Protecting Teens from Teenage Bullying
Angela Oswalt Morelli , MSW, edited by C. E. Zupanick, Psy.D.Some youth find themselves the targets of repeated acts of violence and abuse, and while they do not want to resort to violence themselves, they also do not know how to stop this abuse from their peers. These youth are victims of bullying. Nearly 20% of youth report being targets of bullying in the past year (Eaton, Kann, Kinchen, et al., 2010).
Bullying is the repeated abuse, hostility, aggression, manipulation, or violence between two youth where one youth possesses greater power than the other. This power differential can include physical power (physical skills and strength), social power (popularity, social influence), financial power, intellectual power, or any difference in which the bully feels superior to the victim. The power differential enables bullies to successfully intimidate their victims. Bullying can include physical violence such as punching, hitting, or forcibly taking something that belongs to the victim. Bullying may include emotional abuse such as teasing, taunting, humiliating, threatening, or belittling peers. Social aggression, hostility, and manipulation are also powerful bullying tools. For instance, bullies can spread false rumors about their victims, isolate their victims from other friends or peers, or otherwise embarrass a youth. Both guys and girls can be the victims and perpetrators of all forms of bullying, but guys tend to use physical tactics, while female bullies tend to rely on social and emotional bullying tactics.
The Internet, mobile phones, and computers have expanded the number and type of bullying tools and tactics. Parents should not underestimate the harm that is caused by vicious text messages, or embarrassing photos that rapidly circulate among peers via mobile phones. These technological tools enable bullies to conduct their abuse without ever having face-to-face contact with their target. Furthermore, some sophisticated bullies with advanced computer skills can perform these hostile acts without detection.
At one time, parents and teachers often ignored bullying believing it to be relatively harmless act. However, research has made it exquisitely clear that bullying has lasting negative effects for both the bully and the victim. Therefore, all bullying needs to be taken seriously as youth who are the targeted victims, and the bully, are at much greater risk for emotional and behavioral problems. Symptoms of bullying can mimic symptoms of dating violence or behavioral health concerns. If parents are concerned that their child is experiencing bullying, they should talk to their child about this concern in a way that will make the youth feel safe and understood.
Depending on the severity of the bullying, parents may want to handle it in several different ways. If the bullying occurs during school hours (including extracurricular activities after school), parents should go to the school administration and express their concerns. Parents should insist the situation be handled in a way that the bully will be held fully accountable for their actions and the bullied child will be protected further abuse. The school should never suggest mediation between the bully and victim because whenever there is a power differential (as is the case with bullying) mediation is not only ineffective, but it can actually lead to further victimization. If the school suggests mediation, parents should resist. If the bullying occurs without any school involvement (cyber bullying outside school hours, or neighborhood bullying), the victim's parents may decide to talk to the bully's parents, express their concerns, and collaboratively form a plan to monitor their children's' interactions to maintain safety. However, some bullies have learned to disregard others by what they observe in their own home and so the bully's parents may not be open to such a discussion and may see nothing wrong with their child's behavior.
If the bullying begins to affect a child's overall functioning, parents will want to contact a child therapist or counselor to help the child cope with the experience and to help the child regain a sense of safety. If the bullying is extremely intense or if the school administration isn't making appropriate attempts to resolve the situation, parents may wish to consider filing for a protective court order, or even pressing charges against the violent bully. However, these steps must be carefully considered to avoid further victimization of the child. Parents may also wish to consider enrolling their child in a different school.
Resources
-
Articles
- Adolescent Parenting Introduction
-
Healthy Teens: Food, Eating & Nutrition During Adolescence
- Teenage Caloric Requirements
- Nutritional Guidelines for Teens
- How Can Parents Help Teens to Develop Healthy Eating Habits?
- Common Nutritional Challenges for Teenagers: Adolescent Obesity
- Common Nutritional Challenges for Teenagers: Eating Disorders and Unhealthy Dieting
- Common Nutritional Challenges for Teenagers: Adolescent Diabetes
- Adolescent Diabetes Continued
- Healthy Teens: Exercise and Sports
- Healthy Teens: Sleep
- Parenting Teens: Clothing Clashes, Housing Decisions, & Financial Management
- Parenting Teens: Skincare, Cosmetics, Tattoos, & Piercings
- Caring for Teens: Healthcare for Teens and Young Adults
-
Parenting Teens: Discipline, Love, Rules & Expectations
- Parenting Teens: Discipline, Love, Rules & Expectations
- Discipline and Guidance: Early to Middle Adolescence
- Discipline and Guidance: Early to Middle Adolescence: Time Management and Family Commitments
- Discipline and Guidance: Early to Middle Adolescence: Socializing, Dating and Driving
- Discipline and Guidance: Older Adolescents and Young Adults (18 Years and Older)
-
A Parent’s Guide to Protecting Teens’ Health and Safety
- A Parent's Guide to Protecting Teens' Health & Safety
- Understanding the Risks of Adolescent Drug Use: Part II
- What Can Parents Do to Prevent Teenage Alcohol and Drug Use?
