Comments on: Bullies and Victims: Boys will be boys or a symptom of distress? http://www.child-psych.org/2009/10/bullies-and-victims-a-risk-for-psychopathology.html A portal for parents, educators, and child development professionals Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:30:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Edward Collins http://www.child-psych.org/2009/10/bullies-and-victims-a-risk-for-psychopathology.html/comment-page-1#comment-53689 Edward Collins Mon, 03 Oct 2011 22:46:56 +0000 http://www.child-psych.org/?p=915#comment-53689 100% the assailant needs to be dealt with in regards to bullying another human being. However, the author is staking a great claim. I, being the victim of harsh criticism and bullying in childhood as well as young adulthood, I can attest to the author's point of view. Having been rendered a victim through the perils of childhood abandonment and raised under the scope of a neurotic mother, I was failed in regards to self esteem and security needs at the age of 4. I was lost, riddled with anxiety, and an easy prey for my attackers. Not every child is a target, and even if they are, are much more protected emotionally than others. This may be an important aspect in protecting future generations of children from the harmful behaviors of others. 100% the assailant needs to be dealt with in regards to bullying another human being. However, the author is staking a great claim. I, being the victim of harsh criticism and bullying in childhood as well as young adulthood, I can attest to the author’s point of view. Having been rendered a victim through the perils of childhood abandonment and raised under the scope of a neurotic mother, I was failed in regards to self esteem and security needs at the age of 4. I was lost, riddled with anxiety, and an easy prey for my attackers. Not every child is a target, and even if they are, are much more protected emotionally than others. This may be an important aspect in protecting future generations of children from the harmful behaviors of others.

]]> By: Susan http://www.child-psych.org/2009/10/bullies-and-victims-a-risk-for-psychopathology.html/comment-page-1#comment-52507 Susan Fri, 29 Apr 2011 01:14:07 +0000 http://www.child-psych.org/?p=915#comment-52507 I agree wholeheartedly with Natalie LaPorta. The focus SHOULD NOT be on the 'weak characteristics' of the victim that MAKE them susceptible as a target for bullies.This is twice victimizing the victim.The socially deviant behavior that needs to be corrected falls exclusively on the bully. If you want to discuss the character flaws of an introverted child, and how they are sometimes targeted by bullies, make this an entirely different topic of discussion.Don't give bullies more ammunition to justify their aberrant conduct. I agree wholeheartedly with Natalie LaPorta. The focus SHOULD NOT be on the ‘weak characteristics’ of the victim that MAKE them susceptible as a target for bullies.This is twice victimizing the victim.The socially deviant behavior that needs to be corrected falls exclusively on the bully. If you want to discuss the character flaws of an introverted child, and how they are sometimes targeted by bullies, make this an entirely different topic of discussion.Don’t give bullies more ammunition to justify their aberrant conduct.

]]> By: Dusti http://www.child-psych.org/2009/10/bullies-and-victims-a-risk-for-psychopathology.html/comment-page-1#comment-52416 Dusti Sat, 09 Apr 2011 00:10:42 +0000 http://www.child-psych.org/?p=915#comment-52416 With this study and others like it, would it be possible (in your opinion) to target victim like behaviors in children in order for parents to teach their child how to better handle bullying situations? for example, if a child is known to be sensitive, would it not be in that child's best interest to give them the skills to make a joke of the situation instead of internalizing the torment? I understand that this wouldn't fix the problem of bullying, but it may fix that individual child's emotional and mental well being for the rest of their life. With this study and others like it, would it be possible (in your opinion) to target victim like behaviors in children in order for parents to teach their child how to better handle bullying situations? for example, if a child is known to be sensitive, would it not be in that child’s best interest to give them the skills to make a joke of the situation instead of internalizing the torment? I understand that this wouldn’t fix the problem of bullying, but it may fix that individual child’s emotional and mental well being for the rest of their life.

]]> By: www.aspie-editorial.com » Blog Archive » Long Term Effects of Bullying in Boys and Girls http://www.child-psych.org/2009/10/bullies-and-victims-a-risk-for-psychopathology.html/comment-page-1#comment-50813 www.aspie-editorial.com » Blog Archive » Long Term Effects of Bullying in Boys and Girls Sun, 23 Jan 2011 13:44:37 +0000 http://www.child-psych.org/?p=915#comment-50813 [...] Read More:  http://www.child-psych.org/2009/10/bullies-and-victims-a-risk-for-psychopathology.html [...] [...] Read More:  http://www.child-psych.org/2009/10/bullies-and-victims-a-risk-for-psychopathology.html [...]

