Myths And Facts

This statement is a Myth
This myth has been proven wrong by research that shows bullies tend to have a following of peers who approve of their behavior or at least go along with it.

This statement is a Myth
As any professional knows, this childhood nursery rhyme is not true. Verbal and emotional bullying, both direct and indirect, does hurt children. Physical bullying is easier to recognize. A more realistic rhyme is "sticks and stones can break your bones but words can break your heart".

This statement is a Fact
All children can potentially be victims regardless of how "normal" or different they may seem. As an earlier section pointed out, the reasons why a child may become a victim of bullying are endless. That doesn't mean children who are "different" do not get bullied. They do.

This statement is a fact
Bullying can often be difficult to discern from rough play or normal conflict. A study on the ability of lunchtime supervisors to distinguish students' play fighting from true aggression found that supervisors were more likely to mistake aggression for play than the reverse.

This statement is a Myth
Just about every student in a school may be affected by bullying, either as a victim, the bully him/herself, or as a witness. As bystanders, students are often confused and fear for their own safety. A conservative estimate is that 10 percent of students are chronic victims of bullying.

This statement is a fact
Many adults don't know about bullying, either with their own children or in the schools. Many parents are not aware of what goes on in their child's school. Many students believe adults will not intervene even if they do report the bullying.

This statement is a Myth
Most bullying behavior occurs out of the sight of any adult, so adults need the cooperation of students to alert them to the behavior. Students need to know that the adults will take swift and appropriate action in their defense.