the bullying is taking place. Sometimes this kind of school avoidance behavior can be a red flag for parents, so ask your child if he or she is being picked on and bullied.
What go do about bullying?
If your child reveals to you that he or she is being bullied, take action. Parents can help the child by teaching him how to demonstrate an air of self-confidence by making good eye contact, speaking clearly and loudly enough to be heard. Remind the child to walk away from the encounter, tell the bully firmly that he is in the wrong, and to tell a teacher, parent or other adult what is happening.
Parents of bullies should also intervene to stop the behavior and make it clear that bullying will not be tolerated or ignored. One study showed that 60% of boys who were identified as bullies in grades six through nine had at least one criminal conviction by age 24 years, between 35%and 40% of these children had three or more criminal convictions by that same age. Psychological counseling is often helpful and may identify the underlying problems such as depression or conduct disorder.
There are many resources for parents and teachers. There are a number of good books such as Tackling Bullying in Your School: A Practical Handbook for Teachers by Sharp and Smith as well as Bully Proofing Your School by Garrity, Jens and Porter.
Questions1-4
Based on your reading of the text, complete the sentences below with words taken from the passage. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.
1. The four main categories of bullying include physical aggression, social alienation, ----, and intimidation. 2. Victims of bullying are said to have more negative views of themselves and tend to be more passive, anxious,
and ----
3. The bullies tend to be ----and frequently lack empathy for others. 4. Common locations of bullying include the playground, cafeteria, and ----
Questions 5-10
Read the following statements and say how they reflect the information in the reading passage.
T if it accurately reflects the information given F if it does not reflect the information
NG if the information is not clearly given in the passage
5. 6. 7. 8.
According to the author, bullying and being bullied should be considered as a normal part of growing up. Occasional name calling and shoving are not considered bullying because they usually do no harm to the victims.
Victims are described as more passive, anxious, and insecure than non-victims and are diffident.
Studies reveal that children trust their teachers more than their parents when they are confronted with bullying.