Bullying

What is bullying?

Bullying is defined as aggressive, intentional acts carried out by an individual or group repeatedly against a victim who cannot easily defend themselves (Menesini & Salmivalli, 2017). Bullying takes many forms including verbal, physical, cyber, and relational/social aggressions. A key indication of bullying is that it is an interaction that happens on several occasions and a power imbalance is established between the bully and victim. According to an article from the University of People, girls tend to bully other girls in an indirect fashion, while boys tend to bully both boys and girls in a direct fashion (“Definition of bullying”, 2021).

What are the effects of bullying?

Due to one of the key indications of bullying being that it occurs constantly, the effects of bullying tend to be extremely difficult to cope with and are likely to have a long-lasting impact on victims. According to findings from (2015), victims of bullying are at a “significantly increased risk of self-harm and thoughts about suicide during adolescence” (Wolke & Lereya, 2015). Victims of bullying are affected immediately during and after the interaction, as well as being affected long-term, with these effects continuing for possibly years to come. In a 2011 study, it was shown that being bullied at age 14 predicted violent convictions between the ages of 15 to 20, self-reported violence between the ages of 15 to 18, low job status at age 18 and substance abuse between the ages of 27 to 32 (“Bullying in schools”, 2021). As for bullies, research has found them to be more deviant and more likely to be less educated and unemployed at age 18 (Wolke & Lereya, 2015). Consequently, bullying affects not only the victim, but the bully as well, with these affects having a lasting impact on their lives and ability to succeed.

How can I minimize bullying in my school?

As an educator, it is imperative to be familiar with strategies that can combat and prevent bullying within the classroom, as well as the school as a whole. An important practice all educators should begin at the start of the school year is to form relationships with their students, as well as aid students in forming relationships with their peers. According to research findings at Lesley University, when victims of bullying have a connection with their peers, they are “better able to cope with being bullied” (“6 ways educators”, 2015). An extremely common strategy aimed to prevent bullying in schools is the implementation of bullying prevention programs, such as having a guest speaker come to address bullying or having students participate in simulations to model appropriate responses to bullying. It has been proven that school-based bullying prevention programs decrease bullying by up to 25% (“Definition of bullying”, 2021). Therefore, with both enacting bullying prevention programs as well as forming relationships with students and encouraging them to establish relationships with their peers, bullying can be minimized greatly in the classroom and school environment.

Closing

Based on the information I have gathered from various sources addressing the issue of bullying within schools, I believe that it is evident that bullying has an immense effect on children’s wellbeing in all aspects of their lives with the intention of lasting for years to come. As an educator, it is your responsibility to protect the welfare of your students and ensure they act appropriately towards one another. In a study conducted by the National Center of Education, as of 2016 more than 20% of students have reported being bullied (Wolke & Lereya, 2015). Compared to another study’s findings, up to 50% of children report that they would rarely, or never, tell their parents of instances where they were bullied, and 35-60% of children do not report bullying instances to their teachers (Menesini & Salmivalli, 2017). Being aware of these statistics, it is even more apparent that educators must be involved and aware of their students’ interactions while at school to ensure a safe and welcoming school climate. In education, there must be bullying prevention practices integrated into the culture of the classroom facilitated by the teacher.

Pop Quiz!

1. Which of the following effects do both bullies and victims face?

A. low job status or unemployment B. self-harm tendencies

C. tendency to be less educated D. violent convictions in later life

2. At your school where you teach, you notice it is common for students to be bullied and often suffer from the effects that come with it. You want to suggest to your prinicpal some ways to combat this issue. Which of the following is not a good suggestion?

A. An icebreaker game for all of the students to participate in during the first week of school B. Implement bullying prevention simulations for the students to participate in C. Offer more training modules addressing bullying for teachers D. Weekly bullying prevention guest speakers

REFERENCES

Menesini, E., & Salmivalli, C. (2017). Bullying in schools: The state of knowledge and effective interventions. Taylor & Francis. Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13548506.2017.1279740?scroll=top&needAccess=true

Bullying in schools. Center for Violence Prevention. (2021, December 6). Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://violence.chop.edu/bullying-schools.

Definition of bullying: Everything you need to know. University of the People. (2021, February 11). Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/definition-of-bullying/

6 ways educators can prevent bullying in schools. 6 Ways Educators Can Prevent Bullying in Schools | Lesley University. (2015). Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://lesley.edu/article/6-ways-educators-can-prevent-bullying-in-schools

Wolke, D., & Lereya, S. (2015, September). Long-term effects of bullying. Archives of disease in childhood. Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4552909/

Question Answers

Q1. A

Q2. C