Bullying in
schools is a larger problem than many people know. Kids that were surveyed from ages 8 to 15, roughly
3rd to 10th grade, stated that bullying is a larger
problem that peer pressure to use alcohol, drugs, have sex or racism (Michael
& Manocha, 2011). According to the
National Center of Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics, more
than 1 in 4 students experience bullying (DeVoe and Bauer, 2011). In terms of school, bullying victims
typically have lower attendance, lower academic achievement, and poor attitude
toward school. Young people with serious psychosocial
problems might experience problems associated with attention, behavior, and
emotional regulation, which interfere with their ability to learn (Michael
& Manocha, 2011, pp. 99). Depending
on the situation, many suffer from psychological stress and have trouble dealing
with it in a healthy way. Unfortunately,
in some instances, suicide is committed to escape.
Other problems that
stem from bullying are 66% of the 37 mass school shootings were committed by
people that felt bullied and revenge was the main focus in their actions. Another problem discovered from long-term
studies is some adults are suffering from mental health problems due to being
victims of bullying at an early age (Michael & Manocha, 2011).
One
problem many adults face is that many victims do not report abuse or bullying
in fear of the situation getting worse or they are embarrassed. In fact more than half of victims said they
would not tell an adult about being bullied.
When children finally report the bullying problem, it is usually to
their parents first and then teachers (Michael& Manocha, 2011).
The large problem is the majority of bullying is done at school or on
the way to or home from school. Making
sure the proper information is provided to make sure that the bullying will not
occur or at the very least is under watchful eye on school grounds. The proper plan for the victims travel to and
from school is very important so they are protected from the manipulation of
bullies.
References
DeVoe, J.F., and Bauer, L. (2011). Student Victimization
in U.S. Schools: Results From the 2009 School Crime Supplement to the National
Crime Victimization Survey (NCES 2012-314). U.S. Department of Education,
National Center for Education Statistics.
Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2012/2012314.pdf
Michael, M., & Manocha, R. (2011). Bullying -
effects, prevalence and strategies for detection. Australian Family
Physician, 40(3), 98-102.
Hello BJ,
ReplyDeleteYour topic is a great one! Bullying has always been around but the severity of bullying has reached new heights with the introduction of new technology and social media. It has gone from name calling to now posting embarrassing picture on the web for the whole world to see. Bullying is damaging to our children’s self-esteem and we need to stop looking at it from the angle of kids will be kids as if it’s some rite of passage. My children’s middle school has a program called “Peers for Peace” and they meet once a week to come up with ideas on how to stop bullying in their school. I have spoken with the administration and since they have incorporated this program they have had less reports of bullying.
Stop bullying.gov is a great website with a wealth of knowledge on how to prevent bullying, what risk factors to look for and the effects of bullying (Stopbullying.gov, 2012).
We need to make people aware about the effects of bullying and no matter how big or small the effect is it can leave scars that last a lifetime.
Tracy
Stopbullying.gov (2012). Stop bullying. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/
The website is great. I found this in the inital search for my topics and look to post some of the great pieces that it has.
DeleteI would love to stop bullying completely so children of so many types to not have to suffer.
Hi BJ, great topic! And definitely relevant right now. I just don't remember bullying being such a major problem when I was growing up. I agree with Tracy, it's always been around but the "severity has reached new heights". It's so sad how often we hear about bullying now and how severe of an impact it can have on a child (and their family). Just last week a teenage boy tried to commit suicide at Lamar High School in Arlington by taking large amounts of hydrocodone because he was being bullied by his football teammates.
ReplyDeleteI was looking around and was happy to see that there are resources out there. I ran into quite a few websites that addressed bullying. PBS caught my attention and I looked in to. It was kind of wordy but had good information and links to other resources http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/friends/bullies/index.html
Thanks for passing the webpage. I will enjoy going through it.
DeleteBJ,
ReplyDeletePeer influence is a major contributor to the high rates of bullying occurring in schools, and I think this is reflected in the PSA you selected. A study by Burns, Maycock, Cross, and Brown (2008) describes the fact that bullying associated with peer influence continues because students want to feel that they are an accepted member of the peer group that is encouraging the bullying behavior. Some students in the study also admitted that once they started or became known as a bully it was difficult to stop the behavior. Additionally, students who bully as a result of peer influence are afraid that if they refuse to continue with the behavior they will lose social benefits and status (Burns et al., 2008). I find it disturbing that bullying seems to have almost become an accepted social norm among our youth and adolescent population. It is imperative that school-based bullying prevention programs are comprehensive in that they address how individual factors, peer influence, and school climate contribute to bullying behavior.
Reference
Burns, S., Maycock, B., Cross, D., & Brown, G. (2008). The power of peers: Why some students bully others to conform. Qualitative Health Research, 18, 1704-1716. doi:10.11771049732308325865
Kristy,
DeleteI totally agree with your last sentence. The atmosphere of the school must be changed for the feel of bullying will have a zero tolerance.
Hi BJ, thanks for bringing this issue to our attention. It is very sad to hear that children and adolescents every day miss school because they are scared of bullying or committed suicide to escape this harmful behavior. Unfortunately, many parents don't think that bullying is as big a problem as bringing a weapon to school or drug use, but school bullying effects can be severe and long lasting. Many kids are embarrassed to be bullied and may not tell their parents or another adult right away. Parents must take bullying seriously not considered it as a passing phase. They should play a central role to preventing bullying and stopping it when it happens. First, parents should ask their children about their day and listen to them talk about school, social events, their classmates, and any problems they have. Then if they see any bullying, they should step in and stop it right away, even if their children, who are the ones doing the bullying. Because bullying doesn't only negatively affect its victims, but also the bullies themselves are more likely to do poorly in school, smoke and drink alcohol, or commit crimes in the future.
ReplyDeleteAbeer
Thanks for the post. I do see a lot that many kids do not tell their parents that there is a problem at school with a bully and many times if even asked directly, kids to not always open up for help. You are right that parents do need to stay involved and help in the proper fashion when needed.
DeleteB.J., thanks for the informtion on bullying. The statistics of bullying is sad and astonishing! It is interesting that the attention given to bullying in the schools has also brought attention to the issue of bullying in the workplace. Workplace bullying can take the form of verbal abuse, threatening, humiliating, or intimidating behavior, and work interference which prevents work tasks from being completed (Workplace Bullying Institute, 2012). The Workplace Bullying Institute reported that 35% of the workers in the United States have been bullied at work (Workplace Bullying Institute, 2012). Like school bullying, the victims are often hesitant to speak up against the person that is bullying them and the victims suffer emotional, psychological and health issues. Workplace bullying is different from workplace violence in that the bullying can occur on a daily basis. Frequently, victims of school bullying require the assistance of a third party, typically parents or school administrators. But in workplace bullying, the victim is often expected to solve the problem on their own. The victim is frequently told by the human resource department that he or she “needs to work it out” with the person that is doing the bullying. It seems likely that bullies in the school can become a bully in the workplace. Addressing bullying in the schools is imperative to not only decrease the occurrence in the schools, but to stop the cycle of bullying from occurring in the workplace.
ReplyDeleteReference
Workplace Bullying Institute. (2012). Being bullied? Start here. Retrieved from www.workplacebullying.org/individuals/problem/being-bullied
Thanks for the post Kim. You beat me to one of my future posts about bullying in the workplace, but the more that is out there the better. Hard to believe that 35 % are bein bullied.
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ReplyDelete