Bullying is defined as inappropriate aggressive behavior of school going children that poses a threat to their peers. In other words, the imbalance of power is also categorized under bullying. The aggressive behavior has the potential to be repeated frequently. Bullying does not only have problems for the victims, but in the longer term, it may also create psychological problems for people who bully. Aggressive behavior is not always bullying; therefore, in order for a behavior to be categorized as bullying it should include; imbalance of power, threats, spreading rumors, physical or verbal attacks, exclusion of certain individuals, and repetition. An imbalance of power is evident when some individuals use their physical strength or popularity to harm others. Bullying is not restricted to school going children only. Several forms of bullying exist even between adults. The four major types of bullying include; physical, verbal, social and emotional, and cyber bullying (Shapiro, 2013, pg. 3).
Physical bullying is concerned with one individual overpowering another individual through physical strength. Physical bullying is most prominent in educational institutions as some students may overpower the weaker ones by spitting, shoving, kicking, or punching. The bully in physical bullying is mostly well built and larger than the victim because he is able to dominate the situation. The aggressor wants to ensure the victim is terrorized of him in the long-term; therefore, he may show physical strength to threaten the weaker individual. Verbal bullying includes the use of words in order to hurt the feelings and sentiments of the person being bullied. Passing taunts, negative comments, and teasing are some forms of verbal bullying. The aggressor may pass comments about the victim’s appearance, lifestyle choices, intellect, skin color, or ethnicity to name a few. As the victim is constantly made conscious about a certain aspect of their lives they develop a low self-esteem that harms their social skills in the long-run. People, who indulge in verbal bullying, often have low self-esteems, which they try to overcome by making themselves feel better by showing others as inferior. (Chandler, 2013, pg.5)
Emotional bullying is also referred to as relational aggression. This type of bullying is most common in relationships, as one partner intentionally makes the other partner feel bad about them. The aggressor attacks the victim on an emotional level through, spreading rumors, exclusion from certain group activities, refusal to talk to someone, or making statements that would hurt the individual’s sentiments. The aim of the emotional bully is to create distress amongst the other partner. As technology has evolved, cyber bullying has become an increasingly common form of bullying. There is an increase in social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Bullies that are active on social media often do not reveal their identity; therefore, it becomes difficult to identify the source of bullying. The cyber bully may pass negative comments or reveal private photos or conversations of their targets (Broeren, Bannick, Van de Looji, de Wart, & Raat 2014, pg. 6). The concept of cyber bullying is increasing because it is difficult to control people’s behavior online. The forms of bullying are not restricted to the four major forms described above. There are other forms of bullying that includes; disability bullying, gay bullying, legal bullying, parental bullying, prison bullying, and school bullying. The common feature of all bullying is that it aims to harm the feelings of individuals either through show of strength or by using inappropriate language.
There are different ways to deal with bullying depending upon the context in which bullying occurs. Parents and school administration may deal bullying in schools, but bullying at the workplace is reported to legal authorities if the management does not take appropriate action. There are laws and regulations that protect workers at the workplace from bullying, but in some situations, bullying still exists (Weigel, 2012). Parents should create an environment of trust with their children in order to make them comfortable to discuss their problems. Often children do not express concerns to parents if they are bullied in school. It is the parent’s responsibility to notice any changes in behavior of their children such as; seclusion, lost appetite, reluctance to go to school, or lower concentration. If the parent notices any of the aforementioned behavior in their children, they should investigate the reasons rather than ignoring. As the parent is unable to resolve the issue at home with their child alone, they should consult the school personnel and demand immediate action. Children who are victim of bullying should be encouraged to speak up and without showing aggressiveness, they should condemn the situation. Encouraging victims of bullying to use words to get out of the situation rather than physical force may promote cooperation. Children must not be encouraged to give in to bullies because this greatly damages their self-esteem. On the other hand, bullies also need to revise their behavior. Within the school environment, teachers should promote equality. Students must be taught that all of them are same regardless of race, religion, gender, social background, or ethnicity. Stereotypes should be broken by the school academia, as this would instill in students that no one is superior to the other.
The individual who is being bullied should understand that he is being bullied. If possible the individual should escape the situation without indulging in further conversation with the bully. The individual must prioritize his safety during the bullying incident, and should report this behavior to an adult at the earliest instance. The adult to whom the child confides to should take the complaint seriously. In extreme cases, support groups may have to be considered to protect the interests if the child. A positive attitude towards bullying may also be instilled within the child. The bully should be considered as unhappy, frustrated, or disturbed, and in need of help. The child could add humor to the situation if he is made to look at bullying in a positive light. Even though, bullying may have a negative connotation, but if the child has a positive self-esteem then he may view the situation differently. People may learn to sympathize with bullies rather than being threatened by bullies. Thus, bullying may not always prove to be negative, but if the child has a strong support system, he may learn how to stand up for himself and be proud of his identity.
