What you should know about bullying

Bullying, also known as bullying, is one of the toughest situations that teenagers can encounter at school. It is a form of torture in which a boy or girl or a group of them abuses a partner. Any form of physical, psychological or verbal abuse that is exerted on a student for a prolonged period of time is considered bullying. Boys or girls who are subjected to this type of harassment live in terror, are afraid of going to school and in some cases become depressed and have thoughts of suicide, which they sometimes carry out. These are such dangerous situations that parents and teachers must monitor closely to discover them. Although it can occur in children of all ages, it most frequently occurs in adolescence. It is considered that one in three adolescents between 12 and 16 years old lives or has experienced a situation close to bullying as a bully or a harasser. Although the percentage of boys or girls who suffer serious bullying is much lower since it is around 3%. And it is somewhat more common among girls than among boys. Types of attacks Verbal attacks. In this case, insults would come in, but also when someone is spoken ill of or malicious rumors spread about a colleague. Psychological attacks. In this case, intimidation is used to provoke fear and thus get the victim to do something they do not want to do: hand over their money or personal belongings or anything else under duress. Physical attacks. This includes beatings or simple blows, as well as theft or destruction of materials or objects. Social isolation. another way Bullying consists of isolating the victim by preventing him or her from participating in classmates’ activities or, in some cases, by stopping talking to him or her and making others not talk to him or her or interact with him or her. Sexual assaults. This category includes all attacks that aim to make the victim feel humiliated or uncomfortable. The most frequent form of sexual harassment at school is with the use of cell phones or social networks. Racist attacks. In some cases, the form used by aggressors is racist insults when the victim belongs to a minority such as Latino. What to do if it happens to your child When a parent discovers that their child is involved in a case of bullying, whether as a victim or aggressor, they must act immediately. The first thing to do is notify the school. Talk to management, counselors and teachers. And in cases where a serious assault has occurred, it must be reported to the police. What to do if your child is the victim Parents of boys or girls who are victims of bullying have to establish a plan with the school to get out of that situation and stay in constant contact with counselors and teachers to follow the evolution of the process. And we must give all support to the victim. We will have to explain to him and make him understand that he is not guilty of anything, that he has been subjected to a situation of torture and find formulas to restore his self-esteem. Sometimes the help of a therapist may be necessary. What to do if your child is the bully The measures that parents of bullies must take also require that they remain in communication with the school to follow the evolution of the situation. Likewise, they must Make your child understand that bullying is unacceptable and may even be a crime. What to do if your child is an observer It is very common that in cases of bullying there is a victim, a bully and a group of observers. The group of friends is one of the characteristics of adolescence and there are times when boys or girls follow a leader no matter what he or she does. The parents of the boys or girls who have become observers must act equally. If you become aware of a case of bullying, you should notify the school immediately, explaining to your child what you are going to do and the importance of doing it. And they must make sure that their child understands that bravery and maturity lie precisely in not remaining silent in these types of situations.