"For many children, it begins around third grade for girls and fourth grade for boys. In The Crucial Years, I describe this period of middle childhood, roughly ages 6 to 12, as the foundation for social and emotional development. It is when kids begin navigating power, belonging, and identity. The same social awareness that helps children form friendships can also, without guidance, turn into exclusion, teasing, or the misuse of power."
"Not everything that feels hurtful is bullying. Children will sometimes argue, tease, or leave others out without realizing the impact. Those moments can still be unkind and deserve attention, but bullying is something more specific. It involves three key elements: repetition, intent to harm, and an imbalance of power. That imbalance, whether physical, social, or emotional, is what separates bullying from ordinary conflict."
Bullying often begins in middle childhood, typically around third grade for girls and fourth grade for boys, when children navigate power, belonging, and identity. Bullying is defined by repetition, intent to harm, and an imbalance of power—physical, social, or emotional—distinguishing it from ordinary conflict. Bullying exposure predicts increased risk of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms, with peer bullying linked to worse mental health outcomes by age 18 than other forms of maltreatment. Both targets and witnesses of bullying can experience lasting emotional effects. Empathy, perspective-taking, emotional language, and supportive families and schools reduce risk and promote safety.
Read at Psychology Today
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