- Steps Parents Can Take to Protect Their Children from Alcohol and Other Drug Use
- Steps for Parents: Part II
- Driving Privileges and Safe Driving Practices for Young Drivers
- Parental Guidelines for Teen Driving Privileges: The Family Driving Contract
- Protecting Teens from Abusive Relationships and Dating Violence
- Protecting Teens from Teenage Fights, Gang Violence, Exposure to Sexual Predators and Graphic Internet Violence
- Protecting Teens from Teenage Bullying
- Protecting Adolescent Safety: Independent Living
- Personal Security While in Public Places
- Adolescent Parenting Summary & Conclusion
- Adolescent Parenting: References & Resources
-
Questions and Answers
-
Book & Media Reviews
-
Links
-
Videos
- Feeling down? Let's talk - Prevention of suicide among adolescents
- Teen Drug Use: 2014 Monitoring The Future Survey Results
- NPW 2017: Suicide and Substance Use in Young People
- Are We Feeding Early Puberty
- Why Teens Are Attracted to Vaping
- Is My High School Student Ready for College? (And Is My College Student Ready to Go Back?)
- Advice to Parents | Drugs & College 101
- Teen Depression Screening
- Let’s talk about depression – focus on adolescents and young adults
- The Flu Shot- Who Really Gets It
-
45 more
- Child Development: Stepping Stones - Lesson 21: Adolescence: Biosocial Development
- Child Development: Stepping Stones - Lesson 22: Adolescence: Cognitive Development
- Child Development: Stepping Stones - Lesson 24: Adolescence: Summary
- Are Your Kids Addicted to Social Media?
- Is My Child Too Young to Get the HPV Vaccine?
- Do Boys Need the HPV Vaccine?
- The Perils of Adolescence
- Tackling Concussions
- Adolescent Risk-Takers: The Power of Peers
- Energy Drink Sparking More ER Visits
- Children and Social Media: What Every Parent Should Know
- Drugs: Shatter The Myths
- The Impact of Changing Social Behaviors on Teen Drug Use
- Teen Substance Use
- Youth Suicide Risk
- Take Healthy Habits to College
- What Boys Want to Know About Puberty
- Am I Normal (Girls and Puberty)
- Money Tips for Millennials
- E-Cigarette Use in Middle and High School Students
- Teens Using E-cigarettes More Likely to Start Smoking Tobacco
- Tips For Teens With Diabetes: Be Active
- Help Teens Lower Their Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
- Adolescence: Preparing for Lifelong Health and Wellness
- Back to School: A Good Night's Sleep
- How to Talk to Teens: A Developmental Approach
- Bedtime Wake Up Call
- Game Change! Focus on Families - Engaging Young Adults and Their Families
- Endocrine System
- Behavioral Health on College Campuses
- Notebook: Sexual Harassment
- Flu Shots: Young Adults Need Immunity
- Most Teens Need a Rest
- Screen Time vs. Bedtime
- What is Puberty? Decoding Puberty in Girls
- All About Boys Puberty
- Inside Puberty: What Are the Stages of Puberty?
- Puberty Explained - What Is Happening To Your Body?
- Another Reason for Teens to Eat Their Vegetables
- Dangers of E-Cigarettes
- HPV Vaccine: A Pediatrician’s Recommendation
- Healthy Weight
- Getting through to your teenager with ADHD
- Back-to-School: A Time to Think about Health & Academics
- Impact of Cyberbullying: Addressing the Needs of Children and Youth
Topics
-
Related Topic Centers
-
Addictions
-
Aging & Elder Care
-
Assessments & Interventions
-
Career & Workplace
-
Emotional Well-Being
-
Life Issues
-
Parenting & Child Care
-
Abuse
-
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
-
Adoption
-
Autism
-
Child & Adolescent Development: Overview
-
Child & Adolescent Development: Puberty
-
Child Development & Parenting: Early (3-7)
-
Child Development & Parenting: Infants (0-2)
-
Child Development & Parenting: Middle (8-11)
-
Child Development & Parenting:Adolescence (12-24)
-
Child Development Theory: Adolescence (12-24)
-
Child Development Theory: Middle Childhood (8-11)
-
Childhood Mental Disorders and Illnesses
-
Childhood Special Education
-
Divorce
-
Family & Relationship Issues
-
Intellectual Disabilities
-
Learning Disorders
-
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
-
Parenting
-
Self Esteem
-
-
Psychological Disorders
-
Anxiety Disorders
-
Bipolar Disorder
-
Conversion Disorders
-
Depression: Depression & Related Conditions
-
Dissociative Disorders
-
Domestic Violence and Rape
-
Eating Disorders
-
Impulse Control Disorders
-
Intellectual Disabilities
-
Mental Disorders
-
Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
-
Personality Disorders
-
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
-
Schizophrenia
-
Sexual Disorders
-
Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
-
Suicide
-
Tourettes and other Tic Disorders
-