]]> By: Nestor Lopez-Duran PhD http://www.child-psych.org/2009/10/bullies-and-victims-a-risk-for-psychopathology.html/comment-page-1#comment-47375 Nestor Lopez-Duran PhD Sun, 17 Oct 2010 18:03:21 +0000 http://www.child-psych.org/?p=915#comment-47375 HI Natalie, I agree with you 100%. I agree entirely that the focus of bullying prevention efforts should be on the bully, not the victim. I think you were reacting to my last sentence and I can see how it could be interpreted the way you did. My point in the article was more from a public health perspective. That is, if being a victim of bullying is highly associated with having concurrent or pre-bullying psychiatric symptoms (anxiety, depression, etc), then the victimization can serve as a reg flag to parents and clinicians to pay attention to the possible struggles the child may be experiencing... not as a way to prevent the bullying or to blame the child for the bullying, but to provide needed services to said child to address the distressing symptoms. HI Natalie, I agree with you 100%. I agree entirely that the focus of bullying prevention efforts should be on the bully, not the victim. I think you were reacting to my last sentence and I can see how it could be interpreted the way you did. My point in the article was more from a public health perspective. That is, if being a victim of bullying is highly associated with having concurrent or pre-bullying psychiatric symptoms (anxiety, depression, etc), then the victimization can serve as a reg flag to parents and clinicians to pay attention to the possible struggles the child may be experiencing… not as a way to prevent the bullying or to blame the child for the bullying, but to provide needed services to said child to address the distressing symptoms.

]]> By: Natalie LaPorta http://www.child-psych.org/2009/10/bullies-and-victims-a-risk-for-psychopathology.html/comment-page-1#comment-47114 Natalie LaPorta Wed, 13 Oct 2010 23:47:36 +0000 http://www.child-psych.org/?p=915#comment-47114 It sounds to me almost as if this article points to blaming the victim in the occurrence of bullying. I am not criticizing the research, but the conclusions taken from the research. Why are people focusing on what characteristics put a child at risk of being bullied? Being bullied is not the victim's fault for having certain characteristics. The person that needs to be corrected is the bully, not the victim. It sounds to me almost as if this article points to blaming the victim in the occurrence of bullying. I am not criticizing the research, but the conclusions taken from the research. Why are people focusing on what characteristics put a child at risk of being bullied? Being bullied is not the victim’s fault for having certain characteristics. The person that needs to be corrected is the bully, not the victim.

]]> By: BULLYING BEHAVIOR AND ITS LONG-TERM EFFECTS « BIG NEWS BLOG http://www.child-psych.org/2009/10/bullies-and-victims-a-risk-for-psychopathology.html/comment-page-1#comment-28351 BULLYING BEHAVIOR AND ITS LONG-TERM EFFECTS « BIG NEWS BLOG Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:38:38 +0000 http://www.child-psych.org/?p=915#comment-28351 [...] her child psychology research blog, Nester Lopez-Duran, Ph.D., reports findings from a study on the long-term effects of bullying [...] [...] her child psychology research blog, Nester Lopez-Duran, Ph.D., reports findings from a study on the long-term effects of bullying [...]

]]> By: RyanJ http://www.child-psych.org/2009/10/bullies-and-victims-a-risk-for-psychopathology.html/comment-page-1#comment-24712 RyanJ Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:26:56 +0000 http://www.child-psych.org/?p=915#comment-24712 Julie, while I commend your research on this... as a male who WAS bullied as a child, I can attest that at least SOME young males know why they are being bullied, and further, the long-term effects can be devastating. Just because someone may 'lack knowledge' does NOT mean they are not just as hurt as someone else, nor does it mean that pain won't last as long. As a victim of bullying, I am still to this day recovering from certain habits I devloped to 'protect' myself from nonstop bullying. Boys don't always rebound better; I feel it's just as likely a young girl will suffer just as readly as a young boy. Julie, while I commend your research on this… as a male who WAS bullied as a child, I can attest that at least SOME young males know why they are being bullied, and further, the long-term effects can be devastating. Just because someone may ‘lack knowledge’ does NOT mean they are not just as hurt as someone else, nor does it mean that pain won’t last as long. As a victim of bullying, I am still to this day recovering from certain habits I devloped to ‘protect’ myself from nonstop bullying. Boys don’t always rebound better; I feel it’s just as likely a young girl will suffer just as readly as a young boy.

]]> By: JulieL http://www.child-psych.org/2009/10/bullies-and-victims-a-risk-for-psychopathology.html/comment-page-1#comment-10929 JulieL Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:48:45 +0000 http://www.child-psych.org/?p=915#comment-10929 Couldn't it also be that boys at the age of eight still lag behind girls in their cognitive capabilities in higher emotions? That is, boys are not as emotionally sophisticated because the frontal lobe is still developing and not as developed as girls at this same age. So the residual emotional effects from being a victim would effect girls more, because they can understand the totality of the bullying. Boys may just not get the fullness of what was meant in the bullying, just that they were targeted. So the boys rebound better, due to the lack of knowledge. Just a thought. Couldn’t it also be that boys at the age of eight still lag behind girls in their cognitive capabilities in higher emotions? That is, boys are not as emotionally sophisticated because the frontal lobe is still developing and not as developed as girls at this same age. So the residual emotional effects from being a victim would effect girls more, because they can understand the totality of the bullying. Boys may just not get the fullness of what was meant in the bullying, just that they were targeted. So the boys rebound better, due to the lack of knowledge.

Just a thought.

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