Myths about bullying

Myth. Bullying between children is normal and there’s no need to pay attention to it.

Reality. Intimidation is not acceptable at any time of life and ignoring the situation won’t stop it.

Myth. It’s good to hit the person bullying you, that will stop them. 

Reality. It’s understandable if the bullied child gets angry, but hitting the bullying child can make the situation worse.

Myth. Bullying only happens at school.

Reality. Bullying usually happens at school but it can also happen in other places, such as on the bus, or during after-school activities.

Myth. You can see if a child is bullying others by how they dress or act.

Reality. There is no specific way to identify children who bully others.

Myth. It’s easy to see the signs that someone is being bullied.

Reality. It isn’t always easy to see the signs of bullying, and they aren’t always physical. It can be hard to detect the signs of emotional or verbal bullying and cyberbullying.

Myth. Reporting the bullying child makes things worse.

Reality. The bullied child may be afraid to report the situation, thinking that they won’t be believed or that the situation will get worse. It’s important to find someone they trust who will help them get the support they need to report the situation.

Myth. When bullying happens, the solution is changing schools.

Reality. Changing school is not the solution, as the bullied child may have problems making new friends and may even be bullied again.

Myth. Cyberbullying is less harmful than bullying in person.

Reality. Cyberbullying is a very serious problem; the intimidation could go viral and the problem can quickly become worse. Also, some websites allow anonymous posting, making the bullying much harder to stop.