Nicknames In Children Can Turn Into Bullying – You Are Parents

Sometimes nicknames or nicknames are used to designate certain people that focus on a specific characteristic or simply because their family had already given them that nickname. Nicknames in children often have no negative intent,  even if they end up bothering those who receive them.

In the majority of cases,  they highlight a physical or behavioral defect  and can embarrass or offend those who have received them. Some children use it to mock and hurt. This, done on an ongoing basis, can eventually turn into bullying or bullying.

What consequences can nicknames have on children? When do nicknames end up turning into bullying? What can we do about this situation? If you want to know more about it, please read on.

Consequences of nicknames in children

Even if these nicknames are not in principle intended to drift towards school bullying or to hurt the other,  they very often produce negative consequences  which can get bigger and bigger if we do not intervene.

Some of these consequences can be:

• A school failure. Children who are given nicknames and become the object of teasing lose interest in studying and no longer want to go to school.
• Low self-esteem. A nickname or a nickname labels the little one and he ends up believing himself as such, that is to say, he takes him as an identity. This is why children start to have a biased and negative image of themselves.

• A passive attitude towards the one who harasses. Nothing or no one interests them; they acquire a passive attitude towards everyone.
• The possibility of ending up in depression. Children feel bad, stop loving themselves, no longer care about everything they liked, don’t trust anyone, can stop eating or, on the contrary, binge, and no longer want to go out.
• Phobias can appear. Phobia to leave home, to go to school and excessive fear of almost everything.
• Problems sleeping. Nightmares, night terrors, insomnia, etc.

From when do nicknames in children turn into school bullying?

Many cases of school bullying or  bullying  go unnoticed today because we do not notice the situations in which nicknames are used to do harm. This is because it’s hard to tell the difference between using a nickname to joke or to offend and hurt.

When these nicknames are used by the little ones as a social exchange, they learn to deal with and deal with constructive criticism. Normally, when used as a joke with a friend, they have an affectionate character and are received positively by the other. 

In this case, there is no harassment because the nickname is just a way of communicating in a group and is completely harmless.

Things change and become a problem when the nickname is no longer used as a way to bond with each other and becomes a way to hurt and make the victim feel bad. The person who harasses ends up gaining more power.

How can you tell the difference between a nickname used for a joke and a nickname used to hurt?

• If the child makes a negative joke and it bothers the person to whom it is addressed, the joke tends to stop. In this case,  the nickname would be used as a joke.

• If this nickname persists over time and if its intention is to hurt and scare the child who receives it,  it is no longer a joke: it is school bullying or bullying.

What can we do about this situation of nicknames in children?

In the age of social networks, we can frequently come across bullying through the use of nicknames, nicknames or humiliations. As parents, we can hardly stop others from giving our child a negative nickname or nickname.

We cannot control or change other people’s behaviors, but we can  teach our children to change the way they react to these nicknames. That way, others won’t find it fun anymore. So let’s see what we can do.

Communicate more with our child

Communication with the child is fundamental  and we can ask him a few questions to see what situation he is in, such as:

• Who gave you that nickname?
• How do you feel when you hear this nickname?
• What do you think was the intention of this nickname?
• Did you say you don’t like this nickname?
• How do you answer them?

Thanks to these questions, we will be able to find out if the nickname is part of a joke in his group of friends or if it is more serious than that.

Tell her that she is a special and unique person

We are all different and unique. No one is better or superior because of what they have or who they are.

Teach him to be assertive

Whenever he is given this nickname he must act assertively, not show it affects him  and have the mental strength to indicate to his fellow students that he does not like this nickname and that he does not want it anymore. let it be called that. He should do this in a quiet but firm tone of voice.

Make sure he has confidence in us to come and see us when needed

If, despite the strategies we have given him to be able to cope with these behaviors, he continues to receive this nickname, we must  let him know that we are there to help him and that he can always count on us.

Help them work on their self-esteem

The vast majority of nicknames are given to emphasize a physical characteristic of the person or child who receives it. It is therefore important that we make the little ones understand that  their character and their way of being go far beyond their physique  and thus strengthen their self-esteem.

About nicknames in children as a form of school bullying

Now you know how nicknames in kids can end up turning into a form of bullying and what we can do as parents to be able to improve that situation or find out if the nicknames are part of a joke or are there. to hurt.

We need to be very attentive to the slightest change in our child’s behavior  that could tell us that something is wrong. And, above all, we must communicate with him because it is the absolute basis to be able to help him.