For victims of bullying, the consequences include physical harm, stress-related ailments, fear, humiliation, depression, underachievement, as well as social isolation. Bullying can even prompt suicidal thoughts, sometimes acted on unfortunately.
If a bully is not rehabilitated, he will continue this behavior which will affect his work, his eventual income, relationships as well as his mental health.
Bullying is a form of abuse that can take the form of pushing, tripping, hitting, punching or kicking. It can take the form of verbal taunts, threats, ridicule or insults which can be as damaging to a child’s psyche as physical bullying. Bullies empower themselves by disempowering others. Social media is a place where a bully can post any taunt, knowing how many of his/her peers will see it. Boys are bigger culprits than girls.
Early intervention is crucial but no child wants to be caught ‘telling the teacher or any other adult.’ And if you think that sending your child to a private school will help, think again as this occurs almost everywhere.
The reason I’m writing about this is because I heard of a school principal who had an extremely novel idea. She hung what she called a bully box in the corridor, and every time a child was afraid of another student, all he/she had to do was to slip a note into the box with the bully’s name on it. This child was not obliged to sign his name, so this kept BULLIES AT BAY.