Facing the Schoolyard Bully

What causes some children to become bullies? Why are certain children targeted for abuse? When and how should parents intervene? What should you do if your child is a bully? What is the school's responsibility? Is there anything you can do to help your child cope?

While as many as one-half of children today experience pain at the hands of bullies, parents may still believe that schoolyard bullying is simply a rite of passage, something that must be endured and then becomes a distant memory. But being the victim of a bully can have long-lasting psychological scars.

Today's headlines are filled with stories of troubled sometimes murderous youth in our schools and communities. Far less publicized are the innumerable bullying attacks made by child against child. By overlooking and downplaying bullying, no matter how trivial it may appear, parents and teachers dangerously underrate the importance of controlling aggressive behavior in the bully before it leads to a more serious offense. There are important signs that the victim is under a real threat that has life-long consequences.

Expanding on her own and others' memories of schoolyard bullying, Kim Zarzour thoroughly examines the dynamics of bullying. In a friendly, parent-to-parent style she offers helpful suggestions on how to recognize bullying, stop the cycle of bullying, prevent your child from becoming either a bully or a victim, and how to teach a child coping skills for this kind of aggressive behavior.