Counselor Notes 33 January 30, 2015 Victims of Bullies The last issue
addressed bullies so this time I want to focus on their victims. Bullies tend to target
two very different types of individuals: the passive and the
provocative. At Waverly Elementary
School we strive to help both groups. There are things that
parents can do at home to help as well. In the book Preventing Bullying At School by Dr. Beverly Title and James Bitney, the authors note that both these types of students: · Exhibit a great deal of affect · Don’t believe adults can help with bullying In addition, passive students who are targeted by bullies: · Don’t invite attackThe characteristics of provocative students who are targeted by bullies: · Pester and irritate others repeatedlyParents who are concerned that their child may be subject to bullying are advised to alert the school. We want all students to have a positive experience at school. The school always seeks to address bullying behavior. Even if we are 100% successful, this will not insure the child isn’t bullied elsewhere. To guard against this, parents are encouraged to help the child address the ways in which the child meets the characteristics of the victims. “Passive” students can learn to be more self-assertive and confident as well as less anxious. “Provocative” students can be taught how to be less reactive and temperamental. They can also learn ways in which they may inadvertently invite problems. Of course not all of the characteristics are going to lend themselves well to intervention (ex: a child who is small for their age isn’t likely to become overly tall in a short time), but others can. Your child will thank you for your help. When it comes to helping a child with a bully, an ounce of prevention truly is worth a pound of cure. Doug Muha
Ed.S. |