Bullying
has been a critical issue in schools for decades. Looking back to the 18th
century peer-on-peer harassment was just as commonly seen as it is today. Of course, during
that time bullying was newly recognized and little understood. What may be seen
as violent behavior today might not have been in that time. While bullying in
schools remains a critical issue, throughout the years several events and
studies have taken place that have made a significant impact on bullying and
have expanded its meaning in many ways.
The
term bullying has changed drastically over time. In the 18th and 19th
centuries bullying was mainly viewed as physical or verbal harassment commonly
linked with, “…death, strong isolation or extortion in school children…” (Koo,
2007). Any type of aggressive behavior was simply seen as mischief and a normal
part of childhood. In fact, according to Koo (2007), bullying was thought of as
an innocent “misadventure” or “misbehavior” among schoolboys (p110). This type
of bullying was clearly observed at King’s Boarding School in the U.K when a
twelve-year old boy was killed from bullying behaviors by his older classmates
(Koo, 2007, p110). The schoolboys
involved were not held accountable for his death because the school viewed the
behavior as a normal misadventure among the teens (Koo, 2007). It may be fair
to say that this situation would be viewed much different today and that the
bullying behaviors then were viewed as a normal part of growing up among children.
The
term bullying was not publicly recognized until a well known newspaper made a publication
of this behavior. In 1862, after almost seventy-two years of publications the daily
newspaper, The Times wrote their
first story on bullying when they reported a soldier allegedly died due to
bullying (Koo, 2007, p109). The Times were the first to voice the
critical issues of bullying and the major consequences that can follow (Koo, 2007).
The writer especially highlighted how the soldier underwent “systematic
bullying” in the army and was treated as an, “…object of constant vexations and
attack” (Voo, 2007, p110). This story
may have been shocking to many people because society then did not view the
behaviors that caused this death to be harmful. In that time bullying was
accepted by many as normal behavior. However, as bullying became more
prevalent, it began to draw more attention from researchers who wanted to know
more about this new phenomenon.
Historically,
the most significant turning point for bullying took place in the mid 1970s. Dan
Olweus, a research professor of psychology, was the first to conduct an
intensive study on bullying among students using his own systematic researching
methods (Voo, 2007, p112). He created the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
(OBPP), which had significant results in reducing school bullying (Hazelden
Foundation, 2007). Olweus’s efforts contributed greatly to the fight against
bullying because it brought awareness, initiated other professionals to conduct
research, and vastly expanded the meaning of bullying (Voo, 2007). Olweus’s
efforts have made a great impact on school violence and helped to bring safety
back into schools.
Indeed,
school violence has never ended. In fact, the consequences of bullying reached
its peak when two teen boys shot and killed many of their classmates after
allegedly being victims of bullying. In 1999, Columbine High School experienced
one of the worst high school shootings in history. This event caused worldwide
devastation due to the situation itself, and because it uncovered the raw truth
behind bullying. In the same time frame, bullying took another negative turn. With
easy access to the internet, many teens have started using cyber space as a
play ground for bullying. As more teens have resorted to using cell phones and
social networks to communicate, cyber bullying has become a major issue.
Presently, cyber bullying is on the rise due to social networks such as
facebook and twitter where information can travel in seconds to a countless
number of people.
In response
to these matters the federal government has created laws to crack down on these
behaviors. Similar to the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, legislators have
implemented programs such as, No Child Left Behind to help keep schools safe
(Edmondson & Zeman, 2001). In fact, to assure school safety the federal
government has linked school funding to school safety laws, giving schools no
option but to implement these law in order to receive funding (Edmondson &
Zeman, 2001). To greatly lower school violence, the government has to create policies
that hold bullies accountable and support victims. Linking school funding to
school safety laws is an effective way to ensure schools are becoming safer for
students.
Today,
bullying is viewed much differently than it was in the 1800’s. It took many years
for the term to be identified for the serious problems it presents. Due to
researchers like Dan Olweus, gaining true understanding of bullying is now
possible. Educators have been able to gain insights of these issues so they can
help stop them from occurring. Indeed, with the growth of technology bullying
will be difficult to track and school administrators will have to stay current
as electronics continue to change. It is difficult to determine what the future
of bullying will be, yet as the government continues to mandate school safety
laws and begins to strictly hold bullies accountable for their actions, schools
will become a safer place for children.
References:
Edmondson, L., & Zeman,
L. (2011). Making School Bully Laws Matter. Reclaiming Children & Youth,
20(1), 33-38.
Hazelden Foundation,
(2007). Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Research and History. Retrieved from
http://www.hazelden.org/web/go/olweus
Koo, H.
(2007). A Time Line of the Evolution of School Bullying in Differing Social Context.
Asia Pacific Education Review, Vol. 8, No. 1, 107-116. Retrieved from https://webspace.utexas.edu/lab3346/School%20Bullying/Koo2007/Koreabullyinghistory2007.pdf
