We told our son to fight back, but he refuses. Jennifer Richard Jacobson Jennifer received her master's in education from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has taught preschool through sixth grade and has served as Curriculum Coordinator, Admissions Director, Head of Studies and Language Arts Specialist. You and your son are facing a very tough problem. As you have seen, reporting or communicating the problem can sometimes be futile.
Bullying is harassment.
In fact, it is no less serious than sexual harassment and can have devastating results. Children who experience persistent bullying may become depressed and anxiety ridden. They may even lose interest in school. In most cases, the bully is trying to gain social status by overpowering or ridiculing a more vulnerable child. This is why acts of physical or verbal mistreatment often occur in public places such as on a school bus, in the school corridors or on a playing field.