Bullying in its simple definition means an aggressive behavior that is intended and involves an imbalance of strength and power. It is s common act amongst the high school kids, and it can take many forms; threatening other kids, teasing, hitting, name-calling, kicking, or even segregation. The victim of bullying usually finds it a bit tough to defend herself or himself. This act occurs over and over, not once. It is so unfortunate that bullying is a common act, especially in the elementary and middle schools. In one study that was conducted amongst the students of fourth, fifth and sixth graders, 25% of the interviewed students admitted that they have bullied their fellows at one time. Some report that in fact they have made it a daily routine be it at school or even back at home (Lemstra, p 463).
Bullying is still a common happening due to the perception that it is a stage one must pass through while growing up. However, a number of researches have established that bullying has a very detrimental effect on one’s self-esteem, especially for the victims. In most cases, these kids will tend to develop a strong phobia for school. In addition, they will appear depressed, anxious. More astonishing, they will tend to think of suicide as the best way out of this distress. In some cases, however, the victims develop a habit of bullying others as a way of extending their feelings (Lemstra, p 466).
Most bullying occurs at schools since this is where students are grouped according to their age groups. Those who are older will tend to undermine the younger ones, and this marks the genesis of the issue. Inasmuch as it is common in schools, it also happens along the way from the school. In fact, it is no surprise to see a kid bullying his/her fellow along the way since they are not under close supervision of their teacher(s). Due to the fact that bullying is common when a large group of students are under minimal supervision of their adults, it’s a common doing especially during recess, lunchtime, physical education or during transition from one class to the other. It is, therefore, this reason that we say bullying is a common thing in schools.
Both girls and boys bully, but the interesting bit of it is that in most cases, boys are bullied by their fellow boys while girls are bullied by both their fellow girls as well as boys. For both boys and girls, the most common form of bullying is that of name-calling or even teasing. In the case of being physically bullied, boys are more likely to report as compared to girls, who like keeping it to themselves. On the other hand, girls are likely to report being the targets of sexual comments and rumor spreading. Parents and educators are called upon to be watchful for instances of bullying of the disabled children, who are often victims of bullying by their fellow peers (Cappadocia, p270).
At point, we may ask ourselves what make these children go around bullying their fellows. The truth of the matter is that there is no single cause of bullying among the kids. There are, however, a number of contributing factors to this; the neighborhood, his/her family, peer group, school and; society. It’s a common thing that the ‘bullies’ are more likely to have either seen violence in their homes, lack parental guidance and supervision or lack parental involvement in their nurturing.
As we conclude, in which ways can bully among the kids be reduced or possibly be eliminated? In a school setup, a lot can be done in an attempt to stop bullying. The most effective way is by building a sound team effort by teachers, students, parents, administrators and other stakeholders. This would be aimed at transforming the preexisting cultures in most schools. It is such good news that most of the schools are meeting this challenge.
Works Cited
Cappadocia, M. C., Jonathan A. Weiss, and Debra Pepler. "Bullying Experiences among Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders." Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 42.2 (2012): 266-77.
Lemstra, Mark, PhD., et al. "Prevalence, Risk Indicators and Outcomes of Bullying among on-Reserve First Nations Youth. “Canadian Journal of Public Health 102.6 (2011): 462-6.
