| Children from abusive homes can indeed go on to | | | | (2000), 1 in 6 gay teens is beaten so badly during |
| bully--bullying is a sign of abuse--but not all abused | | | | adolescence that he requires medical attention.- |
| children become bullies and not all bullies come | | | | religious beliefs are considered deserving of |
| from abusive homes. There are other factors | | | | contempt or inferior |
| that can determine whether or not a child will go | | | | - a child who is bright, talented, gifted |
| on to bully:- the child's temperament | | | | - a child who does not conform to what is |
| - lack of supervision (NOTE: bullies require | | | | considered the "norm" |
| constant supervision) | | | | - a child who is unusually fat, thin, short, tallSTAT: |
| - the social climate at schoolOn average, children | | | | According to Pepler & Craig (1997), young girls |
| and youth spend about 6 hours a day in school. It | | | | were more afraid of becoming fat than they |
| is the only place that children are brought | | | | were of nuclear war, cancer or losing their |
| together in large numbers for extended periods | | | | parents.- a child who wears braces or glasses |
| of time on a regular basis. Within the society of | | | | - has acne or any other visible skin condition |
| school, children and youth try to fit in, often by | | | | - has a physical or developmental/mental disability |
| joining in peer group circles and cliques. This | | | | - just being at the wrong place at the wrong |
| society within a society makes schools highly | | | | timeANYONE can be a target for bullying; and |
| susceptible to bullying.According to the British | | | | boys and girls are equally likely to be |
| Columbia Ministry of Education (2000), most | | | | victims.There are school administrators who |
| bullying happens in or close to the school building. | | | | believe that their school does not have a bullying |
| Some statistics reflect that more than 90% of | | | | problem. This is another myth. ALL schools have |
| bullying occurs either in the school or on the | | | | bullying problems. Perhaps liability issues enter into |
| school playground.Bullying and harassment have | | | | the mix, or perhaps they really do believe the |
| historically and traditionally been considered rites | | | | claim. The following statistics dispell that |
| of passage, something all children and youth must | | | | claim:STAT: An international study done for Health |
| go through as part of the growing up process. | | | | Canada in 1999 reflected that 56% of boys and |
| This is a myth.In the past 20 years or so, bullying | | | | 40% of girls in grades 6 and 8 had bullied |
| and harassment have received international | | | | someone that year.STAT: In that same 1999 |
| attention, due in part to children and youth who | | | | international study, 43% of boys and 35% of girls |
| commit suicide as a result of being a victim of | | | | said they had been bullied in that |
| relentless bullying and their inability to cope. There | | | | year.STAT:According to Pepler & Craig (2000), |
| have been enough incidents' of children committing | | | | 71% of teachers said they usually intervene in |
| suicide because of incessant bullying that a phrase | | | | bullying episodes; 25% of students said teachers |
| has been coined for it: bullycide.Canada, in fact, | | | | intervene.This last statistic tells us that teachers |
| just the province of British Columbia, the province | | | | are unaware of just how much bullying is going on |
| in which I reside, has its share of | | | | in schools. If teachers are unaware of the |
| internationally-known bullying victims:November | | | | problem, they are not in a position to intervene. |
| 2000, in Mission, British Columbia: Dawn Marie | | | | Without intervention, bullies will not cease their |
| Wesley, 14 years old, hanged herself in her | | | | violent behaviour. Left unchecked, as the bully |
| bedroom with her dog's leash. In her suicide note, | | | | gets older, the bullying behaviour escalates to |
| she named 3 girls at school who had tormented | | | | harassment.For more on harassment, check out |
| and threatened her.March 2000, Surrey, British | | | | my article titled Bullying vs. Harassment.To |
| Columbia: Hamed Nastoh, 14 years old, leapt off | | | | summarize, children from abusive homes |
| the Patullo Bridge after he left a 5-page suicide | | | | sometimes exhibit bullying behaviours. These |
| note that detailed the relentless bullying he | | | | children are either lashing out, or they are trying |
| endured.November 1997, Victoria, British Columbia: | | | | to gain control of the people around them |
| Rena Virk, 14 years old, was bullied, attacked and | | | | because they have no control otherwise. But child |
| beaten unconscious by 7 girls and 1 boy--all | | | | abuse is not the only governing factor here. A |
| schoolmates--and then brutally murdered. What | | | | child's disposition, a lack of supervision and |
| was particularly startling in this case was the fact | | | | guidance, and the school environment also play a |
| that hundreds of students knew about the cruel | | | | role.Yes, child abuse can lead to bullying, but |
| and relentless taunting, and even of Rena's death | | | | bullying isn't always the result of child |
| before someone finally reported her death to the | | | | abuse.RESOURCES: is a site that details the four |
| police.April 1997, Nanaimo, British Columbia: A | | | | types of child abuse (emotional, physical, sexual, |
| grade-4 student pulled a knife on another student | | | | and neglect); signs, effects and statistics for each; |
| who was taunting him. He'd been dealing with | | | | sexual abuse victims, including victims with |
| torment by his peers for over a year. After the | | | | disabilities; sex offenders, including female, child, |
| knife incident, the boy and his family were | | | | adolescent, and Internet offenders; laws |
| ordered to take an anger management course. | | | | governing child abuse; intervention; prevention; plus |
| The school took no immediate action with the | | | | a forum to write your own child abuse |
| children who bullied him.How prevalent is bullying | | | | story.RELATED PAGES AND ARTICLES: titled: |
| and harassment in Canada?1 in 5 children is bullied; | | | | Bullying vs. HarassmentDarlene Barriere's On My |
| 1 in 12 youth are regularly harassed in school by | | | | Own Terms, A Memoir, a book about surviving |
| other students (Gladue, 1999).Risk factors for | | | | the effects of child abuse, is now available for |
| bullying:- submissiveness | | | | download in PDF e-book format at have |
| - shy, reserved, quiet, sensitive | | | | permission to publish this article electronically or in |
| - the youngest or smallest | | | | print, free of charge, as long as all bylines and live |
| - a child unwilling to fight | | | | hyperlinks are included.- 30 -Darlene Barriere |
| - a child who wears clothes that are considered | | | | Copyright 2006Darlene Barriere is a certified |
| unfashionable | | | | violence and abuse prevention educator with the |
| - a child who exhibits annoying behaviours | | | | Canadian Red Cross. She conducts workshops |
| - a child who expresses emotions quickly | | | | with youth and adults on the subject of child |
| - being the new kid on the block | | | | abuse, bullying and harassment, violence in sports, |
| - a child who has been previously traumatized | | | | and relationship violence. She has written a book |
| - being rich or poor | | | | detailing how she overcame the devastating |
| - a different ethnicity | | | | effects of child abuse (for download site, see |
| - gender/sexual orientation is seen as deserving | | | | under Related Pages). |
| of contempt or inferiorSTAT: According to Egan | | | | |