Physical Bullying

Physical bullying can entail anything from pushing and shoving to kicking, punching, fist fighting, being shot, being raped or being physically attacked by a gang. In some urban middle and high schools, it’s not uncommon for students to form gangs and bully others. Some students join gangs for personal protection against bullies and wind up becoming bullies themselves. Gang members may be of a certain nationality or race or members may come from the same social background or neighborhood.

Bullying can occur in any school scenario, from kindergarten all the way up to college. In kindergarten and primary schools, examples of bullying may vary from children making fun of slower classmates to shoving smaller ones out of the lunch line to pushing weaker kids off of playground equipment during recess. Physical bullying in lower grades often begins with small acts of unkindness but may eventually progress to punching, kicking, biting and other forms of physical violence. Teachers can help constrain physical bullying in grade school by making sure kids are well supervised at all times and not letting any form of violence go unpunished.

In high school, victims of physical bullying can easily wind up in the hospital or dead. In some urban secondary schools, violence has reached exceedingly high levels, with students being beaten, knifed and shot on a daily basis. Parents who believe their teen may be a victim of high school bullying should take action to protect them from violence. Parents can discuss options with school officials to see what can be done. Many parents have even taken their teens out of dangerous school situations rather than risk their being hurt or killed from bullying violence.