Thoughts From NCBHS

October is National Bullying Prevention Month.  One out of every five students report being the victim of bullying.  Bullying is defined as “intentional behavior that hurts, harms or humiliates a student, either physically or emotionally”.  Bullying can happen at school, in the community or online.  Bullying is not about conflict, it is about power and control.  Kids and adults who bully often use their power, such as physical strength, embarrassing information or popularity to control or harm others.

Bullying Statistics

Depression is an emotional state typically marked by feelings of sadness, feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness, guilt, withdrawal from others, a change in appetite and/or sleep, and a loss in the interest and pleasure of usual activities. Just as most of us experience occasional anxiety, so too, do we experience sadness during the course of our lives. Depression is often associated with other psychological problems such as anxiety and substance use.

It has been my experience in counseling couples that the problems they incur are less about in-laws, money, or sex and more about poor communication and the expectations they expect of the other person.  When couples come in for therapy I hear a lot of “I do not understand why she does not do things like I do, my way is the right way”.  “ Why can’t he know what my needs are without me having to tell him all the time?”  Oh, if people would only do what we want them too then everyone would be happy, right?

The school year is starting and parents hope for a successful year for their child, both academically and socially.  But what do you do if your Child is the target of a Bully?  There are several things you can do to both support and guide your child.  First let’s take a look at what bullying is.  Bullying is: