Sticks and stones will break my bones...............

[HRHQoQ]

but calling names won't hurt me.

Been thinking about that phrase over the last day or two - mainly thinking about the smacking debate and talking about the physoclogical effects it has amd now the thread on shouting.. Obvsiouly most of us probably learned that phrase at school to make us learn that someone calling you a name won't do you any harm....but is it really true???

As someone who was bullied at school I think it's the wrong way round - the verbal bullying was FAR worse than the physical. Phsyical was all over and done with and forgotten about by hometime (or by the time the bruises went down) - and apart from one incident which was particularly mortifing for me (11yrs old, just start periods had my skirt and knickers pulled down) don't remember any specific incidents.

Whereas constant name calling, and being excluded from games, activities and birthday invitations affected me a lot more. And has affected myself esteem long term.

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ooops - you've lost me.......I'm asking about that phrase and how true you think it is.....this is more in relationship to bullying at school (or at work) than discipling children - it was merely those two threads......and a few other things offline that got me thinking about it.

I was bullied at school, and it's hard to tell which affected me more, the physical or the verbal, because they were both so closely intertwined - one generally came with the other so it's hard to separate.

However, I was also bullied at home, and although there was a lot of physical stuff, and I haven't ever forgotten it, the verbal and emotional bullying was far worse. Most of my lack of both self-esteem and self-confidence comes from that.

i agree... i also still suffer the effects of verbal bullying at school