Bullying in Schools

Terrified. Humiliated. Powerless. And many times, with no way out.  These are the feelings that surface everyday for victims of bullying.  For many of us, this idea sounds strange but for some it is all too familiar.  There are many ways to hurt someone else and for some students, as you may know, it is a refreshing game they like to play. 

Violent behavior seen in school playgrounds, classrooms, and neighborhoods continues to increase.  The historical games many of us remember playing in school such as kickball, tag, or hopscotch are no longer desired activities in middle school.  Instead, more adolescence use their energy to bully other classmates.  The behavior of bullying is an act of violence; unwanted yet unavoidable.  It can be defined as a repeated attack towards someone to cause harm or instill feelings of fear or embarrassment.  Those who bully use various forms of verbal, physical, and psychological abuses to gain control of their victims.  No matter which form is used – whether rumors are being spread, threats are being made, or physical violence is taking place –these experiences can have devastating effects on the well being, education, and life in general for not only the victims but the bystanders, families, and bullies.

Nothing positive surrounds the act of bullying.  The only thing beneficial is perhaps the bullies own perceived gratification they receive.  People who bully others do it for self empowerment and entitlement; they do it to gain a sense of power over others.  Real power or not, bullies feed off the reactions they receive; many times by the teachers, bystanders, and school personnel who possibly do little to stop this behavior.

 Some people may believe witness of bullying and others who are aware of it taking place are equally responsible for the bullying occuring because everyone has the ability to stop this violent behavior from happening. Watching at a distance does not mean you are not involved and cannot take action as well.

The power bullies gain over others is jaw dropping.   According to Paul Langan, author of Bullying In Schools (2011) asserts, “…approximately 160,000 kids skip school to avoid being picked on by their peers” (p.9).  This shows students are forced to miss out on their education because they are too scared to even step on campus.  More seriously, sometimes students pass the point of being too scared and enter the point of no return. Many teen suicides have been linked to bullying.  Langan (2011), stresses the United States looses over 4,000 teens a year to suicide as a result of being bullied (p.9).  Halyee Fentree and Paige Moravetz, two 14-year old girls, were included in these findings.  During a weekend sleepover party these young girls committed suicide after allegedly being bullied (Prois, (2011).

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2012) the act of bullying affects not only the victim but also the bully and bystanders.  For example, kids who are bullied can struggle with depression, their health, and academic achievement; whereas bullies themselves tend to participate in high risk behavior, drug use, and lead a more dysfunctional lifestyle (U.S. Department of Health & Services (2012).  They also concluded that people who witness bullying have an increased chance to experiment with drugs or alcohol and may even skip school.

Bullying can also cause financial difficulties for families. The parents of children who have been bullied may be forced to leave their jobs to properly care for their children. In addition, depending on the psychological toll bullying has caused a child, many families may be forced to pay for counseling sessions.  A child may even be forced to switch schools which can cost more time away from work for parents.

At times, the people who are responsible for stopping this kind of behavior may be the ones causing it.  CNN News’ Anchors Michael Martinez and Tom Laabs report that a young middle aged boy experienced this first hand when he was bullied by his teacher and classmates at Kopachuck Middle School (2011).  Feeling pure humiliation, the adolescent was forced to switch schools after the video of him being bullied went viral when his parents felt they had no choice but to air the video online to bring awareness because the school administration failed to take action.

 In a similar situation ABC News' 20/20 anchors Jim Dubreuil and Eamon Mcniff report Tyler Long, a 17-year old with Asperger’s Syndrome, committed suicide allegedly after enduring several years of bullying.  They stressed, that for years Tyler’s parents exhausted their attempts informing school officials of the bullying taking place; however, even after all the efforts and death of this young teen, the school personnel still failed to take action.

There have been many programs implemented to help support victims of bullying.  A report by Chetry and Garrett (2010) supports a program called Sociable Kidz implemented to help supply children with tools they need to face their bullies (Chetry & Garrett, 2010).  A parent of one of the children enrolled in the program expressed, ‘They’re helping him believe in himself’ (Chetry & Garrett, 2010). Tracking the true success of programs like this may be difficult, but the testimonies from parents may be satisfying enough.

The technological capabilities we see today allow people to communicate quickly to a large amount of people.  Because of this, and new social networks like Facebook and Twitter, bullying has become easier than ever.  The Government’s role should be to set guidelines to manage the issue of bullying. This alone will make a significant impact on future bullying.  

   A rise in bullying is being seen in schools among teenagers and by taking a closer look at why bullying is an issue, the affects it has on others, along with other key factors will allow us to have a better understanding of this behavior.   There has to be a fair, firm, yet consistent way of addressing this behavior. This worldwide issue may be difficult to conquer; however, the behavior of bullying will see a positive change if teachers are enforcing rules, parents are supporting their children, and students are being held accountable.

References:

Chetry K. & Garrett D. (2010, December 10). ‘Sociable Kidz’ program helps vulnerable children combat bullying. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/12/09/bullying.autism/index.html?iref=allsearch

Dubreuil J. & McNiff E. (2010, October 15). Bullied to Death in America’s Schools. ABC News 20/20. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/2020/TheLaw/school-bullying-epidemic-turning-deadly/story?id=11880841#.UFf32Y1lT_t

Langan, P. (2011). Bullying in Schools: What You Need to Know. New Jersey: Townsend Press, Inc.

Martinez M. & Laabs T. (2012, September 1).Washington state teacher placed on leave again in pupil bullying case. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/01/us/washington-bullying-school/index.html

Prois, J. (2011, April 21). Bullied Middle Schoolers, Paige Moravetz and Haylee Fentress, Take Lives In Suicide Pact. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/21/marshall-middle-school-suicide_n_852252.html

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2012, September 15). Effects of Bullying. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/effects/index.html