Recently, in our community, there has been some instances of bullying and teasing a young autistic boy.
His parents finally pulled him from the school system and sent him away to a private boarding school.
It was hard decision for the family and a loss for the community.
Of course, teasing and name calling are universal.
Every one of us has been called names or teased by friends, siblings or neighborhood bullies.
it is a part of development and testing boundaries.
Verbal teasing is a way that many children flex their muscles and establish themselves as a part of playground politics.
Teasing and Name Calling is Much Like Physical Fighting Unfortunately, it makes the name caller and bully feel stronger in that one moment of aggression.
Unless the child has developed some empathy and compassion for those he/she are victimizing, the price is huge for the one being bullied and teased.
In early childhood children may feel inadequate when they are frustrated and so inflict the worst insult they can think of "poopy-head" or some bathroom name to show displeasure.
They may do name calling as a means of self protection.
As children age and venture out into new territory where there is not always an adult nearby to correct or teach, they tend to use teasing as a weapon in the struggle to fit in.
Teasing, much like what happened in our community, usually is done in packs or groups, who take turns insulting one person.
Or it may be by one bully trying to impress the others.
Bad News, Good News About Teasing and Name Calling Bad news is teasing is a part of the friendship ritual, especially among boys, who enjoy insulting comments at each other.
The good news is that most kids are pretty resilient and find ways to sidestep or gain acceptance by the group.
It is not as important that they are the most popular kid in the school, but that there is someone in their social network who will stand up for them or help them to navigate the social seas.