According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 14% of public schools say school bullying is a problem. If your child is the target of a bully in a New York school, your child might show symptoms such as depression, anxiety or failing grades. There are also several types of bullying your child could face.
Verbal
Bullying in school doesn’t always include physical violence. Verbal bullying uses words to hurt the target. Name-calling, mocking and teasing are all forms of verbal bullying. In addition to occurring in school, this type of bullying can occur online via social media.
Physical
Physical bullying is when the target experiences various forms of physical violence. Examples of physical bullying include kicking, punching, tripping and hitting.
Exclusion
According to U.S. News & World Report, social exclusion is the most common form of school bullying. This type of bullying involves excluding the victim from group activities and spreading false rumors about them. Social exclusion is just as damaging as other forms of school bullying.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying uses digital means to target the victim. For example, a target of cyberbullying might receive threatening emails or messages on social media platforms. Another tactic is to share embarrassing content, such as photos or videos, of the target.
Appearance
School bullying based on appearance is when the bully chooses the target based on the target’s appearance. The bully can focus on any random aspect of the target’s appearance. For example, a bully might target a student because of the student’s body size, clothing or facial features.
If your child is a target of school bullying, you can consider speaking with the school. You might contact a teacher, the principal or a school counselor to address the issue.