Physicians may recognize bullying before the parents do. Clear links exist between bullying and other antisocial behaviors for example. Dr. Sarles cited one study in which 40% of people who reported being bullies as children or adolescents had criminal convictions at age 24 years.
Children and adolescents who are victims may present to clinicians with symptoms of anxiety. These children often do not want to go to school, feign illness, and have unexplained cuts and bruises. Belongings often end up missing for victims.
After the bullying stops, the symptoms tend to disappear in the absence of a genuine comorbid condition, he said.
Some Interventions Begin at School
Most bullying, even cyber bullying, begins at school–where children meet and spend much of their time. Many interventions against bullying start at school as well.
“You have to get people to agree that bullying is not for kids,” by encouraging parents to go to their children's schools and advocate for a no-tolerance policy, Dr. Sarles said.
School-based strategies include:
▸ Increasing adult supervision of children in public spaces during lunch and recess.
▸ Elimination of unsupervised places where children might be bullied.
▸ Use of classroom-based antibullying programs in an effort to teach that bullying is wrong and should be reported.
▸ Use of a “bully box” near the school counselor's office that allows children to anonymously report bullying episodes.
▸ Role playing and assertiveness training.
▸ Use of video cameras on school buses, on school property, and in buildings to record instances of bullying and to act as a deterrent.
▸ Establishment and enforcement of a zero-tolerance bullying policy that includes all school personnel, from teachers to cafeteria workers, coaches, and janitors.
▸ Switching schools. If the school and the community fail to cooperate, the child must simply change schools to get out of an abusive environment.
The federal government has jumped on the bully bandwagon. Its Web site,
http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov
The attention given to bullying among girls in recent years has sparked several books and movies. A Web site,
The bottom line is to create a safe environment for the child, because children who feel intimidated in school can't learn, Dr. Sarles said.