A bullied child is often powerless to stop the bullying without outside help. Enlisting the help of a trusted adult is one of the best ways for a child to put a stop to the bullying.

Here are some facts about bullying:

Bullying is an everyday occurrence for many children.

Bullying occurs in school playgrounds every 7 minutes and once every 25 minutes in class. (Pepler et al., 1997)

Acts of bullying are often invisible to adults:

parents and teachers are often completely unaware that bullying is occurring.

Bullying is the assertion of power through aggression.

Its forms change with age: school playground bullying, sexual harassment, gang attacks, date violence, assault, marital violence, child abuse, workplace harassment and elder abuse. (Pepler and Craig, 1997)

Bullying is not a rite of passage.

Bullying is a serious act that has immediate and long-term consequences for a child who is being bullied.

Victims often report low self-esteem

likely because of repeated exposure to victimization. (Besag, 1989) Both boys and girls who are victimized, report symptoms of depression, such as sadness and a loss of interest in activities. (Slee, 1995), (Craig, 1997)

Children who are bully-victims appear to be at the greatest risk for adjustment difficulties.

– (Craig and Pepler, 1995)

Children who are bullied are usually afraid to speak out, even to parents and teachers.

They fear that the bullying will get worse if they tell, and they are ashamed of their status as victims.
Victims often keep their problems a secret: They feel they should handle bullying themselves; they worry about the bully’s revenge or other children’s disapproval: and/or they think that adults can do little to help them. (Garafalo et al., 1987), (Olwens, 1991)

Research does not support the popular stereotype that victims have unusual physical traits.

– (Olweus, 1993)

Research shows that bullying can be effectively reduced

when victimized children tell an adult, and persist in telling until their request for help is heard.

Adults can support children

who are being bullied by listening and reassuring them that speaking out is the right thing to do.