Words are powerful.
They can uplift or they can hurt.
They can make a person laugh or reduce them to tears.
Verbal bullying can demean an otherwise self-confident individual, and render them helpless in their effort to appear unaffected.
In any public or parochial school across America, there are thousands of students who are verbal bullies.
Their methods to hurt others include racial comments, sexual comments, insults and name-calling.
It is so commonplace in schools that not much is being done about it.
This particular form of abuse can escalate to more harmful methods such as physical abuse.
As a child, can you recall a time when some verbal bullies called you a name that was unkind and hurtful?Do you remember how you felt?Did the bullies embarrass you in front of your friends?These acts of verbal bullying are by-products of a home environment where words are used to humiliate and hurt.
Children do not just suddenly decide to use a racial slur.
It has to originate from somewhere.
Studies indicate it originates in the home.
In one middle school in New York City, there is a population of 900 students of whom 35 different languages are spoken.
Consider the effects of name calling on these students who emigrate from other countries seeking a quality education, only to be taunted by verbal harassment and verbal intimidation by peers.
These students come to a school unaware of the culture that exists in the school itself.
It is a culture filled with children who are abused at home, angry at the world, have to fend for themselves because both parents work, and are considered latch-key kids who live with one parent, grandparent or guardian.
They are hell-bent on hurting others to make themselves feel more powerful and in control, because school is the only place where they can be in control.
Verbal bullying is done often and without thought.
Words just pour out without any regard for the person being victimized.
Verbal harassment and verbal intimidation can be more devastating than physical abuse in that it strikes at the heart of the individual's innermost feelings about him or herself.
It leaves lasting scars that, in some cases, can never be healed.
Verbal bullying is an insidious and disgusting display of ignorance by those who utilize it.
While studies show that verbal harassment may be inflicted by those who themselves are suffering from low self-esteem, it is quite hard to condone this verbal intimidation - even though it appears the abuser may have his or her own self-confidence issues.
Think about it for a moment.
Did you yell at a driver who cut you off unexpectedly?Did you use verbal epitaphs?Is this the same as verbal bullying?Here is another question: Was your child in the car at the time?Did he or she witness this display of verbal abuse?The point to be made is that verbal abuse begins in the home.
Whether consciously or not, children learn what they hear and see.
They equate this as the norm, rather than the exception.
Perhaps it's time to re-examine why children use verbal bullying and how it can be dissipated.
They can uplift or they can hurt.
They can make a person laugh or reduce them to tears.
Verbal bullying can demean an otherwise self-confident individual, and render them helpless in their effort to appear unaffected.
In any public or parochial school across America, there are thousands of students who are verbal bullies.
Their methods to hurt others include racial comments, sexual comments, insults and name-calling.
It is so commonplace in schools that not much is being done about it.
This particular form of abuse can escalate to more harmful methods such as physical abuse.
As a child, can you recall a time when some verbal bullies called you a name that was unkind and hurtful?Do you remember how you felt?Did the bullies embarrass you in front of your friends?These acts of verbal bullying are by-products of a home environment where words are used to humiliate and hurt.
Children do not just suddenly decide to use a racial slur.
It has to originate from somewhere.
Studies indicate it originates in the home.
In one middle school in New York City, there is a population of 900 students of whom 35 different languages are spoken.
Consider the effects of name calling on these students who emigrate from other countries seeking a quality education, only to be taunted by verbal harassment and verbal intimidation by peers.
These students come to a school unaware of the culture that exists in the school itself.
It is a culture filled with children who are abused at home, angry at the world, have to fend for themselves because both parents work, and are considered latch-key kids who live with one parent, grandparent or guardian.
They are hell-bent on hurting others to make themselves feel more powerful and in control, because school is the only place where they can be in control.
Verbal bullying is done often and without thought.
Words just pour out without any regard for the person being victimized.
Verbal harassment and verbal intimidation can be more devastating than physical abuse in that it strikes at the heart of the individual's innermost feelings about him or herself.
It leaves lasting scars that, in some cases, can never be healed.
Verbal bullying is an insidious and disgusting display of ignorance by those who utilize it.
While studies show that verbal harassment may be inflicted by those who themselves are suffering from low self-esteem, it is quite hard to condone this verbal intimidation - even though it appears the abuser may have his or her own self-confidence issues.
Think about it for a moment.
Did you yell at a driver who cut you off unexpectedly?Did you use verbal epitaphs?Is this the same as verbal bullying?Here is another question: Was your child in the car at the time?Did he or she witness this display of verbal abuse?The point to be made is that verbal abuse begins in the home.
Whether consciously or not, children learn what they hear and see.
They equate this as the norm, rather than the exception.
Perhaps it's time to re-examine why children use verbal bullying and how it can be dissipated.
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