Introduction
The emergence of cases of bullying among youngsters aged eight to sixteen has never been more prevalent than it is already today. It has been reported that an average of 47% of students going to public schools experiences either or both forms of bullying today. It seemed as if in the past, some cases of bullying have not been reported, nevertheless, this is not enough to say that times have already changed and somehow such changes have actually created a massive adjustment on how the concept of bullying is realized and understood as a major problem in the society (Patterson, 2005). Humans have become more than just involved in the collection of knowledge with regards the matter; they have become more concerned about how to deal with the situation and resolve the issues that are connected to it (Ashforth, 1994).
True to its sense, the issue of bullying has already sent alarming messages to the public especially alongside the concept of protection and safety for the young ones. The behavior of some young individuals with regards the possibility of imposing control among their peers have been escalated, and somehow, such adjustment on the thinking process of these individuals have been noted to be affected by media as well as the changing times of the society (Ashforth, 1994). This is where the dilemma comes in.
While the world advances accordingly, people become more involved in relation to the idea of making great profit from the market. However, alongside such desire of gaining profit comes the careless handling of information and presentations in media that often causes distinct changes and influences on the young generation as they perceive their peers and deal with them accordingly (Kumpulainen, 2008). Considerably, people have become easier to convince especially in relation to ideas that are presented to them by media. Power and authority over others is one of the concepts of human existence that media currently feeds. With this concept being empowered and promoted by media, it could be realized that people [especially the younger generations] commit a distinct course of understanding on how common it is in relation to modern living and thus is becoming accustomed to the matter. In the discussion that follows understanding bullying much deeply is to be given attention to. Considerably, such understanding shall allow for the creation of cross referencing to occur between the theories behind the emergence of bullying and the actual situations occurring in the community. Most likely, through research and referencing history that defines the real meaning and value of bullying among humans, the case of developing conditions among youngsters and their involvement in such situations could be understood accordingly.
In a personal scale, such condition of oppression in schools should be given immediate attention to as this aspect of experience does mark individuals for a long time, even after they attend their schools and often create problems that would be much harder to fix. I do understand that bullying is indeed a serious case to contain. To add to the dilemma, children who get traumatized with bullying often develop their own way of creating their own plans of bullying others just to release the trauma or the stress that they experience. This is why it is largely important to note that when it comes to management of trauma, the capacity of the victims to recover is supposed to be given attention to; nonetheless, managing the behavior of the bullies is also taken as a great approach towards controlling the situation and the development that could further affect the declining rate of bullying in schools.
What is Bullying?
Understood as the act of imposing power on others belonging to the more vulnerable side of the community, bullying is a powerful act that could destroy the mental, emotional and even the physical being of any individual who falls victim to the said matter (Brodsky, 1996). Through the years, the imbalance between the weak and the strong has been redefined trough the existence of bullying. It could be realized that somehow, with the emergence of bullying, the determination of who among the individuals are stronger than the others have been established (Brodsky, 1996). Nevertheless, this action has been condemned, whether or not it is applied in social circles among youths or even among adults.
Another element that defines the concept of bullying as a form of abuse is the emergence of verbal abuse. In cases such as these, the victims usually receive hurtful words from the perpetrators. The release of such words are rather violent in nature [without necessarily involving physical assault] (Craig, 1998). The verbal concept of abuse often involves the use of insult especially among those who may have a strong capacity of utilizing such concept towards others; using words to deter the capacity of the an individual to see himself positively is largely hurtful and disturbing and is considered by the law as something punishable and distinctively affective on how the society takes on the chance to grow accordingly (Hazlerr, et al, 1997).
The third element that identifies a particular category of bullying is the physical approach where violence against the victim is imposed through physical assault. Perhaps the most common yet the most unreported form of bullying both among young ones and the adult generation, using physical assault as a manner of gaining power over others has become a common form of showing and imposing power (Craig, 1998). Making the victims fearful of the situation and protective of the safety of the people they love, they are forced to keep quiet about being victimized by such condition [may it be at home, at work, in school or even among other social institutions they are engaged with.
The fourth and particularly the newest element of abuse that is used by perpetrators at present is the internet (Craig, 1998). Realized and recognized as the most effective way of affecting the overall being of the individual being victimized, individuals who use the internet to bully their victims are most often than not considered coward in nature; however the damage they implicate create an overall mark on their victims that is hard to handle.
