The purpose of the research is to investigate how bullying in elementary education can affect child’s learning experience. Bullying exists on many educational levels, but it is very important for that educational leadership evaluate the bullying phenomena and the prevention of the problems. Researching the influence of bullying in the elementary education is very important. Therefore, children are developing their ideas of self and social condition. My aspirations focus on educational leadership and administering safety in schools. Bullying is an issue may compromise student safety, thus it is crucial for educational leaders to investigate bullying. In addition to, analyzing how bullying an affect a child’s educational achievement (Peguero, 2012).
The significance of the research is to is define bullying and analyze how bullying impacts children’s’ learning experience. Analyzing bullying may promote more studies or procedures to be conducted by researchers and educational leaders. Bullying has been approached by various prevention programs, but bullying has seems to be a constant topic in the quality management of school safety. Also, due to technological advances, bullying has even developed a presence online. Prevention programs need to be assessed and a component of education. Unfortunately, bullying in the sensitive developmental stages of children may have long-term influences in the progress of education (Lacey, Cornell, 2013).
Literature review
The following section is a review of how previous research evaluates bullying. The literature review will be divided into five subsections. The first subheading is the following: Defining Bullying. This group of literature will help the reader understand what types of behaviors are classified as bullying. The second subheading will be: The Victims and the offender of Bullying: This group of research explores what characteristics of children who are victims and the offender of bullying, and their status in education. The third subheading will be: The Effects of Bullying in Elementary Education. This group of literature will explain the nature and type of that are occurring in elementary educational facilities. The fourth subheading will be: How Bullying Affects Children in Elementary Education. This fourth subheading will explore the exact influence of bullying behaviors in elementary education. The fifth subheading will be Steps Schools Can Take to Stop Bullying
Subheading one is “Defining Bullying”. It is important to identify bullying behaviors to understand the effect on children and education.
Subheading two is “The Victim of Bullying” which explores demographics of children who victims of bullying. Possibly even the demographics of those who produce bullying behaviors.
Subheading three is “The Nature of Bullying in Elementary Education”. Some literature provides sociological, psychological, and economic theories on the nature of bullying occurring in elementary education (Le, Miller, Heath, Martin, 2005),
Subheading four is” How Bullying Effects Children in Elementary Education” The literature explores the various aspects of bullying and discusses previous research outcomes on bullying. (Eriksen, Nielsen, & Simonsen, 2012).
Subheading five is “Steps Schools Can Do To Stop bullying”. This part of research give to the reader possible ways and recommendation how we can stop bullying.
Defining Bullying
Nowadays the bullying in the elementary education becomes more and more popular in all schools and educational agencies all over the world. It really becomes the most important problem today. The bullying is the one of the main problem for children in elementary school. During the school education, many children are experiencing a lot of the bullying. 8 thousands of pupils, who were interviewed in Great Britain in 1994, said that: one of the five children suffered from the bullying; every second child thought that the bullying was the main problem in his school; one of the ten children turned away from school; one of the twenty children suffered from bullying every day during many years (What works best to help stop bullying in schools, 2014).
The purpose of my research work is to understand why the bullying in the elementary school is so popular and recognize how bullying can effect child`s learning experience. Bullying is one of the manifestations of violence and it has many similar forms. Committed, as a rule, in front of witnesses - pupils, bullying hurts and abuses flourish in an atmosphere of secrecy and fear. Nobody talks about it.
The most important feature of a psychological portrait of one, who offends and the other one, who suffers from it – is a normal child (Rivers, 2016).
Importantly, bullying is distinct from interpersonal conflicts or "rough play". While disagreement, teasing and conflict are part of growing up, bullying is an extreme form of peer conflict or teasing and can be harmful, both physically and psychologically.
The bullying often begins from such trivial things like name calling and teasing each other. If we leave the bullying unattended, gradually it can take other, less "harmless" forms, including domestic abuse, ethnic persecution, sexual abuse, etc.
The scientists have proved that overcoming the bullying: reduces the likelihood of serious personal problems of students in the future, improves the discipline and psychological climate in the school (Wolke, 2001).
Verbal bullying – there are the nicknames, name-calling, obscene or hateful (vulgar) comments.
Physical bullying – it is attacking one student to another.
Psychological bullying – there are threats, pressure and cruel behavior: act or be "like everyone".
Social bullying – when other students do not speak with child, do not give anything needed for co-curricular activities and isolate him.
Causing damage to property – it means stealing things, money, corruption of clothing, shoes, different supplies of student.
The most common form of bullying is the name-calling. Social bullying and property damage are more common than psychological and physical abuse. Physical bullying differs from the fights, which is usually a single episode. The purpose of the fight is the immediate resolution of the conflict. Physical abuse also differs from the playful fight or fuss of children, followed by laughter, smiles, certain limitations and the next action. Bullying is very similar to persecution (10 Steps to Stop and Prevent Bullying, 2016). However, the persecution has distinctive features:
it is a reflection of the inequality of the social groups;
The object of bullying becomes a group affiliation of the child, his nationality, disability, etc.
