Bullying In Schools: Causes, Effects, and Prevention
Abstract
Bullying is a common problem within the school system and it continues to grow. Bullying normally involves dehumanization, intimidation, humiliation, or raising an individual’s fear of emotional distress or harm. Educators are often faced with the task of addressing this prevalent issue. This study aims at identifying the various causes of bullying, its effects, and some effective prevention and intervention strategies that can be used to address the issue. This behavior stems from a number of factors such as family factors, school factors, and peer group factors. Bullying leads to emotional distress among students. Effective anti-bullying programs are meant to educate students from an early age on what is expected of them and the consequences for their actions.
Introduction
Hemphill et al. (2015) define bullying as an act of aggression towards a vulnerable peer, mainly to proclaim power or control. Bullies are often characterized by a strong desire to dominate, high impulsivity, and little empathy for victims. In their study, Menesini and Salmivalli (2017) show that gender takes a significant part in bullying: females usually turn to indirect and relational bullying while males turn to physical and direct forms of bullying. The issue of bullying in schools has always made headlines on televisions and newspapers, mostly concerning its negative effects. Bullying in schools directly impacts the role of the educators, in that, educators are responsible for protecting children within the school setting. To understand the concept of bullying, we focus on the possible causes of bullying, the psychological, social, and physical effects of bullying, and some effective prevention and intervention strategies that can be used to address the issue of bullying in schools.
Literature Review
Methodology
Discussion
Causes of Bullying Behavior
Effects of Bullying Behavior
Prevention and Intervention Strategies
Conclusion
Bullying in schools is a problem that has been identified by several scholars and various researches have been carried out to identify its causes and effects. Effective strategies and programs need to be put in place to prevent bullying from happening in our schools. Although it may not be eradicated completely, an effective program may help change a school’s climate and make it a comfortable place for learning. Conducting investigations in schools on bullying, understanding the concept and possible consequences, and evaluating some of the anti-bullying programs that have already been put in place are major steps to coming up with an effective anti-bullying program within a school setting.
References
Hemphill, Sheryl A., Michelle Tollit, Aneta Kotevski, and Ariane Florent. “Bullying in schools: Rates, correlates, and impact on mental health.” In Violence and Mental Health, pp. 185-205. Springer, Dordrecht, 2015.
Ansary, Nadia S., Maurice J. Elias, Michael B. Greene, and Stuart Green. “Best practices to address (or reduce) bullying in schools.” Phi Delta Kappan 97, no. 2 (2015): 30-35.
Yerger, William, and Cliff Gehret. “Understanding and dealing with bullying in schools.” In The Educational Forum, vol. 75, no. 4, pp. 315-326. Taylor & Francis Group, 2011.
Christie-Mizell, C.A., Keil, J.M., Laske, M.T., and Stewart, J., 2011. Bullying behavior, parents’ work hours, and early adolescents’ perceptions of time spent with parents. Youth & Society, 43(4), pp.1570-1595.
Volk, Anthony A., Ann H. Farrell, Prarthana Franklin, Kimberly P. Mularczyk, and Daniel A. Provenzano. “Adolescent bullying in schools: An evolutionary perspective.” In Evolutionary perspectives on child development and education, pp. 167-191. Springer, Cham, 2016.
Menesini, Ersilia, and Christina Salmivalli. “Bullying in schools: the state of knowledge and effective interventions.” Psychology, health & medicine 22, no. sup1 (2017): 240-253.