Effects of Bullying

Daily Experiences of Victims of Bullying

• Overview of Bullying Effects
    - Bullying can cause victims to change their eating habits—often leading to altered appetite.
    - Victims may skip school due to bullying, seeking to avoid the trauma associated with it.
    - Victims might lie about feeling ill as a reason for absence, even if they are not physically sick.
    - Serious long-term effects include self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

• Long-Term Psychological Outcomes
    - Prolonged exposure to bullying (months to years) may lead to:
      - Self-mutilation or self-harm tendencies.
      - Suicidal thoughts or attempts.
      - Potential engagement in revenge plots, such as bringing weapons to school.
    - Common mental health symptoms associated with bullying include stress, anxiety, and depression.

• Signs of Bullying Victims
    - Potential for physical symptoms, including:
      - Bruises and marks from physical bullying (e.g., being hit or shoved).
      - Emotional scars leading to poor mental health outcomes.
    - Psychological effects manifest as:
      - Changes in sleep patterns due to stress or anxiety from bullying.

• Categories of Bullying
    - Bullying can be classified into four main types:

  1. Physical Bullying
     - Involves visible acts of aggression, such as:
       - Hitting, pushing, shoving, kicking, tripping, stomping.
       - Stealing or damaging personal belongings.

  2. Verbal Bullying
     - Includes:
       - Cruel teasing that persists despite requests to stop.
       - Name-calling, threats, and spreading rumors.
       - Mean jokes or gossip that harm victims' reputations.

  3. Social Emotional Bullying
     - May be less visible but equally damaging:
       - Excluding someone on purpose or spreading lies.
       - Public embarrassment or shaming.

  4. Cyberbullying
     - Occurs through digital platforms:
       - Includes social media, texts, emails, etc.
       - Actions may involve sharing rumors, embarrassing photos, or creating fake profiles.

• Definition of Bullying
    - Bullying is characterized as:
      - Unwanted aggressive behavior among school-aged children.
      - The existence of a real or perceived power imbalance.
      - Behavior that is repeated or has the potential to be repeated.

• Clarification of Bullying vs. Meanness
    - Uses the acronym "BOO" for understanding:
      - B: Being mean—this is not normal teasing; it is harmful.
      - O: On purpose—bullying is intentional and aims to hurt.
      - O: Over and over—bullying occurs repeatedly despite the victim's pleas to stop.

• Visual Treatments of Bullying
    - Videos are utilized to provide visual representation of bullying:
      - Quick five-minute overview on bullying characteristics.
      - Emphasizes concepts of power imbalance and repetitive nature of bullying.

• Practical Assignment
    - Students are assigned to complete a reading comprehension task regarding cyberbullying:
      - Consists of specific questions related to the article read.
      - Encouragement to engage with the content thoroughly to answer questions effectively.

• Statistics Related to Bullying
    - Approximately one in five students reports being bullied at some point during their schooling.
    - 41% of students who have been bullied believe it may happen again, indicating a fear of recurrence.