Bullying has been around since the dark ages. However, with the popularity today of social media such as Twitter and Facebook, a new form of bullying, namely cyber-bullying, has become a larger more global trend. Bullying is a very serious problem because it not only can affect the person physically, but emotionally as well. Some experts say that the emotional aspect is far more damaging because it can cause a lack of confidence, depression and anxiety in children and teens at a very vulnerable age. In some cases, the emotional aspect is so overwhelming that a person may feel the only way out is through suicide. We have recently seen a number of teen suicides across the nation, after cyber-bullying has taken place.
Even though the subject of bullying is known around the world, many to this day still don't understand exactly why children bully or overlook the behavior in their own children. Many say that children who are from broken homes or have insecurities are most likely to adapt to this aggressive behavior but this is not always the case. Often times, we see the “popular”, seemingly confident kids from upstanding families acting out. Experts say that most bullies show this form of behavior because they want to gain power over someone who they think is weak, or they just don’t like, often to show-off for their friends. It gives the bullies a sense of control and power. An example of this behavior recently surfaced at a local middle school. A group of popular girls actually posted on a Facebook page that they would pay $250 to someone if they would beat up a girl that they were angry with. Thankfully, the police got involved before anything serious happened, but the girl felt so threatened that she has subsequently switched schools. This violent mental act affected the life of this girl and her family and uprooted her from a place she felt otherwise happy and safe. The teens who posted this comment would definitely benefit from a 26 hour anger management course. These courses are also court approved in many states and offer a certificate of completion, which is also beneficial as these kids will most likely have to take them as part of their court punishment.
Online Anger Management classes are taught by licensed professionals and are available to teach skills to both parents and children on how to control such angry behavior. Anger skills classes are so important because they help minimize the problems of bullying in our society today. These classes help those instigating the aggressive behavior by giving them a safe and open environment where they can release their frustration and learn how to redirect their anger in a more positive way. Most importantly, the goal is to help children and teens to understand the effects of bullying by teaching empathy. The classes can be taken from Connecticut or any of the 50 states, as long as one has web service.