ABSTRACT
Children at risk can be identified early in their school career and subsequently monitored. A mesh of familial, temperamental, environmental and sociological factors appears to predispose some children to become aggressors and others to be at risk of attack. Workshops for parents could alert them to warning signs and advice could be offered on how to cope if they suspect their child is bullying others or is being bullied. Any suspicion of bullying needs to be investigated with urgency and sensitivity. Conversely, girls particularly may be bullied without defining it as bullying as the form of bullying between girls is often covert, such as malicious gossip or social ostracism. The victims could be rewarded for mastering social hurdles as often after bullying incidents many situations prove too difficult for vulnerable children to cope with without strong support. Children at risk of being bullied need to develop simple strategies to help them avoid attack.
