III. Vocabulary Study

Bullying

I. Pre-reading Questions

1. Recall a case of bullying that you know of.

2. What do you think of bullies?

3. Do you agree with these statements? Give a reason for each of your answers.

- Most cases of bullying are not reported.

- Those who are bullied ore usually weak or odd looking

II. Reading Passage

Now read the passage below. You can look up the meanings of the words and phrases in bold in the Vocabulary Study section that follows.

Education is a very important part of a child's life, and yet an increasing number of children are showing reluctance to attend school. It is not that they find the work too difficult or are afraid of the teachers. No, it is because they are being bullied.

School bulliescan make other children's lives a misery and their bullyingtakes different forms. Often they will use their physical size to intimidatethose who are smaller and weaker than themselves. They will threaten their victimswith a beating if they don't do as they say, often using physical force to extortmoney, and will steal possessions from them by force.

Bullies use verbal abuseas well as physicalabuse on their victims. The buttof this abuse may often simply be slightly different in some way from the rest of the class. A child may have red hair, wear spectacles, not have the latest fashion in shoes, have only one parent, or be of a different race, for example. This can make them a targetfor the school bully, who will indulge in the most insulting name-calling.

Some psychologists say that the desire of the class bully to dominatethe others is a result of an inferiority complexor some personal unhappiness, but this does not help those who are on the receiving endof the abuse. So great is the bullying problem that many schools have been forced to draw up an official strategyfor dealing with it.

Teachers encourage the victims of bullying to report the matter to one of them, but many of them are afraid to do so, for fear of more physical assaultor more taunts.The bullies will accuse them of telling talesand make them suffer more. Furthermore, those who browbeatothers, although domineering,can often appear to be charming to those who are in authority.

Because it is so difficult to get victims to report bullies, and often difficult to prove coercion,many bullies escape unpunished. We must protect our children from this persecution.They have a right to enjoy their schooldays.

III. Vocabulary Study

abuse(n.) – 1. the act of treating someone badly or violently; ill-treatment. 2.the wrong or harmful use of something, abuse(v.) - 1. to treat someone badly or violently; to ill-treat someone. 2. to use something in a wrong or harmful way.

assault(n.) - a violent attack. assault(v.) to make a violent attack on someone or something.

browbeat(v.) to try to force someone to do something by threatening them or frightening them.

bully(n.) - aperson who deliberately frightens and ill-treats someone, usually a weaker person, and often makes them do what the bully wants by force or the threat of force.

bully(v.) to act tike a bully; to frighten and ill-treat someone, usually a weaker person, and use force or the threat of force to get them to do what you want. bullying(n.) - the act of bullying.

butt(n.) - a person at whom someone directs jokes, scornful remarks, etc.

coercion(n.) - the action of making someone do something which they do not want to do by means of force or the threat of force.

coerce(v.) - to make someone do something which they do not want to do by means of force or the threat of force.

dominate(v.) - to hove control over someone or something.

domineering(adj.) - showing a strong desire to have control over other people without taking into consideration their opinions, wishes, etc.

extort(v.) - to obtain something from someone by means of force, threats, etc.

inferiority complex(n.) - a feeling that you are inferior to others, that you are not nearly as good, as clever, as important, etc, as they are.

intimidate(v.) - to make someone feel afraid of you, often deliberately, to persuade them to do something,; intimidating(adj.) - frightening; threatening.

name-calling(n.) - the act of saying nasty, insulting words about someone, often to them directly. call someone namesto use nasty insulting words about someone, often to them directly.

persecute(v.) - to annoy and bother someone constantly, never leaving them alone and making their lives miserable.

persecution(n.) - harassment or bad and unfair treatment of people because of their race, their religious or political beliefs, etc.

physical(adj.) - connected with the body.

receiving end, be on/at the receiving end -to be the person at whom some form of action, usually abad or unpleasant one, is aimed.

strategy(n.) - a detailed plan which is put together to achieve a particular purpose.

strategic(adj.) - connected with a strategy; forming part of a detailed plan which is put together to achieve a particular purpose.

tale, tell tales -to tell someone, especially someone in authority, about something that someone has done wrong.

target(n.) – 1.a result or goal which you are trying to achieve. 2 an object which is aimed at in shooting practice, darts, etc, often a round board with circles on it.

target(v.) - to aim or direct something at someone.

taunt(n.) - anasty, unkind remark that is intended to upset someone.

taunt(v.) - to tease someone ina hurtful, mocking way in order to upset them.

verbal(adj.) - expressed in words; relating to words.

victim (n.) - a person who has been hurt or killed by someone or something.

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 1768