Our son was excited about going to preschool at first and really enjoyed the activities and games. Recently, however, he said he never wanted to go back to preschool. When we asked him why, he said a couple of other boys had been teasing and hitting him. We talked to his preschool teacher about this situation, and she acknowledged that these boys could be a little rambunctious. Our son, on the other hand, can be a little passive and overly sensitive.
Bullying is no laughing matter - for the victim or the bully.
Indeed, many recent school shootings have been committed by boys who reportedly had been bullied at school. When a child says he is being bullied, parents and teachers need to take the situation seriously - even in preschool. The hallmark of bullying is an imbalance of power - a bigger child picking on a smaller one or a group of children ganging up on an individual child. Bullying can include physical attacks, name-calling, verbal taunts, threats and even extortion. Studies in several countries have shown that at least 9 percent of all students in schools have been victims of bullying and another 7 percent repeatedly bully others.