The offender and the victim
The abuser finds that he likes to see tears and fear of other children. Therefore, he starts looking for a victim. The criterion of his selection is the victim`s reaction to the rough games, name-calling and teasing. When the victim is chosen, the bullying become more serious. Sometimes the other kids are connected to it. The victim of bullying can be anyone. Many children are victims of abuse, without any specific reason of it. The probability of the bullying of some children is relatively higher. They are vulnerable children, other children and the children, about whom people say, “They are by themselves”.
Vulnerable children - children who look like they will not be able to stand for themselves and therefore, they are perceived by the offender as "the easy prey". It may be sensible, quiet or shy children.
Other children is the children that differ in age, gender, sexual orientation, skin color, religion, height, weight, size , nationality, disability or absence of any ability, socio-economic status , birth, place of residence, accent , appearance mind manner , name , etc. Above the children can make fun, because they are very intelligent or stupid, rich or poor, small or very tall, thick or thin, beautiful or ugly. The list is an endless.
On their own children - if a child spends a lot of time alone, then his chances to be offended grow.
According to one of the world’s leading researchers on bullying, 60% of boys who bully others in elementary school had criminal records by age 24.
Boys are more likely to want to mock others than girls. At the same time the boys can fun and over the boys and over the girls. They can find and select their victims throughout the school. Girls often find their victims in their own class. Boys usually abuse the victim verbally or physically but girls prefer gossip and exclusion. Boys want to look strong. Girls want to "preserve" the friendship. Children of both sexes are subjected to similar abuse in shape. However, the boys often beat and girls - are isolated.
The effects of bullying
Bullying adversely effect on the children. First of all, the victims feel alone and miserable. They are ashamed of themselves and often believe that they are not right at all. If the victim believes that the reason for bullying is performance, family or nationality, it can totally deny or underestimate the importance of academic achievement, family or national origin in their own lives. Victims are prone to loss of self-confidence and can become depressed or sick. Victims try to vent their anger on others, usually on their parents or younger siblings. At school the victim feel huge pressure, so that they begin to play truant and can even stop attending school at all (Oliver, 2003).
It is obvious that eventually, the offenders will be untidiness, including the police. Impunity encourages them to new "exploits": wrongdoing that is more serious. Most of the offenders, even if at the first sight, they seem lovely by their classmates, eventually turns out to be unpopular in the peer environment.
The research and studies have shown that the most of the peers are either observers or acceding to the offenders. Therefore, the school life become traumatic not only for the victims, but also for those who are watching or accedes to offenders.
It is a list of signs below that must alarm the teacher. The list is not exhaustive and many of the symptoms are not specific (Olweus, 1993).
Behavioral signs: reluctance to go to school, the desire to skip a certain day of the week or lesson; fear of going to school or from school; changes in the usual way to school; tardiness to school; avoidance of the associates and friends; decline in academic performance; forgetting textbooks and school supplies; permanent loss of money; failure to tell what was happening.
Physical signs: a fictitious diseases, frequent complaints of poor health in the classroom; presence of unexplained wounds and bruises; lost personal possessions; torn clothes, school supplies spoiled. Emotional signs: reduction (limitation) activity; fearfulness, irritability, aggressiveness; loss of self-confidence (Olweus, 1997).
How Bullying Effects Children in Elementary Education
The anonymity of large schools and the lack of diversity of choice of educational institutions. Not every child due to his suitable will like large noisy school. Some children feel and behave better in small classes, while they are in a quiet collective. Congestion of the curriculum, noisy atmosphere may adversely affect emotionally labile and hyperactive children with unstable nervous system and start to excite them. The absence of other schools nearby, the restrictions in the selection of teachers and untie the hands of rapists , since parents and children have to endure tyranny - they have nowhere to go, parents will not drive their children far from the home, especially if it is a few kilometers away and there is no available transportation .
Bad atmosphere in the teachers' team. The violence in the teacher’s behavior is due, in principle, the same factors as in the child`s. Irritability and the frustration of the teachers could spill and cause the aggression against children. If the teacher allows external factors exert the influence (troubles at home, conflicts with the administration, and so on), his professionalism put under the great question. Indifference and indifferent attitude. Overworked teachers often do not interfere with children's showdown, complaining say to parents: “Let the children understand each other by themselves”.
The aggressive behavior observed in elementary school, later often leads to problems with school adaptation. Stubbornness, outbursts of anger, defiance, quarrelsomeness, irritability, that appear in 4-6 years, "eventually pave the way" to the destructive acts, including bullying, vandalism, truancy and shoots in the 10-13 years of age. Do not get professional psychological counseling children becoming teenagers drawn into criminal activity and abuse of toxic substances. They do not learn and poorly accept by their peers. Unlike to other, they often observed depression and escape from the reality more.
