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Bullying is something many kids have to deal with growing up. It seems near impossible to escape the crosshairs of a bully in your life but with the internet now in nearly every home, it could be almost impossible. Traditional bullying entailed being chased home from the school or the bus stop. The internet, especially Facebook, give a fertile breeding ground for bullies who can post disparaging comments right on a child’s profile page.
There are a few categories of bully that you will want to watch out for in protecting your child. There is the “mean girls” type of bully. This group is usually made up of girls who will choose a target and berate her with recklessness and little remorse. Everything is fodder for these girls, including the way the victim looks, dresses, and who her friends are. It is a goal of “mean girls” style bullies to break a victim down mentally.
There is also the “lash out” bully. These bullies often have a troubled home life and project their unhappiness by trying to ruin the life of a student. The bully will use the same tactics used against them in their home life. Insults, hitting, and various other bullying tactics.
There is also the bully who feels neglected and is just looking for a reaction. In this scenario, the bully will usually stop if you ignore his advances. Should you choose to argue back however, he will step up the bullying to an almost relentless level. The most important thing for a child to do when bullied is to report it to a parent or school staff member. No one should suffer through bullying alone.
