Skip to main content

Introduction

School bullying is defined as in-person and online behaviour between  students within a social network that causes physical, emotional or social harm to targeted  students. It is characterized by an imbalance of power that is enabled or inhibited by the  social and institutional norms and context of schools and the education system. School  bullying implies an absence of effective responses and care towards the target by peers and  adults (Cornu et al, 2022). 


There are different ways of bullying. 

It may be physical, when it is carried out through physical aggression and abuse (hitting, kicking, shoving, hitting, pinching or assaulting with objects). But it may also refer to violence against things or property, through, for instance, taking objects, damaging them, or extorting money from the target. This is generally the easiest form to detect. 

However, it can also manifest itself in a verbal form, through insults, teasing, verbal aggression. It means mocking, repeatedly taunting the target, apostrophising them with humiliating nicknames, making comments about the way they dress or speak, making racial or sexist remarks. This form of violence repeated over time leads to a progressive and deleterious inner attrition in the target. But there is also indirect or psychological violence, which is mainly carried out through the spreading of slander, intentional exclusion, the spreading of annoying gossip or through threats, humiliation and mockery.  Ignoring someone also falls under this form of bullying. This one in particular refers to a form of 'aggression' that manifests itself mainly in the form of 'sneaky gossip' and affects the female sex more than the male. 

The cyberbully can inflict immediate and long-term violence or psychological harm on his target in various ways: 

  • Cyberbashing

  • Harassment or Put Down

  • Denigration

  • Cyberstalking

  • Flaming

  • Impersonation

  • Exclusion

  • Outing or Trickery

  • Exposure

  • Sexting

a2.jpg

 

Peer violence (use of physical force/aggression or power against others with the aim of harming someone) is any action that causes physical, mental or emotional pain to a child. It is a repeated and intentional behavior of an individual or group directed towards another individual or group, whereby this relationship is characterized by an imbalance of power (the opposition of a stronger individual or group to the detriment of a weaker person or group). Physical and psychological abuse among young people mostly happens at school, although violence can happen anywhere and anytime, live or online.

A child perpetrator does not necessarily have to be involved in an act of violence, he can be the organizer of a group, i.e. encourage and persuade others to behave violently towards someone. Children who behave violently always manage to find a way of intimidation and teasing that will upset the victim the most: teasing because of weight, appearance, hair color, learning difficulties, popularity, religion, position in society, jealousy of the victim...

Child abuse is a very serious problem that causes numerous, severe and long-term consequences for their development. Exposure of a child to physical, emotional or sexual abuse is a traumatic experience that leaves deep scars.

Abuse and neglect of children is not only a problem of an individual or his family, but a problem of the wider local community and society as a whole, and November 19, when the World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse is celebrated, reminds us that it is the task of all of us, every day, to make an effort to provided children with a safe place to grow up.

Peer violence on the Internet and in real life are often interconnected, so it is possible that the violence that takes place on the Internet also happens in school.

Unfortunately, many children do not tell their parents what happened. But parents can find out if their child is suffering from physical violence at school, because this type of peer violence usually leaves marks on the victim's body, which sends an alarm signal. Some of these body marks are: scratches, wounds, cuts, bruises, torn clothes. In addition, the victim often complains of headaches or abdominal pain.

The modern form of bullying is internet bullying or cyberbullying. Click on the video bellow and check your knowledge!

a3.jpg

This type of abuse is more common among children. It takes place through the digital world and on social networks. It can also take place on online gaming sites or social networks.

Sending anonymous messages of hate, inciting group hatred, spreading violent and offensive comments about a peer, creating internet pages (blogs) that contain stories, drawings, pictures and jokes about peers, sending other people's photos and asking others to evaluate them according to certain characteristics, revealing personal information about others, "hacking" into other people's e-mail addresses and/or their profiles on social networks, sending malicious and unpleasant content to others, death threats, exposure of age to inappropriate content, sexual enticement...enticement, etc.

The cyberbully can inflict immediate and long-term violence or psychological harm on his target in various ways: 

  • Cyberbashing

  • Harassment or Put Down

  • Denigration

  • Cyberstalking

  • Flaming

  • Impersonation

  • Exclusion

  • Outing or Trickery

  • Exposure

  • Sexting


Back to top