“Difficult children” leave school on their own or exclude for any disciplinary offenses. The scientists notice that the problems of aggressive behavior of the child in 80 % of cases are difficulties associated with unsuccessful in his teaching, problem in family, the school is the risk zone, place the transmission of negative social experiences for a significant number of children (School Bullying |NoBullying|; 2013).
Steps Schools Can Take to Stop Bullying
Firstly, the long school taunts affect his own "I" of the child. Falling self-esteem, he feels hunted. Such child in the future trying to avoid relationships with others. Often, and vice versa - the other children avoid friendship with the victims of violence because they fear that they will become victims themselves, following the old teacher's logic: "Referring your friend - so is you". As a result, the formation of friendships can be a problem for the victim and rejection at school are often extrapolated to other areas of social relations.
Secondly, getting into the role of victim is the cause of low status in the group, problems in learning and behavior. These children are at high risk for neuropsychiatric and behavioral disorders. The victims of school bullying often are characterized by neurotic disorders, depression, sleep disorders and appetite, in the worst case, the formation of post-traumatic stress syndrome (Brown, 2007).
Thirdly, the adolescent school violence causes disturbances in identity of development. Prolonged stress creates a sense of hopelessness and despair, which, in turn, is a fertile ground for the emergence of suicidal thoughts.
The aggressive behavior directed against peers is much more common way than against adults. Firstly, with peers child faces on a daily basis. Secondly, being poor himself, he is looking for a victim obviously weaker than he that in general tend to those who wish to assert themselves is (Farrington, 2012). Boys are dominant aggressor. Girls are the aggressor invisible and devious, with their side's aggression can manifest itself in a latent form. They deride, tease, manipulate the circle of girlfriends, spreading rumors and inciting other children against a person that they do not like.
The conflicts arise between the children, not only in a situation of competition and struggle for leadership, but also in the incompetent actions or assessments of teachers. The manifestation of aggressiveness in adolescence mainly depends on the reaction of parents and significant adults to certain forms of behavior. If parents and teachers do not notice or tolerate any manifestations of aggression, the result is a symbolic form of aggression, such as stubbornness, irritability, anger, vandalism and other forms of resistance (Understanding school bullying, 2016).
It is very important to support the child, listen and see who he is: an innocent victim or not at all. During the first conversation, the main task of the teacher is to find out what the child feels in relation to the incident. Although the teacher has to know who participated in the abuse, but he does not need to know everything. In the most cases, there is no need to go into the smallest details. If the teacher has to deal with the group of offenders, his main task is to talk to each one individually and to feel personally responsible for what is happening. For this purpose, should be discussed personal doubts about the correctness of each offender group behavior and a way out of the situation. During the meeting, each offender must consider how the victim feels, what his personal contribution to it, and how to change behavior in order to correct the error. The contents of each conversation is to obtaining information (Patchin, Hinduja, 2011). The questions, which are asked only for the student is aware of the situation. He was given to understand that he is part of the situation. However, the version of what happened teacher accept without additional questions or expressions of distrust. Teacher should discuss any successes or failures of the victims, individually or in the group. If the group insists that blame the victim's behavior, prepare the meeting of the victim and offenders. At the meeting, ask each to start with a positive statement about the victim and ask the victim to communicate positively with offenders. Such meetings need for the organization of the communication between children. Parents should know that the school would work on the problem of bullying in such a way that there is no need to give a deposit. The parents will be less likely to advise their children to fight back if the school will be clear procedures for complaints and open discussion of bullying. The school must clearly define and defend their position “No fighting!” This will require a serious intent on the part of the director and teachers of regular discussions with parents (Currie, 2012).
Conclusions and Future Study
After long investigation and researching about the bullying in the elementary school, I could make some conclusions. I researched and understood that bullying in schools is main and very important problem in all schools all over the world. The bullying changes the character and mentality of a child. Very often children are silent about their problems in school. Thus, in future they suffer more and more. The most important thing, which the parent can do, is always have conversation with their parents. When you know about the problem in the start, it can help to prevent the future trouble and save your child from threats. It will be better if the teachers are more attentive and more kindness for the students. Teachers and the schools should implement different programs and classes, which will help children, who are suffer from bullying to feel more comfortable (Farris, 2011). Life slowly teaches all of us that sugar is not so, as it seems. However, this does not mean we have to close our eyes on the child's cruelty. This topic is very exciting, and parents, I think, must constantly look closely to their kiddies to catch the earliest signs - or like the attacker or like the victim. The children are our future. Preschool behavioral, emotional and motor problems, socioeconomic status, and family breakup are related to involvement in bullying at a later age. Prevention of bullying and its consequences can be enhanced by focusing on risk groups in early life ( Jansen, Ormel, Verhulst, 2011).
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