Bullying: No Laughing Matter
There was a recent story in the local media, a young teenager girl from West Branch, Michigan, was tricked into believing that she was voted homecoming queen. Sadly, this was a prank designed to humiliate her in front of her classmates. The story received immediate attention and she received an outpouring of support. The young girl was amazingly courageous and went to the homecoming dance quite proudly.
Not all bullied children have this wherewithal. Bullying occurs in many different ways to many different people; most people don't go through life without being bullied by someone. From our perspective, it appears that kids with anxiety, depression, phobias, and autism spectrum disorders including Asperger's are often the most susceptible. Much more attention has been paid to bullying in the past several years. School administrators and educators respond much more seriously than they have in past years.
Sometimes, there is a role for a mental health professional in uncovering, exploring, and perhaps treating the child's vulnerabilities. This article is an interesting summary of the case in education.
