10/13/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/13/2021 08:26
Bullying has become a widespread public health crisis. In commemoration of October's National Bullying Prevention Month, I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss this important issue, as well as things parents and other adults can do to support a child who is being bullied, either in-person or virtually.
Bullying involves unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another person or group of people that is intended to cause harm or distress to the victim. The behavior is deliberate, occurs more than once, and always involves a power imbalance between the aggressor(s) and the victim. Bullying can take many forms, including:
A form of bullying that has increased dramatically in recent years and is of great concern is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can involve the use of email or any social networking site (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok, Twitter), or simply using a mobile phone to send messages to someone. More specifically, cyberbullying may include using any electronic device to:
The main difference between bullying and cyberbullying is that cyberbullying occurs electronically and can be done anonymously and/or constantly. According to the CDC, in 2021, 1 in 5 high school students reported being bullied at school during the last year and 1 in 6 high school students reported being cyberbullied. Research shows that bullying is more common in middle school and cyberbullying is more common among high school students. In addition, males tend to bully in school settings at higher rates than females, while females are more likely to bully in the form of spreading rumors and also engage in cyberbullying more than their male counterparts.
Research has shown that children's physical and emotional health are negatively impacted by bullying, regardless of whether the child is the bully victim of the person committing the bullying. Children and adolescents who are bullied are at increased risk for: