| Children from abusive homes can indeed go on to | | | | - gender/sexual orientation is seen as deserving of |
| bully--bullying is a sign of abuse--but not all abused | | | | contempt or inferiorSTAT: According to Egan (2000), 1 |
| children become bullies and not all bullies come from | | | | in 6 gay teens is beaten so badly during adolescence |
| abusive homes. There are other factors that can | | | | that he requires medical attention.- religious beliefs are |
| determine whether or not a child will go on to bully:- the | | | | considered deserving of contempt or inferior |
| child's temperament | | | | - a child who is bright, talented, gifted |
| - lack of supervision (NOTE: bullies require constant | | | | - a child who does not conform to what is considered |
| supervision) | | | | the "norm" |
| - the social climate at schoolOn average, children and | | | | - a child who is unusually fat, thin, short, tallSTAT: |
| youth spend about 6 hours a day in school. It is the | | | | According to Pepler & Craig (1997), young girls were |
| only place that children are brought together in large | | | | more afraid of becoming fat than they were of |
| numbers for extended periods of time on a regular | | | | nuclear war, cancer or losing their parents.- a child who |
| basis. Within the society of school, children and youth | | | | wears braces or glasses |
| try to fit in, often by joining in peer group circles and | | | | - has acne or any other visible skin condition |
| cliques. This society within a society makes schools | | | | - has a physical or developmental/mental disability |
| highly susceptible to bullying.According to the British | | | | - just being at the wrong place at the wrong |
| Columbia Ministry of Education (2000), most bullying | | | | timeANYONE can be a target for bullying; and boys |
| happens in or close to the school building. Some | | | | and girls are equally likely to be victims.There are |
| statistics reflect that more than 90% of bullying occurs | | | | school administrators who believe that their school |
| either in the school or on the school playground.Bullying | | | | does not have a bullying problem. This is another myth. |
| and harassment have historically and traditionally been | | | | ALL schools have bullying problems. Perhaps liability |
| considered rites of passage, something all children and | | | | issues enter into the mix, or perhaps they really do |
| youth must go through as part of the growing up | | | | believe the claim. The following statistics dispell that |
| process. This is a myth.In the past 20 years or so, | | | | claim:STAT: An international study done for Health |
| bullying and harassment have received international | | | | Canada in 1999 reflected that 56% of boys and 40% |
| attention, due in part to children and youth who commit | | | | of girls in grades 6 and 8 had bullied someone that |
| suicide as a result of being a victim of relentless | | | | year.STAT: In that same 1999 international study, 43% |
| bullying and their inability to cope. There have been | | | | of boys and 35% of girls said they had been bullied in |
| enough incidents' of children committing suicide | | | | that year.STAT:According to Pepler & Craig (2000), |
| because of incessant bullying that a phrase has been | | | | 71% of teachers said they usually intervene in bullying |
| coined for it: bullycide.Canada, in fact, just the province | | | | episodes; 25% of students said teachers intervene.This |
| of British Columbia, the province in which I reside, has | | | | last statistic tells us that teachers are unaware of just |
| its share of internationally-known bullying | | | | how much bullying is going on in schools. If teachers |
| victims:November 2000, in Mission, British Columbia: | | | | are unaware of the problem, they are not in a position |
| Dawn Marie Wesley, 14 years old, hanged herself in | | | | to intervene. Without intervention, bullies will not cease |
| her bedroom with her dog's leash. In her suicide note, | | | | their violent behaviour. Left unchecked, as the bully |
| she named 3 girls at school who had tormented and | | | | gets older, the bullying behaviour escalates to |
| threatened her.March 2000, Surrey, British Columbia: | | | | harassment.For more on harassment, check out my |
| Hamed Nastoh, 14 years old, leapt off the Patullo | | | | article titled Bullying vs. Harassment.To summarize, |
| Bridge after he left a 5-page suicide note that detailed | | | | children from abusive homes sometimes exhibit bullying |
| the relentless bullying he endured.November 1997, | | | | behaviours. These children are either lashing out, or |
| Victoria, British Columbia: Rena Virk, 14 years old, was | | | | they are trying to gain control of the people around |
| bullied, attacked and beaten unconscious by 7 girls and | | | | them because they have no control otherwise. But |
| 1 boy--all schoolmates--and then brutally murdered. | | | | child abuse is not the only governing factor here. A |
| What was particularly startling in this case was the | | | | child's disposition, a lack of supervision and guidance, |
| fact that hundreds of students knew about the cruel | | | | and the school environment also play a role.Yes, child |
| and relentless taunting, and even of Rena's death | | | | abuse can lead to bullying, but bullying isn't always the |
| before someone finally reported her death to the | | | | result of child abuse.RESOURCES: is a site that details |
| police.April 1997, Nanaimo, British Columbia: A grade-4 | | | | the four types of child abuse (emotional, physical, |
| student pulled a knife on another student who was | | | | sexual, and neglect); signs, effects and statistics for |
| taunting him. He'd been dealing with torment by his | | | | each; sexual abuse victims, including victims with |
| peers for over a year. After the knife incident, the boy | | | | disabilities; sex offenders, including female, child, |
| and his family were ordered to take an anger | | | | adolescent, and Internet offenders; laws governing child |
| management course. The school took no immediate | | | | abuse; intervention; prevention; plus a forum to write |
| action with the children who bullied him.How prevalent | | | | your own child abuse story.RELATED PAGES AND |
| is bullying and harassment in Canada?1 in 5 children is | | | | ARTICLES: titled: Bullying vs. HarassmentDarlene |
| bullied; 1 in 12 youth are regularly harassed in school by | | | | Barriere's On My Own Terms, A Memoir, a book |
| other students (Gladue, 1999).Risk factors for bullying:- | | | | about surviving the effects of child abuse, is now |
| submissiveness | | | | available for download in PDF e-book format at have |
| - shy, reserved, quiet, sensitive | | | | permission to publish this article electronically or in print, |
| - the youngest or smallest | | | | free of charge, as long as all bylines and live hyperlinks |
| - a child unwilling to fight | | | | are included.- 30 -Darlene Barriere Copyright |
| - a child who wears clothes that are considered | | | | 2006Darlene Barriere is a certified violence and abuse |
| unfashionable | | | | prevention educator with the Canadian Red Cross. |
| - a child who exhibits annoying behaviours | | | | She conducts workshops with youth and adults on the |
| - a child who expresses emotions quickly | | | | subject of child abuse, bullying and harassment, |
| - being the new kid on the block | | | | violence in sports, and relationship violence. She has |
| - a child who has been previously traumatized | | | | written a book detailing how she overcame the |
| - being rich or poor | | | | devastating effects of child abuse (for download site, |
| - a different ethnicity | | | | see under Related Pages). |