<Author>
<Course>
Teasing among children and teenagers is considered a common part of growing up. Teasing becomes bullying when it is repetitive and targeted to hurt the victim specifically. Bullying can be verbal (name calling, abusing) or physical (hurting or unwanted touch) or psychological (singling out someone or bad mouthing). Though there can be several different types of bullying however each can have long term traumatic effects on the victim.
According to statistics, one In four children in US are a victim of school bullying, students from grade sixth to tenth are more prone to be bullied that others. Verbal bullying is the most prevalent type with 77% of children are bullied verbally or psychologically.
In the book “Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do”, the author describes bullying as a repeated, with negative intentions of hurting the self-esteem of one or more children/students who would show a weak personality and might have complexes and is unable to defend themselves against the bullies. The facts show that students who bully have the urge to dominate and may or may not be popular in the school otherwise. Their attitude is equally aggressive and rash with other peers or adults.
A study conducted by Warwick University in the UK and Duke University in the US surveyed 1,400 people between the ages of nine and twenty-six to study the long term effects of school bullying on the victims. The study showed that the victims of long term bullying suffered psychological and serious health issues including depression, anxiety and suicidal characteristics. The results showed that most of these victims left schools early usually without graduating and faced social and economic troubles in their later life.
While the long term trauma for the victims is quite apparent, the study also reflected the characteristics and later life issues faced by the bullies too. The survey showed that the habitual offenders were more prone to engage in violent, risky and criminal behavior and often have been sentenced and jailed.
The traumatic and long term effects of bullying point to the fact that this cannot be considered a harmless behavioral issues, in fact serious intervention and preventive measures are required to decrease and restrict the school bullying.
The school administration has a very strong role to play in the prevention of bullying in schools. To emphasize the issue, schools need to provide easy procedures for the victims to report bullying with confidence, additionally the administration and teachers should be trained enough to identify a bullying victim and offender to counsel them. Along with counselling, it is equally important that school punish the acts of bullying to show their lack of tolerance towards negative attitudes.
Since bullying is illegal and a crime, it is important that parents, teachers and counselors understand the rules regarding bullying in their state and are able to seek professional help based on that. Similarly it is important for parents to discuss these acts with their children even if they are the victim or the bully as it is advised that the bully should be made understand the consequences they could face by threatening or abusing another student to protect them from long term harms. The Department of Health and Human Services has taken the measure to spread awareness through www.stopbullying.gov about various types of bullying or discrimination that the schools are required to address them. It is important for the parents to know that if the school does not adhere to these obligations they are violating the civil laws.
The prevention of school bullying contributes to improving the school environment too and it is a fact that better environment increases the rate of annual gradations of the school and the academic excellence of the school as well. Additionally, schools with supportive and discipline management has less chances of bullying or discrimination. Positive attitudes, adult support for students and continual preventive efforts both on spot and formal sessions to counsel the victims and offender of bullying can have long term effects. A close communication between the teachers, administrators and the parents can also help in early identification and rectification of bullying issues that can control and minimize the issue.
References
American Educational Research Association. (2013). Prevention of Bullying n Schools, Colleges, and Universities. Washington DC: American Educational Research Association.
Coughlan, S. (2013). Childhood bullying 'damages adult life'. BBC News.
Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do. Wiley.
Wallace, M. (2012). How to Raise a Happy, Cooperative Child. Psychology Today.
