Claudio Cerullo discusses the social consequences of bullying

June 22, 2010 - PRLog -- Many are bullied more than once a week. About one-third of all children in special education are victims of bullies. 85% of the time there is no intervention by other students or adults. Some 8% of students miss one day of class per month to avoid bullies. Over 280,000 students are physically attacked each month at high schools. One third of all students say they’ve heard another student threaten to kill someone. One in five reports they know someone who bought a gun to school. Teachers and social administrators tend to underestimate the problem, which peaks in the junior high school years.

Bullying often takes place over a long period of time, because most victims are ashamed or afraid to report it. There is always a threat of violence or harm to the victim, who will give into demands rather than get hurt. Female bullies are less likely to use physical means against their victims than males, although some evidence indicates violence is becoming equal among both sexes.

Parents’ pleas to the school often go ignored. Victims have more anxiety, sadness, sleep difficulties, low self-esteem, headaches, stomach pain, and general tension than their peers who are not being bullied. In the social area, victims have few friends or none at all. Due to their high anxiety level and low self-worth, it is very hard for them to make friends. This leads to feelings of isolation and believing that they are not even worthy of having friends. Also, other kids often do not want to become friends with the victims, because they are afraid that they will be bullied as well. In some cases, the bullying may be so severe and may go on for so long that the victim has thoughts of suicide, or he or she may actually commit suicide.

"For bullies, the inability to cope with problems in a healthy way may lead to serious trouble in the future. Because the possibility exists for these types of problems, bullying must be taken seriously and dealt with accordingly. It is important to stop bullying early so both the bully and the victim do not suffer from any long term affects," said Claudio Cerullo.

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About Dr. Claudio Cerullo
Dr. Claudio V. Cerullo possesses more than seventeen-years experience in education. With six years teaching in Social Science Education. Dr. Claudio Cerullo earned his Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Social Science Education where he was elected President of the Student Government and Education Association. Dr. Cerullo earned his Master's Degree in Professional Elementary and Secondary Education with his concentration in Educational Administration, earned his Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational Administration and has attended educational leadership training in Diversity/Multi-Cultural Education through Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. http://www.claudiocerulloeducation.com/