Tuesday, September 2, 2014

pediatrician psa: bullying

There's been a lot of media attention to bullying in recent years (and its modern form, cyber-bullying). But what exactly is bullying? Almost all kids are mean or tease others sometimes-- that doesn't make every child a bully!

Bullying is a specific form of one person exerting power over another by means of fear and intimidation. It's generally a pattern of behavior, rather than a single isolated incident, and it's usually done in view of other peers (which is part of the power play).

This is a great article explaining the differences among being rude, being mean, and being a bully. I thought it was a really clear explanation!  Bullying can be truly terrible, and it's great that there's increased awareness about it-- but some parents can go a little overboard!

Here's some information from the AAP (including what to do if your child is the bully):  Bullying - It's Not OK

And some more info about cyber-bullying specifically: Cyberbullying- Important Information For Parents