The prevalence of the different conditions of bullying has created a direct impact on how bullying has been treated through time. The contradicting values between the victims and the perpetrators of the act has long been the subject of debate among individuals and institutions promoting distinct programs that are dedicated to controlling the prevalence of bullying. In schools, such programs are most often than not dedicated to controlling the situation through addressing the condition of the perpetrators (Ashforth, 1994). The goal of such programs is to contain the situation through making sure that the perpetrators are contained among themselves and are kept away from the act of wanting to victimize others. This is the reason why some of the critics of such programs impose the idea that somehow, the concept of modern laws about bullying are more focused on the perpetrators than they are on the victims; nevertheless, as mentioned earlier, this focus has a reason and somehow, the results of such adjustment on the focus of the programs do provide higher levels of protection for the victims and other individuals who are expected to likely fall on the situation.
The Differences between School Bullying and Cyber Bullying
These forms of bullying in school might include the distinct involvement of the victims in one or more aspects of intimidation and control coming from their peers. Usually, the bullies come from different backgrounds and come in different characters; nevertheless, one common factor is evident among these individuals and that is the manner by which their past usually haunts them and their life-history makes it harder for them to adapt into a normal life. Perhaps trying to embrace a certain pattern of rebellion, this course of development in psychological research dedicated to understanding the concept of bullying, intends to explain a distinct process of development in creating a more vivid picture that identifies well with the ideal process of resolving issues and conflicts between victims and perpetrators of the said act of abuse.
On the other hand, cyber bullying is more of an internet-based form of bullying that usually invokes a distinct sense of control on the part of the perpetrators that would largely affect the being of the victims, especially the way they are perceived by their peers in a much larger scale (Juvonen, 2003). Cyber bullying does impose a larger scale of damage due to the existence of social networks. One click of a finger from the bullies could ruin the entire reputation of the one they are aiming to target as victim to the situation. Notably, the use of videos, photos and hurtful words posted on the walls of the victims or transferred from one user to another creates a massive destruction on the being of the person being victimized. This form of bullying is most often than not harder to contain and the perpetrators are also most likely harder to trace down (Brodsky, 1996). Relatively, it is because of this matter that the rundown of evidences become harder to manage. With such approach to development of investigating such conditions of bullying, experts have found a way to determine such condition of changes in the nature of bullying through personal profiling and computer-based forensics [especially if the case goes out of hand].
While policies have already been created to control such situations, it cannot be denied that the rise of the number of cases pertaining to the emergence of bullying creates a distinct option of distinguishing what the law has done for the sake of protecting the being and the values of victims [that are at some point not completely amicable to the parties involved in the situation]. As mentioned earlier, there is a notion that most policies are directed to managing the perpetrators, while the victim’s value for safety and protection is given a much lower concern. It is as if the victims are expected to stand for themselves and to become more engaged in recovery even with lesser consideration from the experts providing help. The truth is, there are concrete policies in most schools when it comes to reprimanding the acts of the perpetrators and getting them back on track. Nevertheless, the attention to the victims seem to fall short, especially in relation to how their values as individuals are protected. While the perpetrators get the help they need, the victims are expected to follow through particular rules that would allow them to become more capable of handling their fears and move on from the situation that they have been subjected in.
While to some, such option of development is seemingly effective, there are those who still believe that such approach to the matter is rather weak and unable to provide the support needed by the victims as the ones who have been taken advantage of during the process of bullying. Nevertheless, most administrators believe that with the concentration on how the perpetrators are dealt with accordingly, increasing the number of victims that would be affected by such scrupulous acts could be contained further. The victims on the other hand are noted to have further support from the administration through psychological operations, whereas they would be given the chance to speak about what they feel and likely create a distinct approach on how their traumatic concerns could be addressed accordingly.
Bullying usually becomes a culture, especially when it comes to the contribution of peers to their friends in school. This is the reason why there is a distinct rise of number among bullies in schools [especially in highly diversified environments] that usually give larger reasons towards incurring demystifying concepts of development on how an individual tries to deal with all others surrounding him (Ashforth, 1994). Practical solutions to the matter include the containment of the elements that make bullying rather inviting to the peers who would also want to gain the power and control that others have. This is why the rate of victims also increase alongside such development of the bullying culture among school kids.
