Introduction
Bullying in American schools has been among the major social problems that children experience during their childhood. In an education setting, bullying can be physical, emotional, sexual, or verbal. School bullying occurs in a situation where students have a power imbalance among each other, leading to repetitive and aggressive habit of bullying others. Long-term effects of bullying are abundantly ranging from sensitivity, depression, and anxiety. As a result, school staffs have implemented various programs and initiatives that are aimed at preventing bullying in schools. According to reports, over 160,000 children in America stay home from school as they are afraid of being bullied and intimidated by other children. This paper focuses on the factors contributing to bullying and changes that have been implemented in the last five years, in the prevention of school bullying.
Body
In the past, the issue of bullying in schools has caused myriad concerns from parents and the school at large. According to statistics, bullying and intimidation in schools has become a big problem. The side effects of bullying are extreme such that victims experience stress that results into physical illness and lack of concentration in classes. Over the years, schools have been on the under thorough scrutiny for neglecting the issue of bullying in schools. Various bullying related cases such as suicide, and drop outs have been witnessed in schools. Today, schools have acknowledged and understood the adverse results connected with bullying. As a result, measures to mitigate bullying in schools have been put in place. Most involved students, in bullying cases, include teens between sixth and 10th grades. Around thirty percent of the students in the United States are involved in regular bullying cases as either bully, victim or both.
The increased number of bullying cases in American schools is adequate manifestation of how the bullying problem has become rampant. In the past couple of years, cyber bullying has evolved the most used strategy used by bullies. Cyber bullying has become common in schools and even outside school. As a result of the increased number students affected by bullying, schools in the United States have initiated a crackdown on measures to combat bullying. Bullying statistics vary depending on the definition of bullying, data collection method, and the willingness of individuals involved in reporting incidences. Bullying statistics have been collected by the Indicators of School Crime and Safety in concert with the National Center for Education Statistics.
According to the study, 25 percent of daily bullying cases have been reported in public schools between 2007 and 2008. The same period, 32 percent of the cases involved children of ages of 12 to 18 years. Bullying of female students had been recorded highest at 33 percent compared to 30 percent males being bullied. Other studies related to bullying cases reported similar cases of bullying between gender, and age connectivity. On the contrary, bullying incidences in schools is certainly higher than recorded as most of the cases occur out of view of parents and adults and go unreported. According to reports, only 36 percent of bullying incidences were reported to teachers, or adults within the school.
There are various reasons why children engage in bullying activities within and outside the schools. According to studies on bullying in America, bullying within students is caused by the need for power dominance among other students. Secondly, students find satisfaction and pleasure in injecting harm and suffering to others through bullying. Finally, students who bully others get rewarded for their behavior through material or psychological rewards. The aforementioned factors are the leading reasons for increased bullying cases in schools.
There are wide ranges of bullying effects that vary from student to the other. The effects of being bullied include depression, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, poor grades, and health problems among others. On the other hand, the effects of bullying others include involvement in frequent fights with other students, carry weapons, reports of poor grades, drink alcohol and take drugs, engage in theft and property vandalism, and perceive a negative environment at school. There are other students who do not engage in the actual bullying rather act as observers. These students experience fear, guilt, powerless, and tempted to take action. The impacts of bullying on students are considerable. Individuals being bullied usually feel isolated and less connected with fellow peers, adults, and the entire school. As a result, such students are likely to have a poor relationship with classmates, extreme feelings of being loneliness, and less active in extracurricular activities.
Schools in concert with other organizations have put measures, and intervention programs that ensure bullying activities in schools are prevented. Over the years, bullying prevention programs have proven to be expensive, albeit, having effective results in children. For instance, some bullying programs such as the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program have been implemented in order to combat bullying of students in schools. By contrast, these programs are difficult to put in place, and may fail to address actual causative factors of bullying. On the other hand, bullying programs are meant to bring groups of people together in resolving issues. These groups can have students with a wide range of anti-social behaviors, leading to aggressive behaviour and fighting within the group. Other research studies have pointed out the inefficiency of the zero tolerance approach among bullying students in schools.
In order to determine the current trends in school, bullying can be viewed in a socio-ecological perspective. As a result, bullying is recognized through a wide range of factors and contexts depending on the socio-ecological focus. According to the aforementioned model, bullying is looked at in different perspectives such as children complex interplay between themselves, their peer group, family, community, culture, and schools. This approach has been considered to be effective in addressing school bullying incidences as it exhausts all aspects and causes of bullying. As a result, the cause of bullying, environmental, social, and ecological factors are addressed in the determination of an amicable solution. Unlike the other approaches that focus on bullying as an isolated issue that faces students and young persons, socioecological approach has been used on a wide range basis. This approach has been one of the changes that schools have adopted in addressing school bullying incidences.
As compared to traditional methods of preventing bullying in schools, modern changes in the school system have ensured efficiency in the policies used to combat bullying. According to a study by the NICHD, both bullies and individuals being bullied had a difficult time in adjusting to the environment. As a result, students experienced social and psychological problems that had a long-term effect in their lives. Students reporting bullying cases had a difficult time in engaging in a relationship within and outside the school environment. In both cases, students involved in bullying cases had adverse effects in school and the community in general. Increased incidences of bullying in schools have precipitated necessary changes in schools through intervention by the state government. Government intervention in schools has been as a result of extreme effects attributed to bullying.