Lineman Jonathan Martin in NFL portrayed rather aggressive and a behavior similar to that of a bully; thus, suggesting if bullying is not controlled during childhood it may become apparent during adolescence (Chandler, 2013, pg. 16). It is no surprise that bullies exist even at workplaces. Individuals who are insecure of their colleagues often resort to bullying as a form of maintaining their position at the workplace. Incompetent workers who are afraid they would be left behind during worker performance appraisal or at times of promotion may indulge in bullying to ensure their presence is felt. The victims of the bully may report every incident of bullying either in the form of a journal log or by reporting to the concerned authorities. If the situation of bullying gets out of control then individuals may turn to the legal system. Depending on the individuals profession there are specific anti-bully organizations that help overcome this problem. The bully may also be referred to support groups where he may learn how to control his behavior. At times, bullies are accustomed to their behavior because they are never told they are wrong; therefore, if bullies become members of support groups they may realize their behavior is inappropriate. Management, specifically the Human Resource Department, may take the relevant action against bullies at the workplace. If bullies do not alter their behavior, the management may have to fire such employees because it affects the motivation of all employees. In order to protect employees, the management needs to take sever action against bullies at the workplace.
Cyber bullying often causes stress even outside the workplace or schoolyard. Cyber bullies often threaten the victim via online sources through technology. Hacking into an individual’s accounts and gaining access to personal information may be a form of cyber bullying. Not only children but also adults may also experience cyber bullying. The effects of cyber bullying can be devastating as it may leave the individual distressed, hurt, depressed, humiliated, or even suicidal. If personal information has been leaked that may humiliate the individual if it is publicly revealed then individuals may get suicidal thought in order to escape the humiliation they may face. Bullies could threaten their victims by doing inappropriate things and if the victim disagrees, they may threaten to reveal personal information. If the individual keeps a record of the cyber bully, he may be able to report to the police in extreme scenarios. Every instance when the bully does something inappropriate act it should be recorded so that the victim has sufficient evidence. Even though, cyber bullying is difficult to report because no direct evidence is available to identify the individual; however, police and legal authorities have the relevant technology required to determine the individual. Individuals should try not to have personal or confidential information online if they are under threat of being bullied. If the individual has a strong character they may not be overpowered by bullies and they would rather fight against forces that put them down (Cyberbullying Research Center).
Unhealthy relationships may also contain bullying which leads to the relationship becoming dysfunctional over time. If an individual is in a relationship where one partner bullies the other by taunting negatively or any other negative action then the partner who is being victimized may consider moving out of the relationship. In many cases, it may not be easy to move out of a relationship easily; therefore, the victimized partner may try reasoning it out with the bullying partner. If the bully agrees to seek professional help to overcome the behavior then the victim may view this as a positive sign towards building a healthy relationship. However, if the bully does not alter behavior upon regular concerns from the bullied partner then the victim may consider ending the relationship. The victim may help his/her partner by reporting them to a rehab or other relevant organizations so that their behavior does not affect the lives of other individuals.
Bullying may have devastating effects for the individual if it is not taken care at the initial stages. If an individual is bullied for a long time, they may develop a sense of inferiority that would act as a barrier for them to achieve their goals in life. Constant reminders of being inferior in some way may also lead to a damaged self-esteem. However, if an individual has a strong support system from family and friends bullies around them may not affect them. Children should be encouraged to be proud of their identity and stand up for their rights. Children would only stand up for themselves if they know they would be heard and supported by family and friends. Parents should take interest in their children’s grievances to create a relationship of trust. Older individuals who are victims of bullying may turn to support groups that would let them vent their feelings and help them feel positive about themselves. Adults may even turn to peers who sympathize with them as this would help them gain confidence and fight the bullies instead of being overpowered by them. Bullies should be dealt with kindness at first and made to realize that their actions are inappropriate. If bullies do not alter their behavior they should be reported to the concerned authorities for their relevant action. Talking bullies out through means of humor may be a wise move and may help the bully to feel guiolty and alter his/her behavior eventually.
Works Cited
Bannick, R., S. Broeren, Van de Looji, FG de Wart, and H. Raat. "Cyber and traditional Bullying Victimization as a Risk Factor for Mental Health Problems and Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents." PLoS ONE 9.4 (2014): -. Print.
Chandler, Matt. "Some Bullies Never Grow Up." Buffalo Law Journal -.- (2013): 16. Print.
"Home - Cyberbullying Research Center." Cyberbullying Research Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 June 2014. <http://cyberbullying.us/>.
Shapiro, Ben. Bullies: How the Left's Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences Americans. -: Threshold Editions, 2013. Print.
Weigel, M.. "Overview of state anti-bullying legislation and other related laws - See more at: http://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/education/federal-state-anti-bullying-legislation-laws/#sthash.E0f48ayZ.dpuf." Journalist's Resource 7 Mar. 2012: -. http://journalistsresource.org/. Web. 5 June 2014.
