Hair pulling, scratching, breaking objects, choking with various objects, being removed from class, making fun of them, are all manifestations of “bullying” – a form of emotional and physical abuse.
According to psychologists, this increasingly frequent phenomenon affects the emotional development of
since small. It is said that such manifestations are characteristic of children who do not receive enough attention, who want to stand out or whose childhood is marked by many material deprivations.
Most of the time, those who bully have been bullied or are being bullied by their family or other children.
Some children, who become the target of jokes and feel humiliated, do not talk to their parents about it. Either they are afraid, or they imagine they will be ignored by mommy and daddy. In such situations, the little one refuses to go to kindergarten or school, has sleep problems, sudden mood changes, loses the objects he plays with, and in some cases, comes home with bruises.
Talk to him as much as possible and make him understand that he can trust you. Teach him to tell, every evening, what he does at kindergarten or school. It will help you, as a parent, to know what your child is doing, and help him to get rid of the fear of being criticized.
At some point, children encounter difficulties in integrating and making friends with other peers. Most children who are physically or verbally abused are those who live alone. Thus, help him to be sociable and spend more time with friends than alone. In this way, he will be able to cope brilliantly with teasing or humiliating behaviors.
Also, the little one must know that he can choose who his friends are and refuse the presence of those who do not respect him.
Sometimes direct involvement, such as talking to the children’s parents, can make the situation worse. The best reaction of adults is not to intervene, but to allow the child to resolve that conflict, being by his side and offering him advice.
Let him react and take the right attitude. Explain that ignoring the aggressive behavior of his peers is sometimes the best solution. In the situation where the child is verbally or even physically assaulted by peers, take a stand – talk to your child’s educators, teachers or even peers.
