This month’s topic, which has increased in schools in recent years, attracts the attention of parents and teachers and is highly significant for students’ especially mental development; “bullying”.
Bullying is a very common type of violence encountered in schools. It occurs when one or more students constantly disturb the students who they see physically and spiritually weaker than themselves. Bullying is usually a form of attack that results in the victim not being able to protect himself. The student who we call bully, makes physical, social or verbal attacks on the student, whom he considers himself powerless. In order to prevent bullying, democracy, empathy and tolerance education should be included in the schools where students and all education workers are together.
Here in Denge Schools, not only we are concerned about our students' academic success, but also we are aware of the fact that their mental and physical health plays a very important role in their academic success as well. Therefore, we are carrying out some studies and works to ensure that both parents and students understand the importance of bullying issue in schools and how to act against it. Because we know that if a students is not happy in school or classroom and feels under pressure, he or she will not be successful in academic terms.
Until the last ten years, bullying has been categorized as physical, verbal and non-verbal. However, in recent years, cyberbullying has also been included in the classification of bullying. In order to understand the issue better, we'd better review the types of bullying closely.
Types of Bullying
Physical Bullying: As can be understood from the name, the type of physical bullying, including physical acts, biting, hair pulling, hitting, pushing, damage to special items, and so on manifests itself.
Verbal Bullying; Without physcal actions, nicknames, threats, mocking, humiliation, insulting can be seen in the form of abuse. It can be also called emotional bullying.
Non- Verbal Bullying; Hand gestures, friendship rejection / exclusion from the group, pretending to be absent and all such movements are all.
Cyber Bullying: It is a type of bullying encountered in recent years with the inclusion of internet and social media in our lives and increasingly frequently of use. Information and communication technologies are acts of harassments, ridicule, humiliation and similar actions by using tools such as social media.
Bullying that divides into four categories may cause physical and mental damage on student. Sleeping problems, school phobias, avoiding lectures, reluctancy to studying,lack of self-confidence may be examples of mental damage.It may also occur like lack of motivation, disharmony in the class, being behind academicaly are examples of academical issues.Social skill problems may also occur as negative sense of self, having a hard time to start a friendship, shyness, timidity or introversion.
It is crucial for parents to discuss with the students who display bully behaviours or have been bullied, about the behaviours and instead of putting pressure on them showing emphaty to understand their emotions and the reason of the behaviours.
If your child exhibit any of these behaviors that are mentioned above, you should contact with our guidance service immediately and never blame on your child. You should not inculcate by saying “Do the same thing” and to understand his/her feelings, you should talk to your child.
When you notice that your child is bullying towards other students, you can talk to her/him about bullying. Children who exhibit bulliying behaviors may think that they do this ‘just for fun’ and find it ‘funny’. In this case, the child learn the difference between good joke and bad joke.
We, as of Denge Schools educate our students as we are also aware of that their physical and emotional development play an important role in their academic success. Their physical and emotional development also help the students to be tolerant and respectful individuals to their environment, therefore we are doing our best for our students to be physically emotionally healthy individuals.
Key words: bullying, academic achievement, emotional development