Information Related to "What You Need to Know About School Bullies"
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Have you ever been the target of a bully? Perhaps there's someone at school who makes fun of the way you dress, your height or weight or your ethnic background. Or perhaps someone puts you down because you have an unusual last name, struggle academically or are shy. Maybe you've been slugged, shoved, tripped, teased, mocked or humiliated more times than you care to remember.
If you have, you're not alone. School bullying touches nearly every teenager
in America. According to the National Institute of Child and Health Development,
30 percent of teens are bullied on a regular basis, and 70 percent of students
experience at least some bullying during their school years. The National
School Safety Center estimates that there are about 2.7 million bullying
victims in American schools today. Other nations around the world report
similar statistics.
Those who are bullied know how devastating it can be. In most cases, it's not just a one-time or even an occasional occurrence. Once a bully has found a target, he usually continues his assaults on a daily basis. Often the bully's cohorts will join in on the abuse as well.
This can put the person on the receiving end in a state of constant anxiety, and it can lead to feelings of embarrassment, depression and social isolation. Guys and girls who are bullied may become so upset about what's happening that their schoolwork and physical health suffer.
Certainly bullying is the total opposite of the Golden Rule, which tells us to "do to others what you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12, New International Version throughout). Psalm 11:5 says of God, "Those who love violence his soul hates." God despises bullying! Those who strive to live by the Golden Rule find the very thought of bullying repulsive too.
Related Information on UCG Sites:
Table of Contents that includes "What You Need to Know About School Bullies"
Other Articles by Becky Sweat
Teens and peer influence: