More than one way to Bully
Writer: Zach Davis, zadavis@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: AgriLife Extension Service, Wheeler County 806-826-5243
Bullying by youth is a continuing problem in nationwide schools. It is an issue that affects youth regardless of age, race, or
gender. Five types of bullying are indentified by Cicely A Richard, a journalist for ForeWord magazine and the Arizona Daily Star.
For my article we will combine hazing and physical bullying into one category. Other categories include verbal, cyber and
emotional bullying.
Physical Bullying & Hazing
Physical bullying and hazing has long been a ritual of sports teams, college fraternities and other group entities. In the cult
classic movie Dazed and Confused hazing is clearly a focal point. Senior level high schooler’s taunt the incoming freshman
with paddles and vow to chase them all down. The cheerleaders use a different approach; cover the incoming members with
flour and syrup. While these acts seem humorous in television shows, I promise they are not. If anyone has ever been hit with
a paddle you know it hurts. There is nothing funny about it! Youth today run the risk of having lockers vandalized, being tripped and pushed in hallways, and having stuff thrown at them along the way. LuAnn Schindler of Life123.com describes it this way “Hitting, kicking or pushing another person, or even threatening to do it, is one of the most common types of bullying. Some bullies resort to even the most childish behaviors, such as hair pulling, biting and pinching.” Other activities put in the category include stealing, hiding or ruining a victim’s
possessions. These activities might not be a problem if your child is over 6 foot tall and 200 pounds, but for a small guy like me, I would
often find myself overmatched in my high school days. Especially if the guys I was rough housing with involved more than
one person.
Verbal Bullying
The old cliché “sticks and stones” can be argued against again. Verbal bullying happens every day to youth. Gossiping,
insulting, and name calling are all too common. My wife and I recently watched the move Easy A that came out in the local
Redbox. This movie is not appropriate for youth, but as adults we could identify with the main theme.
The main character is a high school aged girl who overheard in the bathroom talking to her best friend in private. By the end
of the day the whole school is teasing her over an event that is nowhere close to the truth. The young girl at first accepts the
harassment as misunderstanding, but as the movie progresses the jeering and insults continue to become hurtful, even if they
can’t be validated. This happens all too much in the world of youth and adults. One small mistake or misunderstanding can soon become public knowledge and humiliate the life of young people. Everyone makes mistakes, but when yours is the talk of the town, nothing
is pleasant about it.
Emotional Bullying
Emotional Bullying can be the quietest and most over looked form of bullying. Being secluded by friends and acquaintances
might not seem like much but no one likes being alone. Emotional bullying often attacks a person’s self esteem and can put
them in a down spiral on anxiety and sometimes depression. The victim is not always the focus of emotional bullying. A victim’s family, lifestyle, and social status are also targeted. Cyber bullying Cyberbullying is an all-new aspect for most of us, but for youth that have grown up in the technology era, cyberbullying can be quite common. Instead of a spoke word, internet websites, instant messaging, facebook pages, cell phones and emails are the main instrument. An act of physical altercation may only seen by few, but after a posting on facebook or youtube many could see within seconds. Comments and postings on a video can be demeaning and damaging for a victim. This might help your youngster gain attention around school, but as illustrated in the move Easy A what seems good for a second can often become a
nightmare by days end. Our school system can do a great job against physical assault, but they have no control over cyberbullying. This specific issue is up to the parents and guardians. Monitor you child’s activities on the internet and other media. While everyone does
deserve some amount of privacy, until they are a grown adult, a young person’s activities are the responsibility of someone in
charge.
Merriam-Webster dictionary describes a bully as: “one who is habitually cruel to others who are weaker.” Encourage your
youth to be strong, praise them for their strengths, and help them identify if they are associated with one of these bullying
environments.
