Bullying...Impact on Health

“The sooner we stop a child from being bullied, the less likely bullying is to have a lasting, damaging effect on his or her health down the road.” -- Laura M. Bogart, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatric, Harvard

Four Bullying Facts (Dr. Bogart’s longitudinal study):

• Bullying is related to poor mental and physical health

When should a parent intervene? Parents, healthcare providers, teachers should intervene before children are affected. Having the conversation early let’s children know its safe to talk about this. And teach children to recognize what bullying is.

Which children are in a high risk group for bullying? Children with health issues, disabilities, and being obese, tend to be victims. Children who are loners, run counter to “tradition” in style or looks, or do not have a strong, positive social network.

What signs are there? There may be physical signs such as bruises, cuts, or scrapes. A more subtle sign may be a reluctance to go to school. Sadness, depression, and isolation are also possible signs of bullying.

What can you do? Teach children the importance of respect and acceptance of all other people. Talk to your children and let them know this is not “tattling” and it’s okay to seek help from teachers or other adults.

What not to do:

• Don’t expect children to be able to solve this on their own, some will and others won’t be able to do this

• Don’t tell children things like “pretend it doesn’t bother you”, or “just walk away”. It is valuable to empower children to tell others to stop, it doesn’t always work. Empower them to feel confident, powerful, in control.

• Don’t say “bullying is wrong”, kids need to more guidance

Bullying is not a new topic and I have written previously about this topic. I’m always on the lookout for new research and stories on the impact of bullying and continue to be a firm believer that learning a Martial Art is a good first step to creating healthier children, mentally and physically.

As recent as last week in my weekly Patch blog, “Who or What is Your Enemy?” I emphasized that Martial Arts is less about learning to fight others and more about conquering your innermost fears. And as Dr. Bogart recommends, teaching respect is a great first step. In fact respect is one of the five tenets or foundations of Taekwondo and is one of the very first things taught to Taekwondo students.

If you are concerned about the safety and well-being of your son or daughter, then please speak with them about bullying, make sure they know how and when to recognize bullying, and follow-up your discussion with your school and healthcare providers to develop an integrated approach to raising safe, smart, confident, respectful, and bully-proof children.

Thank you for this opportunity to serve you.

Master Chris Berlow, 6th Dan

Professional Martial Artist, Owner, and Author

UMAC Briarcliff

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