Verbal Bullying!
- "verbal bullying" - Verbal harassment s just as common as physical abuse, if not more so. Children may find it impossible to find help because there is no evidence so it's up to the adults to be observant and experieneced handling such cases.
- Example: Chris was a 13 year old boy growing up with out family or friend support. He raised himself using the television ethics. His parents didn't treat him with respect or even care. The kids at school would make fun of him, tease him, call him names, and swear at him because he was reclusive and wore the same cloth every day. He thought that every day at school was a "hell hole." as he sometimes said to himself. Sometimes he would fake being sick for days so he didn't have to cope with his classmates bullying. If he got a chance to do something about it he would. He tried every option, but he couldn't find a solution of how to stop the verbal harassment in and out of school. The kids in his class threatened to beat him up if he told. Their rule or motto was "snitches get stitches".
- In the example above as you can imagine the consequences for seeking help could be harsh. The kids in his class harassed Chris verbally and threatened physical abuse. At this stage of bullying I'm pretty sure an adult counsellor or teachr trained in looking for clues can help through observation. Recognizing that something is wrong is the first step. Chris would be alone and refrained from contact with others. He would not participate in sports or clubs. He would not participate in school projects. He worked alone in a corner of a class with out asking questions when he needs to resulting in poor marks. The teacher can approach him or kids like him and offer to talk and seek help.