Tips for Pediatricians: Addressing Bullying and Cyberbullying in Your Practice

Examples of Key Questions. Some helpful questions to ask patients include the following:

• "Part of being healthy is talking about friends and how we get along with other kids. Can you tell me how friendly the kids are at your school overall?"

• "Are there any kids at school that you have a problem with, or are afraid of?"

• "Do you use text messaging, play games online, or use social networking websites (like Facebook)? Do you ever have a problem with others online, such as people sending you a mean message, or saying cruel things?"

• "In some situations, we really should talk instead of texting or going online. What do you think about that?"

• "Grown-ups are talking a lot about bullying and cyberbullying these days. Are you having a problem being bullied or cyberbullied? If you are, I’d like to try and help you with it."

• "Sometimes people use the word bullying to describe something that’s more like a fight. Bullying happens when a more powerful child deliberately targets someone less powerful, over and over again. What we’re discussing is very important, because I can see that you were really hurt by what happened. But it might not be bullying. Let’s focus, though, on helping you cope with it."

Dr. Elizabeth Englander is director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater (Mass.) State University. Dr. Peter Raffalli is a pediatric neurologist at Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, also in Boston.