Liebe Grüße
Black Eye
Reasons for bullying
Whether a person is being bullied, does not depend on gender, girls and boys or women and men are equally victims of bullying. The level of education isn't important, too. Particularly at risk are people who behave different than others or who are not like “normal“ people. These include for example students who get good marks or adults who achieve outstanding performance in their job and thus be especially praised by their teacher or boss. But even people with a disability or who come from a different social status, for example from a poorer family, are often victims of bullying. It can be enough even if you only have another dress style.
Reasons for bullying in school
Bullying serves as a relief for aggression. Therefore, offenders are often students who provide poor performance or who are being compromised or bullied by their teacher, for example. Sometimes young people are the offenders in order to gain recognition that they don't receive otherwise. If they don't get enough recognition from their parents or friends, they try to gain it by bullying. They want to be “cool” for their friends. Here also play inferiority feelings a role, which are also caused by not enough recognition. They try to take their problems or frustration out on somebody else. But also pupils who were formerly themselves a victim of bullying, can become offenders.
In school, clothing plays a very important role, especially in relation to branded products. If you don't wear brand-name clothes, people often call you “uncool” or “unfashionable” and become a outsider and bullying victim. In summary the family situation, social situation, origin, certain behaviors or characteristics and much more are the reasons for bullying.
Solution strategies/Measures against bullying
As diverse as the causes, symptoms and consequences of bullying are the solution strategies to prevent or stop it if it is already taking place.
What people can do against bullying
Victims:
Most victims of bullying are ashamed and stay alone with their suffering. It is important, to ask an adult for advice and to get help. It should be a trusting person, such as teachers, social workers, parents, friends, or employees of a counseling center. It is often helpful to contact other victims.
Teachers:
Even teachers can do much to prevent or stop bullying. In school, pupils should be encouraged to talk about bullying incidents. If teachers hear about a bullying case, it is important to support the victim and to protect him. The perpetrators must be taken to task and a solution have to be found. Class rules should be agreed to prevent bullying.
Parents:
Parents should know the signals, which occur when someone is bullied, and they should be able to recognize them.
If a child doesn't want to go to school any more, feels sick or has often broken school stuff, for example, parents should take that seriously and don't ignore it. They have to support their son or daughter. If the suspicion arises that the child is being bullied, the school should be informed. They should not talk to the perpetrator because that usually isn't helpful.
Schools and municipalities
Municipalities, students and parents can make up anti-bullying strategies and campaigns.
In may schools students are able to take part at trainings for the personality development, communication trainings and conflict resolution trainings. In those they can learn to defend themselves against bullying or to get more confident.
Even anti-aggression training is a way to prevent or stop bullying. The perpetrators are faced with the victims and the suffering which they had inflicted on them. They feel sympathy for the victims. They also learn a fair kind of confrontation, to have tolerance for others and a constructive way to argue.
It doesn't help to admonish the perpetrators or take the victims out of school. Bullying needs to be topic of the class and the school. It must also be checked what happened or where the reason for the bullying case is. Joint actions and measures against bullying should be planned at each school.