What should be done about the Issue?
Containment programs adapted by schools often create a more definite pattern of controlling the situation. Youngsters are expected to be easier to handle than their adult counterparts. Bullying has become a culture in many schools; something that is most likely admired by the weaker ones. Instead of seeing the seriousness of the matter, these young individuals usually inhibit a sense of acceptance that marks the way they are able to lose sight on what is really important to their lives. The sense of acceptance they want to realize often comes with an exchange of values especially when it comes to creating a reputation in the social circle they are engaging with.
Looking through the pattern of actions that bullies take into account, the administrators could draw policies that would allow for particular recognition of their actions and their behavior to be noted as a form of bullying (Levinson, 2004). With such policies put into use and in proper place, bullies could easily be detected apart from others and thus could be treated accordingly for the sake of redirecting their ways and their behavior towards their peers. Through the emergence of such intervention programs, the school administrators often make it easier to contain the situation. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that the victims also need ample attention. The creation of a bully often comes from being bullied as well. Instead of focusing on the primary perpetrators of the act during the time, administrators of schools for children should also make sure to create policies that would address the victims’ concerns accordingly (Cook, et al, 2010). Doing so shall make it easier for the administration to seek through different options of development that they need to embrace especially in the face of danger. The changes in the attitude of the victims should also be given attention to as these changes may post particular symptoms of them becoming bullies themselves because of the traumatizing situation they have experienced.
Bullying should not be kept within the dark. If there is anything that needs to be done about it, it is the consideration over how modern times are likely to respond to such option of handling serious cases of oppression developing among the young children. It is with such management that it is expected that bullying could be controlled fully even towards the time when such children turn into adults. Practically, the society has been developing towards making amendments on how to deal with the most controversial and most complex situations involving young school children and the way they face the challenges of having the need to handle bullying done against them and their classmates. Raising awareness among these young individuals does create a mandating option of determining the good option of development in programs dedicated to dealing with versus the relative option of growth that is dedicated to handling the need to help the victims recover further.
Noticeably, through time, adjustments on how bullying-issues in school and in cyber world are treated advances forward and at some point are taking over the commotion of values in schools and other learning institutions. Hoping so much to eliminate bullying, learning institutions have further established strong foundations on how to mandate bullying issued among their students. Along with the collaborative help of the government and other support groups dedicated to ceasing the emerging condition of bullying in most schools at present. Through the collaborative work of these public and private institutions, the value for the growth and development of the children are considered accordingly especially for the sake of helping them grow up into a much better social group that respects and protects their rights instead of oppressing their vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
As realized from the discussion presented herein, it could be understood that bullying is indeed a serious attempt to control others through using force, intimidation and authority. With such power in their hands, bullies take on the chance of attesting their strength on others who may seemingly appear vulnerable to their attacks. What is most compelling about this matter is the fact that victims of bullying often fall short of recognizing that they are already being bullied especially if they are being attacked with non-physical assaults (Patterson, et al, 2005). Not knowing the different natures of bullying, children learning in school are often victimized by such actions. Being innocent, weak and unable to stand for themselves, the victims often end up being beaten to the least of their being that they become traumatized about the situation; thus marking their lives for a long time [if not for a lifetime].
Ample attention given to the situation being recognized among students does create a massive effect on how the students are protected and how they are to be guided accordingly if in case they are the ones to lose track of the right path to take thus taking the option of bullying their peers. Controlling the cases of bullying in school is highly necessary especially in making sure that the students do not grow up in a social circle that tolerates abuse and deteriorating reputation. Practically, children need to be oriented properly as to what bullying is, what are its forms and what are the different elements that makes it up. True to its sense, it is through the existence of such pattern of realization that the children could be protected from attacks coming from their peers and are less likely to develop such desire to engage in bullying acts as well. This is what the experts in school administration are most likely concentrating upon. What makes the learning process on bullying interesting is that when it comes to discovering new realms of dealing with the problem, new forms of knowledge also come up to guide the attendees of the issue to deal with victims as they are assisted towards recovery.
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