Bullying: symptoms and aftermath In the wake of increasingly more frequent violent school incidents, a stronger sense of urgency

and actions to protect our children can be seen and heard all over the country. We, every person, has a responsibility to defend the abused, bear witness and attest to the incidental truths for those with no voice, educate ourselves and others to make positive systemic changes that support our youth, and seek help and guidance for those that are suffering from physical and/or emotional trauma. The violence that happens in and around schools should be nonexistent, but unfortunately this is not the reality. There is much focus on security strategies; there are some things that people can do to help assist with these safety efforts. Additional protection can be provided to our children by us being proactively engaged in childrens lives, by being observant, and being willing to listen to what is on their minds. We all contribute to the over well-being of our youth. It [still] takes a village to raise a child and we have the responsibility to keep him or her safe. Sometimes the very people that committed these unimaginable crimes against children were truly traumatized and were once victims of bullying themselves. According to a report from the United States Department of Justice (2012), bullying is widespread and perhaps the most underreported safety problem on American school campuses. In recent school shootings two thirds (66%) of the attackers had previously been bullied. Having experienced being the target of bullying appeared to play a significant role in the attackers motive (U.S. Secret Service, 2000). Children may not feel empowered and may be too fearful to speak to a teacher, parent, or caregivers about the fact that they are the target of bullying. The clinical term for bullying is peer abuse. It is the responsibility of the same teachers, parents, and caregivers to look for signs of peer abuse and provide intervention and support. We each must do our part as parents, teachers, care takers, or otherwise to ensure the mental and physical health and safety of our children. Some signs that indicate that a child may be the target of bullying (USDOJ-Bullying in schools, 2012): Cuts, bruises, scratches Has few, if any friends Has headaches and/or stomach aches Poor self-esteem and is anxious Seems depressed or moody Is quiet, sensitive, or passive Some signs that indicate that a child may be bullying others: Aggressiveness toward adults Teases, threatens, or hits other children Shows no sympathy for children who are bullied Has been involved in other anti-social behavior, such as vandalism or theft

For help with bullying (peer abuse) please contact the childs school, local law enforcement agency, and or mental health providers. Clinton B. Fields Jr., MBA, MS Chief Instructor, Kuk Sool of Kansas City