Bullying is the intentional infliction of physical or emotional pain by a peer. There is also a mismatch of some sort. The bully is either older, bigger, stronger, more socially secure, more confident, or holds some other type of advantage.
Repeated bullying can lead to negative self- esteem and mental health issues. It’s bad enough that a child fears attending school each day, but the long-term effects can be even more devastating. Bullied boys and girls report anxiety, loneliness, and depression.
At the extreme, some children even take their own lives rather than deal with more bullying. Sadly, this way of dealing with bullies has become all too common.
Over the years, bullying has become more aggressive and is starting at a younger age. Physical bullying begins in early elementary school, peaks in middle school, and declines in high school. Verbal bullying stays quite constant regardless of age.
