Term Paper on "Behavior (Bullying) the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary"

Term Paper 4 pages (1924 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Behavior (Bullying)

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines bullying as treating abusively or affect by means of force or coercion or use of browbeating language or behavior. Bullying constitutes treatment that is unsolicited or offensive through vindictive, cruel, malicious or humiliating attempts to undermine an individual or group. The negative attacks are usually typically unpredictable, irrational and unseen. Bullying is normally behavior that is repeated, (James Cook University, 2010). Bullying is when an individual or a group of individuals tries to harm someone weaker than them repeatedly. It involves direct attacks like hitting, name calling, teasing or taunting. Indirect bullying involves spreading rumors or trying to make others reject someone, (Medline Plus). It may involve getting someone else to assault that person, spreading rumors, social isolation and cyber bullying.

The Christian Post website posted a story on 22nd April, 2009 about three young boys who had committed suicide due to being victims of bullying. On April 6th, 2009, eleven-year-old Carl Hoover-Walker committed suicide by hanging himself. He committed suicide as a result of being taunted for his gay overtones even though he did not identify as being gay. His mother had alerted the school about the ongoing harassment and name calling but that did not make a difference, (Throckmorton). On 16th April, 2009, Jaheem Herrera hung himself in his bedroom after apparently being constantly being bullied at Dunaire Elementary School. According to his step-father, he was constantly called gay and a snitch. In Mentor, Ohio, Eric Mohat's parents filed a lawsuit against the Mentor High School for their failure to address signs of clear harassment. The bullying, they believed, led to Eric taking his own life at the age of 17. According to Throckmorton, the ABC News reported that the quiet but likeable boy was involved in theatre and music and was called gay and fag, queer and homo and often in front of his teachers. The harassment mostly took place in math class and the teacher, an athletic coach, was accused of failing to protect Eric.

Statistics on Bullying

1. According to the Families and Work Institute National Survey of Students Grades 5-12 in 2002, sixty six percent of youth are teased at least once a month and nearly a third of youth are bullied at least once a month. The 2001-2002 California Student survey found that over the course of a year, nearly a fourth of students across in all grades reported that they had been harassed or bullied on school property due to their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or disability. Nearly one in six of U.S. children in the sixth to tenth grade are potential targets of bullying each year, which makes up 3.2 million children, with 3.7 million children being bullies. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students are at disproportionate risk for bullying and harassment. They hear anti-gay slues about 26 times a day or once every 14 minutes. In 2001, it was found that 30% of gay youth in America were threatened or injured at school. One out of every ten students who drops out of school does so as a result of repeated bullying according to the Oklahoma Health department. Harassment and bullying have been linked to 75% of school-shooting incidents, including the fatal shootings at Columbine High School near Littleton, Colorado, and Santana High School in Santee, California according to the May, 2002 U.S. Secret Service Report.

Barreto states that there are various signs of bullying that are either displayed by or seen on children. Among them include missing, damaged or torn clothes, books or personal belongings due to harassment. There may be injuries that are unexplained which also signify physical harassment and bullying. The children may be fearful about attending school, walking to their school bus or they may lose complete interest in their schoolwork. They may opt to take a route that they do not normally take when going or coming back to school (Barreto). They may display signs of stress due to the harassment that they face and this may include sudden changes in moods which are unexplained, they may have poor appetites, develop unexplained headaches and stomachaches. They may opt to turn or start taking up vices that they previously did not have in an attempt to avoid admitting that they are actually being bullied.

2. Peterson writes that bullying occurs among both boys and girls. Boys are more likely to be bullied by other boys while girls may be victimized by both boys or girls or even a mixture of both. Boys tend to typically utilize physical forms of attack to bully while girls tend to use ridicule and spreading rumors to bully others. Bullies are associated with several psychological factors like higher levels of anger, lack of confidence in the use of non-violent strategies. Bullies tend to accept aggression as justifiable and satisfactory and are unhappy at school. They also tend to be impulsive and have feelings of depression and lack a sense of belonging in school. They often dislike or are dissatisfied with school and have problems at home. Adding to this is child rearing practices which can contribute to this behavior. Authoritarian or punitive parenting can result in the children turning to bullies. Children brought up in harsh, aggressive environments may become angry and aggressive. 2. Parents practicing coercive parenting behaviors like yelling and name calling and threats of punishment may have children who may model this aggressive behavior with their peers. Bullying behavior may also depend on a child's temperament or the basic tendencies and personality traits. Active and impulsive tempered children may be likely to bully others.

Consequences of Bullying

5. Bullying has physical, mental and psychological symptoms on those who suffer from this. Bullying can cause stress, anxiety, sleeplessness, fatigue and trauma. The physical symptoms of bullying include reduced immunity to infection resulting in frequent colds, coughs, flu or glandular fever. They may also result in aches and pains with no apparent cause, back pains, chest pains and angina, high blood pressure, headaches and migraines, sweating, palpitations, trembling, hormonal problems, physical numbness, irritable bowel syndrome, thyroid problems, skin irritations, loss of appetite, excessive or abnormal thirst and waking up tired even if they slept for a long time ("Side effects of Bullying: Bullying, Stress and the Effects of Stress on Health").

5. Psychological symptoms of bullying include panic attacks, reactive depression or adjustment disorder accompanied with depressed moods, thoughts of suicide, stress breakdown, forgetfulness, impoverished or intermittently functioning memory, poor concentration, flashbacks and replays, excessive guilt, disbelief and confusion and bewilderment, an unusual degree of fear, sense of being isolated, insecurity and desperation. These feelings are usually brought about at the prospect of encountering the bully or visiting the location where they were bullied.

How to Tackle the Issue

Students should be told that whenever they witness bullying, they should not encourage the bullying or even take part in the bullying, (Wright). Students should be reminded that they are also considered bullies if they stand by when bullying takes place. They should be told and encouraged to take action to stop the bullying instead. If the bystander feels safe confronting the bully, they should assertively tell the bully to stop picking on the victim. If they do not feel that they are safe, they can report the bullying to an adult as soon as possible, (Wright).

3. There are several strategies that can be put in place to prevent bullying and prevent children from becoming victims of bullying in schools. Increasing of adult surveillance in hallways, stairwells and other settings where bullying is frequently reported and during the times when it is most likely to happen (Olweus 138). One may also choose to enlist the help of trusted, older students to monitor identified locations. There should be training offered to adults or student monitors to help them recognize the bullying behaviors and how to intervene effectively with bullies (Batsche and Knoff, 169). Older children should be separated from younger students whenever they are in less-supervised settings, like playgrounds, in order to prevent older children from victimizing younger children. 4. Older children tend to select younger children as targets for bullying. Students who witness bullying taking place may be taught how to intervene whenever they witness younger children being bullied so as to promote relationships that are positive between older and younger students.

3. Non-instructional staff may be trained to intervene promptly whenever they witness or suspect bullying taking place. The school authorities may work with these staff to design a list of specific intervention strategies that are likely to be effective like setting up a table where students will be put for time out after they refuse to adhere to warnings for displaying bullying behavior. Wright suggests that schools can introduce counselors, psychiatrists, social worker or any other trusted adult to whom cases and reports of bullying can be conveyed in safe and secure environment. These individuals should introduce themselves and give students information on how to get in… READ MORE

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