Bullying: causes, effects, and prevention strategies

Bullying

Violence and aggression are a common problem among youth in society today, not only in America, but also around the world. One of the most common ways that this frustration is expressed among youth is bullying. Bullying may have more media coverage today than in eras past, but it is nonetheless an age-old occurrence with which school children have been forced to deal. The problem is acute in America, where violence in schools ranges from the traditional extortion of lunch money typical of decades of bullying, to the more modern appearance of guns and other weapons being brought to school to terrorize other students. Aggressive bully-like behavior in schools is most often caused by an "identifiable group of bullies who systematically victimize specific groups of their peers." (Bartini) the definition of a bully is someone who uses physical or verbal aggression on something of a regular basis against other young people. Usually, bullies are found to be stronger, bigger, and more aggressive than their peers and victims, and comprise between 7 to 15% of the school populations. Most bullying is additionally committed by males. However, there is a less recognized subgroup of bullies that, while less common than traditional bullying, remains a significant threat to the many victims of the terror caused by them in schools. The "silent bullies" of America are the adolescent females that do not fit the stereotypical bully profile. They are complicit of the crime and guilty by association through supporting the bullies' actions and standing witness to the atrocities without speaking or acting out against them.

There are a variety of types of bullies and victims. There have been identified two main types of bully victims: passive victims, which represent approximately 10% of the school-age population, and aggressive victims, which are between 2% to 15% of the student population. Passive victims are generally weaker and not assertive around other students, the traditional image of the bully victim, often not very popular with their peers. There are also aggressive victims, which have not been as widely studied, and will actually provoke bullying through their own bully-like behavior. Bullies are also categorized into the two broad categories of aggressive bullies and passive bullies. "An aggressive bully is considered a person who is belligerent, fearless, coercive, confident, tough, and impulsive." (ORP) Aggressive bullies may get frustrated easily and have a tendency towards violent behavior as means to solving challenges. Passive bullies are also a threat to the victims. Passive bullies may hang out with aggressive bullies or otherwise associate with them, but they are not as aggressive. "In groups, the aggressive bully will instigate the bullying situation while the passive bully supports the bully and begins to actively participate once the bullying begins." (ORP) the passive bully serves as support or backup for the aggressive bully, encouraging the violent or cruel behavior. Passive bullies may simply be those who witness the bullying and do not interfere or protest, for in not speaking against it they are silently condoning it.

The bullying problem is particularly pronounced and active in America during the early adolescent years. Bullying was first identified in elementary schools, and the majority of the academic research on the bullying phenomenon has been conducted with elementary school students as the focus. However, adolescence is a confusing and stressful time for most children, and both physical and social changes are rampant. Rapid maturation, changing schools, changing peer groups, and surges of hormonal impulses contribute to the quantity and intensity of bullying within this age group. "In an effort to establish leadership, or dominance, in their new peer groups some youngsters publicly display aggressive behaviors. To increase the probability of success in these public displays of dominance, bullies typically target youngsters who are physically weaker and rated as victims by their teachers." (Bartini) Passive bullies may attempt to find a place among the stronger, dominant crowd by playing the supportive spectator of bullying, and by associating with the strong bullies. This kind of behavior is encouraged by American culture which is very competitive and based on a hierarchal power structure, a culture where having connections with those who are more powerful is considered worth any unfortunate casualties of the underdog; intimidation is a career-advancing skill. It is during Middle School that this first becomes a social ideal.."..Studies indicate that starting in middle school, bullies are considered 'cool,' while their victims are rejected from the social milieu." (Smith-Heavenrich) Early adolescence is when the competitive, cutthroat mindset begins to emerge in the form of bullying.

Statistically, bullying is staggering. Half of all violence against teenagers occurs not on the streets or at home, but on school property, where students are supposedly being enriched. There are between 500 and 600 thousand attacks every month in public schools alone. Bullying causes over 28 million student absences every year because students are afraid to even go to school because of the cruel treatment. Bullying is so widespread that about 80% of all students report having been the victim of bullying at some point in their school career. At any particular time, 15% of the school population is made of victims of bullying. An estimated 75% of students are witnesses or spectators to bullying, the majority of whom are themselves passive bullies because they do not interfere in any way, and many of whom actively support the bullying. These figures may be smaller than the actual numbers, because most bullying is not reported. These numbers remain so high even after years of media attention because of a number of factors. In most cases, "Bullies do not respond to mediation. It will not change their behavior. Many adults believe that bullying is natural and kids need to learn to cope with it. Many adults when subjected to bullying behaviors [such as] harassment or assault... can use civil courts or criminal complaints. Most kids have little or no such recourse." (BCL)