subject: Immediate Consequences Of Bullying [print this page] When Nicole was bullied, she went a deep shade of pink, her eyes watered, her voice trembled and her mouth twitched. She looked scared, sensitive and vulnerable.
Targets dont look, sound or behave like normal, happy children. You can see they have difficulty coping. Their eyes, face, skin tone, body language, voice and words broadcast their fear, anger, distress and powerlessness. When a child is injured, it will be evident in some or all of the following areas.
Physical
Nicole was five years old and quite babyish. Some other children forced her to eat dirt, pinched and punched her. As a result, she was wetting her bed and complained of stomach pains.
Targets of physical bullying may suffer the following consequences:
cuts, scratches, bruises or other wounds
headaches, backaches, stomach aches
bedwetting, soiling
loss of hair, skin disorders
sleep difficulties, nightmares
menstruation difficulties
loss of appetite or over-eating to compensate
pale, taut and tense appearance
poor posture
Intellectual
Jenny was a bright girl who could have gone to university but she never achieved her potential because of the teasing and exclusion. She finished school with mediocre grades.
The immediate intellectual consequences include:
Suffers reduced concentration, learning and memory difficulties.
Lacks motivation to work or enjoy his studies.
Focuses solely on his studies but avoids extra-curricular activities.
Attends class irregularly and misses out on schoolwork.
Moves to a new school to avoid bullying but takes time to settle in and adjust to a new curriculum.
Unless very diligent or intelligent, his emotions handicap his studies.
Most children want to be like everybody else. They might do their work but keep a low profile. Targets dont question, contribute or complain to avoid attracting attention. Their schoolwork suffers.
Gifted, intelligent, sensitive children fear exposing their knowledge.
They dread being ridiculed by jealous students. They dont develop their potential; they disguise their unique talents and restrict their achievements. Everyone misses out.
Although cooperative learning in a group is an excellent way to learn, some children fear group work where they are expected to do all the difficult work, and thus risk criticism or mockery.
Sensitive children fear all feedback, even if its constructive. They sabotage their learning by hiding their thoughts in order to reduce further feedback.
Teachers assume that the bright, bored, quiet or shy target is content. They under- or overestimate the targets abilities, instead of providing extra help or extension studies.
