Bullying Among Sixth Graders A Daily Occurrence, UCLA Study Finds
Rate This Article
"This pattern of being bullied is associated with increased rates of absenteeism from school, lower grades and feeling sick," Nishina says, adding that the more bullying they experience, the more they dislike school and want to avoid school.
"Now we have evidence that the school environment, psychological health, physical health and school achievement are all interrelated," Juvonen says. Many children are reluctant to discuss bullying incidents, and may visit the school nurse instead, she says.
"They want to withdraw; they don't want to go back to class. Frequent headaches and stomachaches are potential signs of bullying," says Juvonen, who has served as a consultant to the effective "Cool Tools" safe school program at UCLA's Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School, designed by Safe School Specialist Ava de la Sota.
What parents can do
Children who are embarrassed or humiliated about being bullied
in school are unlikely to discuss it with their parents or
teacher, Juvonen and Nishina says. Instead, they are more
likely to suffer in silence, withdraw and dislike school. "It
becomes a vicious cycle where it's hard to get out," Juvonen
says.
Juvonen advises parents to talk with their children about bullying before it ever happens, and to pay attention to changes in their children's behavior. Students who get bullied often have headaches, colds and other physical illnesses, as well as psychological problems.
"If your child doesn't want to go to school and is complaining about headaches, there may be other visits needed than to the doctor's office," Nishina says. "Take their concerns seriously. Don't minimize your child's concerns."
In December 2003, Juvonen, Graham and Mark Schuster, associate professor of pediatrics in UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, reported that bullies are often popular and viewed by classmates as the "coolest" in their classes; they don't show signs of depression or social anxiety, and do not suffer from low self-esteem.
About this article: From University of Southern California Los Angeles.
More from PregnancyandBaby.com
© Copyright 2003-7 SheKnows, LLC and/or individual copyright holders. All Rights Reserved.
0 |
