Stories About Bullying

According to various surveys and statistics, about 25% of school kids in the United States are bullied by their peers on a regular basis, whereas the percentage of those who are only occasionally bullied is certainly much higher. Most kids have their own stories about bullying and it is well worth listening to them in order to find out how to deal with this very frequent problem.

Compared with other groups, teenagers can be especially cruel to one another, which is why the number of bullies and victims is extremely high in this age range. Bullying can take different forms, but more than 75% of it is verbal abuse, whereas in other cases offensive comments are combined with physical force. Many recent stories about bullying mention social networking websites as a place where this awful behavior flourishes. This particular type of bullying is known as cyberbullying and it includes not just using the internet to send hurtful remarks or spread rumors about someone, but also using text messages and other means of electronic communication with the intention of causing pain and suffering to someone.

All victims experience a host of terrible feelings such as insecurity, low self-esteem, depression, fear etc. In their stories about bullying, some victims report having frequent negative thoughts about themselves or developing long-term phobias, anxieties and other psychological issues. It can be difficult for an individual to overcome these problems by himself or herself, so the best thing to do is talk to a close friend or a professional who has enough experience in the matter and who can give sound advice.