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Research Methods in Criminal Justice
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In schools all around the world we hear about kids that are taking their lives due to being bullied in school. Just thinking about being bullied sets my teeth on edge, I will tell you guys why later on, but for now, let me say this it is not a pretty feeling to go through. “According to a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 70.6 percent of students have witnessed bullying in their school. A survey by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2014 that included 7,000 LGBT students aged 13-21 found out that: 8 out of 10 students have been verbally harassed, 4 out of 10 have been physically harassed while 1 out of 5 have been victims of physical assault, due to their sexual orientation. Of total U.S. students, 28 percent in grades 6-12 have been bullied with the percentage decreasing to 20 for students in grades 9-12. Of LGBT students, 55.2 percent have experienced cyber bullying. 1 in 5 students admit to being a bully or bullying someone (N.A, 2015).” Most parents will say “kids will be kids”, but what parents are failing to realize is that statement is causing the bullying in schools to continue and student lives to be taken.
Bullying comes in many forms but has several elements common to all types of bullying. Aggressive behavior which intentionally harms is present, it is repetitive and a power imbalance exists where the victim is unable to defend him or herself . It is a systematic abuse of power which can be undertaken by a group or an individual. It is usual thought of as a peer to peer confrontation, but can also occur in a pupil-teacher or teacher-pupil relationship
While often occurring in the schoolyard, technological advances have added a new battlefield – cyberspace. Cyberbullying was found to be less prevalent than school bullying but in most cases the bully’s identity was known to the victim and the audience. Young males tended to be the major perpetrators of cyberbullying .
Bullying was found to have severe implications for the mental health of the victims. Victims of bullying were found to be at much higher risk for ideas, plans and attempts of suicide compared with those who had not been bullied. Depression also occurred in bullying victims to a greater degree and it was found that, by addressing the problems of depression amongst school students, the risks of suicide could be mitigated .
Studies have also found that school bullying is a significant indicator of criminal behavior and delinquency. Victims of bullying are also more likely to suffer from learning difficulties, anxiety and depression, as mentioned earlier .
While the research has found that the consequences of bullying, both in the school yard and online can be many and varied, one common theme is suggested in all the papers perused. Early intervention and treatment of victims for depression and anxiety appears to be the most effective method of ameliorating the potential consequence – suicide.
References
Byongook Moon, J. M. (2013). School Bullying and Victimization. Journal of Criminology, Article ID 626317.
Lapidot-lefler, N. &.-c. (2015). Comparing cyberbullying and school bullying among school students: Prevalence, gender, and grade level differences. Social Psychology of Education : An International Journal, 18(1), 1-16.
N.A. (2015, 12 22). No bullying.com. Retrieved 06 11, 2016, from School Bullying: https://nobullying.com/school-bullying/
Sampasa-Kanyinga, H. R. (2014). Associations between cyberbullying and school bullying victimization and suicidal ideation, plans and attempts among canadian schoolchildren. PLoS One, 9(7), e102145.
Smith, P. K. (2013). School bullying. Sociologia, 71, 81-98.