Over the past years, the U.S government has intervened in matters concerning students' social and psychological aspects through implementation of various statutes that facilitate in mitigation of bullying in schools. For instance, the Illinois Law and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) have made it mandatory for schools to implement school policies that will prevent bullying of students. Bullying behaviors have also been implicated with other federal crime laws, leading to break of federal laws. For instance, The School Code ensures that the district creates and maintains a parent-teacher advisory committee that will be aimed at achieving myriad objectives. The advisory committee is expected to formulate a clear guideline policy about pupils' discipline. This committee is required to hold a meeting with the school board, and other community based organizations in addressing various harmful behaviors in schools such as bullying, and harassment.
The Illinois Criminal Code, based on the Harassing and Obscene Communications Act, prohibits any indecency, and obscene communication either through telephone or electronic means of communication. The legislature embraces harassment of individuals who are under 13 years of age. Bullying can be classified under this legislation, leading to break of law and subsequent arrest for charges. Therefore, some federal laws have been intertwined with bullying activities involved in schools. It is imperative to advise school staff on the demarcation of federal laws and bullying behaviors. On the contrary, some bullying behaviors have been classified as harassment and discrimination that the federal law prohibits. Other cases of bullying have also been categorized under proscription by the Illinois Human Rights Acts. Therefore, government intervention in school bullying has been of imperative importance in combating indiscipline cases.
Schools are compelled to act on bullying cases as they have a negative effect on the school and the community in general. Students are, usually, the targets of bullying thus constitute bullies, or witness to bullying incidences. Bullying creates a negative climate in the school besides lowering its academic performance. As a result, effective bullying prevention policies and mechanisms are of great importance. On the contrary, implementation of such practices in schools has remained to be a challenge as there is inadequate knowledge about causative factors leading to bullying behaviors in schools. A thorough analysis of bullying behaviors, needs to be done in determining cause and prevention mechanisms to be employed. As a result, multifaceted programs and approaches are more likely to culminate the issue of bullying in schools as compared to as single-component approaches. Multifaceted programs may include a school-wide approach that entails training, monitoring, awareness, and assessment of bullying incidences.
Other approaches include classroom and intervention programs, where social and emotional skills are put into test, while intervention involves the direct bullying perpetrators. On this perspective, programs targeted for only the perpetrators tend to be less effective as compared to multifaceted approaches. An adoption of a wide-school approach ensures a more comprehensive aspect in developing and promoting positive youth behavior. This method is also proficient in addressing some of the underlying factors that contribute to bullying such as environmental, social, and emotional factors. In the recent past, schools have developed such framework in addressing indiscipline cases in schools such as bullying. The application of such measures in schools ensures resolution of diverse problems affecting students. For instance, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) framework is one of the programs used in combating bullying and harassment behaviors in schools.
Social and emotional learning framework aim at the development of knowledge and skills among children. This approach helps children become more comfortable in handling life challenges, and how to face social problems as they arise. A social and emotional learning approach plays an imperative role in the acquisition of knowledge, skills; establish relationships, exhibit caring and concern towards others, and how to manage emotions. The application of this approach in schools helps in gaining a comprehensive and holistic knowledge in the prevention of bullying through development of social and emotional skills. The aforementioned pro-social skills help students to relate well with other students and build a good rapport with teachers. The social and emotional learning also plays a domineering role in conflict resolution, and establishing a peaceful environment for students, teachers, and the society in general.
As students develop the social and emotional skills, the climate, and the school's culture transform into a better and comfortable environment for pro-social learning. In the development of ideal emotional and social skills among students, caring and nurturing adults are required in installing the models and competencies. Therefore, it is imperative for school staff to exhibit support and commitment in developing students' social and emotional skills. In 2003, the state of Illinois was the first to implement the legislation of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in the education system. The state Board of Education adopted SEL in 2005 as learning standards for all students.
In the modern society, bullying of students has been triggered by the development and use of the internet. Bullying is a complex issue among students as its consequences are long-term, often witnessed for three years. As a result, school staffs are urged to employ comprehensive measures that ensure students are not adversely affected by bullying or harassment incidences. On the other hand, a comprehensive plan should be carried out in identification of possible causes, and prevention measures to be undertaken. In this process, all stakeholders including staff members and the community should take part in analyzing, researching, and implementing effective strategies, and assessing their impact. As a result, a comprehensive planning ensures effective accomplishment of set objectives in the prevention of bullying.
Conclusion
In the recent past, schools in America have experienced increased cases of bullying between students that have resulted into detrimental incidences such as suicide. Therefore, schools have become more concerned about social and psychological aspects of students in order to find strategies that could mitigate the problem. Several changes in school administration and legislations have been made with the aim of building and developing social and emotional skills among students. Some states such as Illinois have implemented statues that help in mitigating bullying and harassment cases in schools. Schools' administrations have also employed stern measures in cases concerning bullying. Therefore, the implementation of the aforementioned policies in schools has helped in alleviating bullying incidences.
Works Cited
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Sherer, Yiping Chang . Current Bullying Prevention/intervention Practices in American Schools. New York: ProQuest, 2008.
Smith, Peter K, Debra Pepler and Ken Rigby. Bullying in Schools: How Successful Can Interventions Be? Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Swearer, Susan M, Dorothy L Espelage and Scott A Napolitano. Bullying Prevention and Intervention: Realistic Strategies for Schools. New York: Guilford Press, 2009.
