HEALTH EQUITY: The effects of bullying

Bullying is never acceptable, especially when children are involved. Kids often get bullied in school, on sports teams or at other social gatherings. The reason some kids are bullied is often because of their lack of health equity. Bullies might target other kids based on their social status, parents’ income, housing, appearance or other things they can’t control. As a parent or guardian, it is important to be aware of what is going on in your child’s life.

Kids are most frequently bullied because of their physical appearance. This is something that no one can control, but children who are results of poor health equity often cannot receive proper health care needs. Having minimal access to decent healthcare could be the root of the problem. Some people may live far from a good healthcare facility. This also raises the issue of travel. They may not have a car readily available, or may struggle to find public transportation near them. Due to a lack of health equity, some simply may not be able to afford high quality healthcare services.

What can you do: As a parent or guardian, it’s your job to prevent bullying and protect your child. Thanks to NoBully.Org, there are workshops you can take to prevent your child from being targeted or becoming a bully. There are also training and coaching options to educate school teachers and staff on the matter.

One of the main causes of bullying stems from our lack of health equity as a society. Learn more about health equity on Delaware Thrives and what you can do to promote equal opportunity for everyone.