joey cruz and cherry sun of gma's bawal ang pasaway! (kay mareng winnie monsod) passed by my clinic to ask about the personality profiles of bullies and their victims, and the warning signs of bullying in school children.
bullies are typically bigger and stronger than their victims. they have strong needs for attention, popularity, and domination. they seem to lack a conscience as they enjoy inflicting suffering on others. they are also known to break school rules and regulations. they are usually products of dysfunctional families wherein physical and verbal aggression is commonly used. many bullies enjoy violent tv shows and computer games. bullies are commonly diagnosed to have conduct disorder or adhd.
the victims of bullies are typically weaker than the bullies. they are known to be non-aggressive children who may have no friends to protect them. they feel embarrassed at being victims and don't tell on the bullies for fear of retaliation. they may also hide their predicament from their parents feeling that they might not be believed.
the warning signs of bullying include the following: poorer school performance, not wanting to go to school, complaints of body aches, physical injury, losing things and money, irritability, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
the best thing for bullies to do is to tell adults about the bullying, be surrounded by friends, avoid bullies, learn assertiveness skills, and defuse conflict with humor.
thank god that congress recently approved the anti-bullying bill! it's about time!
