Students who are bullied frequently show these symptoms:

• They don't want to go to school and have higher absentee rates than other students.

• They are more likely to report disliking school.

• They tend to earn lower grades than students who are not bullied.

• Possible decrease in classroom participation and socialization with other students.

• Thoughts about suicide.

• A variety of health problems.

• Returning from school with torn or damaged clothing.

• Unexplained loss of property or money.

Recent research efforts suggest that students who are bullied have characteristics that make them more likely to be victims of bullying behavior.  Those characteristics include children with disabilities and special health care needs, children who are obese, and children who are known to be, or perceived to be gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

Other characteristics to watch out for:

• Quiet and sensitive children.

• Insecure children who lack self-confidence.

• For boys:  physically weaker.

• For Girls:  early maturation.

• Children who are afraid of getting hurt.

• Children who find it easier to associate with adults than with peers.

There is also the child frequently referred to as a "bully-victim."  This child attracts bullying through his or her provocative behavior.

What motivates children who bully others?  There are several factors at work here:

• They enjoy dominating others in a negative fashion.

• They derive satisfaction from inflicting injury, embarrassment, and suffering.

• They are "rewarded" by the bullying behavior through the distress of the child who is bullied and from being witnessed by bystanders.

Please take the time to view our short slide show on Bystanders in this section of the website.

What About Children Who Bully?  They also share other disturbing characteristics.  They are more likely to:

• Get into fights.

• Be injured in a fight.

• Steal or vandalize property.

• Drink alcohol and smoke tobacco products.

• Misuse other controlled or banned substances.

• Show signs of truancy.

• Drop out of school.

• Experience lower academic achievement in general.

• See the school climate as negative.

• Carry a weapon.

Bullying behavior affects the entire school climate, which is why a bullying prevention program must include every person at the school.

• Bullying behavior interferes with student learning.

• Bullying behavior creates a climate of fear and disrespect.

• Non-bullying students may come to feel that there is a lack of control by adults in charge, or possibly simply a lack of caring.

It is also important to consider bullying behavior in the context of No Child Left Behind.  NCLB specifically requires schools and school districts to maintain safe schools.  Given that mandate, in addition to NCLB's emphasis on student performance and the need to show Adequate Yearly Progress, it is imperative to take positive, proven steps to reduce bullying behavior.

A survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2001 showed the following results (15,600 students in grades 6-10 were questioned):

• 19% of students reported bullying others ”sometimes” or more often during the school term.

• 17% reported being bullied “sometimes” or more often.

• 6.3% reported bullying and being bullied.

This indicates that a fairly large sample of students in the average school are involved in bullying behavior.  In fact, schools that use the Olweus student questionnaire are nearly always surprised and dismayed by the results.  (Click on the last item in the drop-down list for more information on the  Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.)

Parents of children who are bullied by others can help them deal with the situation by:

• Helping their child to develop his or her own unique talents and positive characteristics.

• Encourage the child to make contact with friendly students in their classes.

• Encourage the child to learn how to get to know peers in new situations.

Parents should also encourage the child to report the bullying behavior if it is repeated and severe.  They should also consider reporting the behavior to school authorities themselves, even if the child does not want to report the behavior.  Sometimes parents have to override the wishes of the child.  Parents should NOT encourage the child to "fight back" and they should never confront the parents of the child who is allegedly doing the bullying.

Most schools and school districts have Codes of Conduct (variously named) that specify what behavior is unacceptable and what the sanctions are for breaking the rules.  Ideally, schools and districts should have specific anti-bullying language in their local policies.  In addition, more states are adopting anti-bullying legislation.  No matter what the local policies and laws provide, here are fundamental rules that will drive any successful bullying prevention program:

• We will not bully others.

• We will try to help students are bullied.

• We will invite students who are easily left out of activities to join us.

• When we know somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at the school and an adult at home.

These provisions are aimed at the entire student body, including the "bystanders."  Their purpose is to change the school climate to one that discourages bullying behavior and reduces the frequency of it.

There are different types of bullying, all of which can cause serious harm to the victims.  Traditionally, most commentators focus on two major types:  Direct Bullying and Indirect Bullying.  In these pages, we will provide information on four specific categories, because each category is unique and requires unique approaches.  They are:

• DIRECT BULLYING:  This is sometimes referred to as "traditional" bullying, because it's the kind that most people are familiar with.  Direct bullying involves physical contact, such as hitting, pushing, throwing objects, destroying property and spitting.  Playground extortion -- making the victim give the bully money or property -- also falls into this category.  Teasing is also a form of direct bullying.

• INDIRECT BULLYING:  Sometimes referred to as "social bullying," this includes more subtle activities, such as shunning, rumor-spreading, and passing notes with negative information about the victim.  The victim is sometimes the subject of cruel practical jokes.

• CYBER-BULLYING:  This involves the use of modern technology, principally the Internet, to harass, humiliate, threaten, or embarrass the victim.  Technology used in cyber-bullying includes social websites, instant messaging, e-mail, chat rooms, personal websites, and cell phones with cameras.

• TEACHER BULLYING:  In a recent survey, 45% of the teachers surveyed admitted to having bullied students.  While there are not many studies on this issue, there is a great deal of anecdotal evidence and a growing body of literature that suggests this area of bullying is more serious and more common than most of us realize.