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. Many parents and teachers believe, wrongly, that because bullying is relatively common it is just a harmless part of childhood. Research, however, demonstrates that children who are bullied can experience significant psychological harm, which can interfere with their social, academic and emotional development. Hence, when bullying occurs, it needs to be addressed swiftly before it starts to affect the child being bullied. Bullies also need help.