Teenagers face a variety of problems in their lives whether at home, school or during outside activities. Many adults can easily find themselves having a hard time understanding and dealing with issues for teenagers. One of the most prominent issues for teenagers is bullying. The internet has made bullying more prominent than ever, and if parents don’t know how to properly address the problem then it can quickly spiral out of control. Within the next 24 hours, around 3,506 teenagers will run away and 15,006 will try drugs for the first time. Knowing how to talk to your teen could be difference between searching for a run away and waking them up in the morning.
What is Bullying
Bullying is behaviors that are aimed at making an individual feel inadequate or worthless. There are many types of bullying including physical, cyber and verbal. Physical bullying is the most obvious form of bullying because the instigator tries to physically dominate the other person. Physical bullying can be hitting, punching, kicking or any other physical activity which is meant to instill fear into the other person. Verbal bullying includes saying mean things or belittling another person to hurt their feelings or humiliate them. Cyber bullying uses instant messaging, texting and other social network sites to cause someone else humiliation and embarrassment.
How Does Bullying Affect Teenagers
Bullying causes a number of factors that affect teenagers behavior. If you notice some different teenage issues developing in your child it is important to determine the cause so that you can try to alleviate it. Constant bullying can lead to teen anxiety. This anxiety can be shown as anger and rage even in safe environments such as the home. Depression in teens is another direct affect of bullying. Depression increases a teenagers risk of attempting suicide by 12 times. Another possible affect of bullying on teens can be retaliation. Many times the victim builds violent fantasies of attacking the people bullying them.
How Common is Bullying in Teenagers
Approximately one in three teenagers is involved in bullying. Younger teenagers are more likely to experience bullying compared to older teenagers. This may be because younger teens are more prone to physical bullying which is easy to identify. Older teens think of other ways to bully rather than physical so the warning signs may be harder for parents to spot. Boys are more likely to be the target of physical altercations, and girls are more likely to be the center of vicious nasty rumors.
Teenagers may not be so open to talking with parents, making communicating with teenagers hard, but important. Knowing how to talk to your teen and understanding issues for teenagers is vital during this time of growth and maturity. Know your children, and when things don’t seem right, or teens seem more edgy than normal talk with your child. Let them know that there is always a safe place and someone they can turn to no matter how tough life can be.
