instead of being looked at as a case of violence and abuse, bullying is oftentimes dismissed as simply petty quarrels between and among children.”
Intervention
What about your Parents, Counselors, and Teachers?
- Building Trust
- Don’t rationalize for them
- Fighting back or avoiding the bully is not an option
- Don’t confront the bully alone
- Report incident in writing
- I need your details
- Set up a meeting with the bully, his/her family and the school
Genes and Behavior: Fact or Fantasy?
Bullying = Behavior
- Bullying is a learned response based on one’s personal experiences.
- In the process of bullying others, the bully’s aggression may temporarily alleviate feelings of helplessness.
- Peer Pressure can contribute to continued bullying practices.
- Bullying Cycle: As the victim is unable to “get back” at their tormentors (e.g., bully), he/she may seek retribution elsewhere.
- Bullying is not limited to the primary level!
- Anyone can be a bully: Parents, siblings, or anyone in a position of authority! (Power imbalance)
