School Bullying
Modified :
December 22,2015
School Bullying is Nothing New
Bullying has probably been around since the 18th century.
It is a negative human condition that has evolved along with the mind and
psyche. Bullying started with kids picking on each others or parents believing
that they are teaching their kids “discipline” by beating them. Adults used to
believe that kids fought only to be “best friends in the end”. Bullying also
resulted from conforming to prejudiced social norms like gender
stereotyping of men and
women. The idea of “boys will be boys” and
“girls are catty” have given way to accepting unacceptable negative social
behavior. However, with awareness and strategies, bullying in school can be controlled.
What is Bullying?
What
distinguishes bullying from regular childhood teasing and taunting?
The severity and duration of bullying can be used as its identifying
markers. Kids are cruel by nature.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are mean but more in the
sense of their brutal honesty. Young children don’t have the social and
empathy skills that adults have. These are acquired traits. Children don’t
inherit them but are influenced into becoming empathetic, kind individuals
through positive role-modeling.
It is important that adults stop thinking of
bullying as a normal part of childhood. They should not have believe that
kids need to “toughen up”, especially when we are dealing
with boys. Instead, adults should teach kids assertiveness, how to express
their emotions in a healthy way and how to stand up for themselves. Bullies
tend to target those with low self esteem. Fearfulness and helplessness greatly
reinforce bullying.
What causes School Bullying?
The personality of a bully
develops in childhood and is caused by hereditary factors, peer
relations and in response to social situations in school and community. Lack of
warmth at home, too much or too little discipline and physical punishment may
contribute to bullying. An imbalance of power can occur if children are raised
in non-accepting homes. Their peers would appear either superior or inferior to
them in terms of how they look, their customs or socioeconomic statuses.
The child who bullies does so to gain attention and secure
friends. It gives him/her a false sense of power. Negative company sometimes
compels strong kids to exert power over the weak. The victim’s fear
and submission reinforce the bullies’ sense of domination.
Bullies believe that bullying behavior will
grant them acceptance. When they grow up, bullies are at a greater
risk for embarking on criminal activity. Because bullying can escalate
into violence, more often than not there will be crimes committed. A
2013 research by a group of scientists in
the department of criminal justice and criminology at the University of
North Carolina found out that 14 percent of kids who suffered
repeated bullying will have a criminal record by the age of 18.
Some kids may bully because of their poor social
skills. This could be traced to emotional or personality
disorders. They may have latent sociopathic tendencies which would
make them a danger to their families and societies.
What is Bullying in School?
Bullying in
school occurs when one student or a group of students intentionally
hurt another student. This abuse may be physical,
psychological, or emotional. The last type is one of the most common forms
of bullying in schools, and one of the least recognized by parents. Reasons for
bullying vary almost as much as its types.
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The bully (or bullies) may have self-esteem issues and would
only feel better about themselves by picking on someone who is weaker and
less powerful.
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Students may develop a herd mentality and pick on a child who does
not conform to what they view asnormal.
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Students bully other students so as to be seen as “cool” and avoid being
bullied themselves.
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In some cases, bullies are being abused at home and they take out their anger on one
or more students they deem most likely to “take it” and not stand up for
themselves. They might also bully students with healthy homes out of their envy
for their normal and happy lives.
Different Kinds Of School Bullying
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Verbal: excessive and malicious teasing, insulting remarks,
name calling, embarrassing jokes and revealing intimate information, cursing,
crude and inappropriate sexual comments, threats and taunting.
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Social: ignoring a certain
person, casting them out of a group, making them feel left out,
spreading rumors about them and telling other kids not to be friends with them.
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Cyber bullying: threats and inappropriate
sexual comments via social media, texting, emailing and chat rooms.
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Bullying can occur between peers at school, in the community, or in
social groups. There are even cases ofteachers bullying students.
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