Strategies in Handling Bullying Among Children and Adolescents

Strategies in Handling Bullying Among Children and Adolescents
Ramon Eduardo Gustilo Villasor, Sr., Ph.D., RPsy, R.G.C., CSCOP

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)
• Continuous hurtful acts or verbalizations aimed at overpowering another person.” (Ingram, 2000)

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

Intervention

• 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
• Set up a meeting with the bully, his/her family and the school