Bullying is pervasive in schools. The statics are staggering of how many children experience bullying at school. Often children stop wanting to go to school, become depressed and even fake being sick to get out of having to return to school.
“Schoolyard bullying, combined with the seemingly online universe of hurt, has become part of the fabric of life today for kids and their parents. At least a third of kids report having been bullied recently-2.7 million incidents being reported each year. Bullying knows no age, gender, economic, or ethical bounds, through LGBTQ victims are four times as likely as others to be targets. As the media increasingly report, cyber-bulling has led to high-profile suicides of children at every grade level from elementary to high school.” (p. 25)
If your child comes home and reports that they are being bullied, go directly to your school administration. Bullying can have long-term affects on your child’s self-esteem and self-image. I would encourage you to read the entire article in the Psychotherapy Networker as this is just one topic they address in the article.
