School bullying is currently a pressing issue for society at large. According to the Mental Health Institute, Bach Mai Hospital reports that on average, up to 3 - 4 students experience school bullying each month. So what exactly is school bullying? What are the far-reaching consequences that bullying can have on the victim's mental and physical health? All will be answered right below.
What is school bullying?
School bullying is the condition in which children are subjected to physical or mental abuse, or both. Bullying often occurs for very trivial reasons, such as the victim glancing at the bully, the victim arguing with a classmate, and that classmate happens to be the "ringleader" of the school. Often the victim does not even understand why they are being bullied.
Physical abuse
- Group beating: The victim is invited to a specific location such as the school gate, a restroom, or even in the classroom after others have left to “talk,” and is threatened that if others are brought along, both will be beaten.
- Sexual abuse: The victim is touched in sensitive areas. Both boys and girls fall under this form of bullying.
- Extortion: The child is deprived of money, food, school supplies, even clothing. The extorter demands that the victim hand over everything the bully needs and must not tell anyone about the incident.
Emotional abuse
The bully often spreads false rumors or calls the victim by harsh nicknames such as: "cờ hó," "nô tài," ... The bully also makes the child perform acts showing that they are a servant, such as making the victim lick the bully's shoes or kneel to wipe their feet. Moreover, the emotional abuser even draws in classmates who are not part of the “gang” to ostracize, belittle, and isolate the victim.
Consequences of school bullying
Physically, the child may suffer injuries such as bruises and scrapes, with some even having their hair cut or eyebrows shaved, causing their appearance to worsen and leaving them in a constant state of fear.
Mentally, actions such as spreading rumors, belittling, and circulating false information will undermine the child's self-esteem, causing them to feel discouraged and not want to go to school.
Especially sexual violence not only harms the child's physical well-being but also causes mental suffering that the child may never forget for the rest of their life.
Ways to support and prevent school bullying
Parents should protect their children from school bullying by talking with them and being more involved. By creating a safe environment, the child can confidently share their school stories with parents and teachers.
You should teach the child that if they are invited to a "talk," they should immediately report it to a teacher or their parents, without fear that the other kids will continue to bully, because parents always support and want to protect their child.
If you discover that the child has been bullied by the perpetrators at a mild level, immediately report to the school administration — such as the principal or vice-principal — to ensure timely handling.
Through this article, Mykingdom has given parents more information about the problem of bắt nạt học đường and the consequences on both mental and physical health that victims must bear. We hope parents stay close, observe their child to promptly detect issues and talk with their child, helping them address violence-related problems so they can feel secure going to school.
