Research Paper on Bullying Essay

Bullying is a problem that is evident around the world, and is occurring right now, at this very moment. The issue of bullying is complicated; some believe it should be taken seriously, yet we often disregard it. If you place yourself in the shoes of the victim, the issue is not a joke but extremely serious. Bullying is the unwarranted, aggressive behavior towards a victim that involves a bully, a victim, and those who are witnesses and occurs over a period of time. The bully is a person who uses strength and physical or verbal abuse to intimidate their victim who is usually weaker (physically or emotionally) than the bully. The bully and victim can be male or female. Research has shown that adults, parents, teachers, and school staff rarely respond or intervene when bullying occurs. These studies show that one in four teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will only intervene four percent of the time (dosomething. org). Adults often believe that bullying is â€Å"just part of life. † They usually do not understand or see the consequences that will take place in this â€Å"part of a young person’s life† for the victim and the bully. The victim’s need for help and the bully’s cry for attention are telling us that something needs to be done. Bullying has countless, negative consequences, if nothing is done to prevent it, for both the bully and the victim. Bullying Must Be Prevented! The consequences of victimization from bullying are many and can be very serious. Some of these consequences may include poor academic performance, and physical and mental consequences. Bullying can have a negative impact on a student’s academic performance. Research has shown that bullies target victims who may have a high academic performance. The bullying begins with friendly teasing but then will increase to verbal attacks. When this occurs, it will cause the victim to lose his/her confidence. He/she will feel outcast, depressed and alone. The school does not often help or intervene. Statistics show that over two-thirds of students believe that schools respond poorly to bullying, with a high percentage of students believing that adult help is infrequent and ineffective (dosomething. org). As a result, the victim may begin to pay less attention in class his/her academic performance will drop. Previous studies of bullying behavior have tended to focus on risk factors and consequences associated with the primary roles of the victim, such as mental health. The victim will feel depressed and an outcast. He/ she will have very low self esteem. â€Å"School is a place where children learn socializing and other skills that will be useful later in life. Bullied students are likely to shy away from any social situation so that they can protect themselves. This stops them from developing healthy relationships with other people† (helium. com). Bullying can be associated with the victim’s past, present and future. In childhood, victims will be faced with poor mental health outcomes such as depression and anxiety. This can be brought from childhood to adulthood and may cause the adult to have poor functioning as she/he goes through daily life. Finally, research has linked bullying to suicide. â€Å"Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University†(bullyingstatistics. org). Physical ailments have also been associated with bullying. Physical ailments may be caused by hitting, pushing tripping, slapping, spitting, stealing or destroying possessions, including books, clothing, or lunch money and many others. Physical bullying can occur to and from school and is most frequently used during middle school due to this period of life when everyone is trying to fit in. A victim may come home from school with bruises, cuts, or other unexplained injuries having damaged clothing, books, or possessions, often â€Å"losing† things that they take to school. Bullying has countless negative effects that have many risk factors. If these effects are not prevented, bullying will begin to become â€Å"part of life† but with mental, physical, and academic consequences to the victim. Bullying Is Not A Problem There are many cons in bullying. Some may say that bullying is not a problem. Some say that bullies need to bully, that it is just part of growing up. Some will also say that bullying is not even a big deal. â€Å"Bullies have always been with us. Back in the day, my generation was told to either walk away or hit them back. No one really took bullies very seriously† (Pauline Wallin, Ph. D. bullying: What’s the big deal? †The Patriot-News). In this context, Pauline tells us that bullying is not taken seriously and that bullies will always be with us. If bullying was a phase of life, why are people dying from bullying? â€Å"A British study reported 44% of suicides occurring in kids 10 to 14 was caused by bullying. † Teachers are not intervening when bullying is taking place. â€Å"1 in 4 teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will only intervene four percent of the time. Over two-thirds of students believe that schools respond poorly to bullying, with a high percentage of students believing that adult help is infrequent and ineffective† (dosomething. rg). A victim will sometimes feel it is their fault for being bullied. For instance, they might think they are weak and do not have good friendships. They may think of themselves as failures and not worthy of being helped by others. Victims are not failures and are worth being helped. We need to focus more on bullying for the victim’s sake. Bullying has many negative consequences on the victim, including suicide, school shootings, and fighting back. There are many reasons why victims turn to suicide. One reason is that they feel alone and feel that they have no one to turn to for assistance. They don’t know that their parents, teachers, and other adults could be a solution to their problem. The cause for a school shooting is unknown. Most school shootings are shown to be linked with bullying. â€Å"In 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a history of being bullied (stopbullying. gov). The victim is taking the situation of bullying into his own hands and is taking revenge on the bully. The victim may use physical violence to hurt the bully to fight back and protect themselves. Bullying is a problem that must be taken seriously. If bullying is not taken seriously, it may lead to consequences that are numerous and will cause multiple problems, for the bully and the victim alike. Opinion and Solutionâ€Å"There are about 160,000 children that miss school every day out of fear of being bullied† (bullying statistics). Bullying is a problem that is evident around the world, and is occurring right now at this very moment. Because many consider it to be a problem, many want to prevent bullying. Bullying is being identified on school campuses and many schools put in programs to deal with the issue. But is this enough? Do our parents and other adults even notice or care about what events take place during school? One in four teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will only intervene four percent of the time (dosomething. org). And do we know how children really feel after school each and every day? Over two-thirds of students believe that schools respond poorly to bullying, with a high percentage of students believing that adult help is infrequent and ineffective (dosomething. org). Not enough people are taking bullying seriously. Some parents and other adults will consider bullying â€Å"a playful activity† or â€Å"just another part of life†. The issue of bullying is complicated; some say it should be taken more seriously, yet we are often prone to neglect it. Forms of bullying have evolved, but ways to deal with it have not. Theodore Roosevelt says, â€Å"Knowing what’s right doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right. † There are many solutions to bullying. Children who are being bullied or victims of bullying can talk with an adult. But our adults must recognize the problem with bullying. There will be signs if your child is being victimized during school when she comes home. â€Å"Being alert and observant is critical, since victims are often reluctant to report bullying† (greatschools. org). If you are alert and aware of this taking place, action must be taken immediately to prevent future consequences. By this you must approach the school and make it clear that you want immediate action. Teachers need to set up a non-bullying environment in their classes. This will help children understand and let them know that bullying is a problem that must be prevented.