Regarding (Bullying) and Childhood

Bullying, whether physical or psychological, is characterized by behavior aimed at gaining power at the expense of another person. Acts of bullying include verbal abuse, exclusion from activities, and physical harm. This phenomenon occurs in various societies and environments and has serious effects on both the victim and the bully.

Bullying can take several forms, including:

• Verbal Bullying: This includes harassment, insults, sexual comments, and inappropriate mockery.
• Social Bullying: This occurs when someone deliberately tries to harm another person’s reputation by spreading rumors and excluding them from social activities.
• Physical Bullying: This includes hitting, trying to knock someone down, stealing possessions, and sexual assault.
• Cyberbullying: Bullies use social media to target their victims.

Causes of Bullying

Bullying is a widespread societal phenomenon, and to understand and reduce it, it’s important to address the main reasons why bullies engage in such behavior according to the latest psychological and social studies:

• Displaying power to gain attention.
• Jealousy and envy towards others.
• Psychological and social pressures experienced by the bully.
• Upbringing and the social environment in which a person lives.

Other reasons include stereotypes, religious influences, and different educational impacts.

Bullying Among Children

Bullying among children is an aggressive behavior by a child or group of children aimed at hurting another child physically and emotionally. The reasons behind bullying children are also varied, such as a bully child trying to compensate for a lack of attention from parents by seeking the attention of others. A bully child may be a victim of bullying by peers or siblings or may naturally enjoy dominating others. Negative upbringing, lack of respect, and compassion are also contributing factors.

There are several factors that increase the likelihood of children engaging in bullying. Children who have been bullied are more likely to be bullied again. A child may bully others to join a specific group or gain popularity or to avoid being bullied themselves and to gain acceptance from others.

Psychological Effects

Bullying has many negative effects on children. The most significant is the bullied child’s feeling of worthlessness, leading them to believe they deserve bad treatment. The bullied child also experiences severe sadness, constant anxiety, and fear of facing others, which can lead to depression and even suicide. The child may prefer to withdraw from social relationships to avoid further bullying, which affects their concentration and ability to learn, leading to a decline in academic performance. Additionally, they may suffer from sleep and appetite disorders, resort to negative habits like overeating or loss of appetite, and in severe cases, may contemplate suicide as a means of escaping their suffering.

The negative effects also include physical pain, such as headaches and stomach aches, due to stress and anxiety, as well as chronic health problems like high blood pressure and heart disease. The child may become aggressive towards others or themselves as a means of self-defense, struggle to build healthy relationships with others, and resort to illegal actions as a form of revenge or expressing their anger. Furthermore, bullying can have lasting impacts on the victim’s adult relationships, affecting their ability to form close connections throughout their life. The victim may also face work-related difficulties due to low self-esteem and fear of failure.

Therefore, it is crucial to combat bullying and protect children from it by providing a safe environment for them, teaching them how to deal with difficult situations, and building healthy relationships.

Addressing Bullying

Addressing bullying among children requires cooperation between parents and the community, particularly schools and educational institutions, by taking several steps after raising awareness about the dangers of bullying among parents and the community:

• Educating the child about bullying helps them recognize and stand up to it. It is important to keep communication lines open with the child to discuss their experiences at school and in the community.
• Recognizing signs: Pay attention to emotional and behavioral changes in the child, such as social withdrawal and unexplained physical complaints, which may indicate bullying.
• Engaging with the school: Communicate with teachers and report any cases of bullying.
• Empathy and support: Let the child know that parents and teachers are there to help. Open communication and emotional support play a vital role in resolving the issue of bullying.

There are also steps that parents and teachers can take to reduce bullying in schools, such as creating a safe and inclusive classroom environment that ensures students’ psychological well-being, intervening when bullying occurs and taking appropriate actions, and promoting cooperation and understanding by encouraging collaboration among students and fostering values like respect and tolerance.

Regarding educating children about bullying, it is important to advise them not to be ashamed of discussing their experiences with others, such as parents and teachers, and the importance of seeking professional help from mental health experts to receive psychological support and appropriate advice. Children should also learn ways to deal with bullying, such as building self-confidence and learning how to stand up to abuse, and it is worth noting the importance of avoiding bullies and seeking positive friends.

In the context of bullying, evolutionary psychology seeks to understand human behavior from an evolutionary perspective and can offer some advice for dealing with bullying by understanding the evolutionary roots of violence. This understanding helps focus on more constructive solutions, and although evolutionary psychology does not provide a direct solution to bullying, it can help guide efforts towards more effective solutions.

Conclusion

According to our experience in the Tawad Educational Series in northern Syria and our interaction with our community there, we notice a significant reluctance to address bullying and its treatment, particularly from parents who do not prioritize the issue of bullying their children face! In a survey conducted by our Family Affairs Office in Syria, we found that more than 40% of parents were unaware of what bullying is, and over 85% of children participated in discussions to uncover their experiences with bullying, which is an alarming percentage that prompts us to advocate for teaching the culture of modern psychology and increasing awareness among Syrians about the dangers of bullying on children’s health and well-being.

Therefore, we recommend that the Family Affairs Office of the Syrian Future Movement (SFM) conduct targeted and specific courses to raise awareness about bullying among Syrians in the country, making it a priority in education. We also emphasize the need for schools, places of worship, and media to participate in these efforts.

Waheba Al-Masri
Family Affairs Office
Research and Studies Department
Studies
The Syrian Future Movement (SFM)

References:

• The Psychology of Bullying: Between Theory and Treatment | Mosaad Abu Al Diyar.
• Study: Parents Can Be a Source of Motivation, Contributing to the Development of Their Children’s Skills.
• Child Health – Bullying – Saudi Ministry of Health.
• How to Talk to Your Children About Bullying | UNICEF Parenting Portal.
• Bullying: Causes, Types, and Solutions.
• The Phenomenon of Bullying: Its Types, Causes, and Treatment Methods