Bullying In Schools

Bullying In Schools.
The paper herein identifies the problem of bullying in schools according to the reports of its occurrence in schools. Its impacts in the advancement of a given individual are also discussed as the solutions to the problem are also slightly introduced. Numerous evidence that supports the occurrence of bullying is discussed according to the periods and places within which the act occurs. Gender differences have an impact on the occurrence of bullying which therefore draws the discussion to differentiating the levels and reasons behind bullying in both genders. Methods of interventions, as well as the possible outcomes of bullying in schools are also discussed. Lastly, challenges were also discussed including those that could be experienced in the implementation of the intervention methods such as the training of the personnel involved in the prevention programs regarding protocols to be undertaken in the event of bullying. Another challenge that could occur during implementation includes the failure of students to report of an occurrence of bullying would also impede the performance of the prevention program.
Identification of the problem
Bullying in schools has become a prevalent matter as many students have reported having experienced it at a given period of their lives. For this reasons the issue of bullying has become overlooked as a threat to students and social perspectives have portrayed it to be a developmental phase that many youth would experience and eventually get over.

However, it is not certain that each and every student would get over the trauma experienced during this bullying incidences. Consequently, a multiple of individuals carry forth psychological aspects from bullying to their workplaces, communities, and homes whereby bullying also commonly occurs. The issue of bullying ought not to be isolated to occur in schools alone. However, the most rewarding solution for such cases should be intervened in the primary levels. In this case, schools are the places where most victims report having experienced bullying for the first time.
Evidence to support the problem
Speculating on the negative impacts of bullying may not come to obvious to the working staff or students since bullying can occur in different forms. These forms include, physical, relational and psychological. Teasing, taunting, and sexual comments are included in the harassment process of bullying. Moreover, indirect behaviors of bullying are also found in socialization contexts. These contexts include spreading rumors, exclusion of particular students from friendship groups and impolite glances and stares. Numerous research findings have circled bullying occurrences commonly in middle schools where it is reported highest in comparison to other levels of education. At this point, bullying occurs in both direct and indirect forms. Male students have a higher record of bullying and experiencing bullying. An estimate of 86% of students in middle schools has reported having experienced bullying at some point (Harris & Hathorn, 2006). The process of bullying further branches into high schools.
According to research, the form of bullying occurring in high schools is more indirect and more likely to happen amongst students of different age gaps with the younger student being the victim. Emotional violence occurs through the humiliation of the bully victim and feelings of loneliness begin to follow the traumatic experiences. Records of that particular research were that an estimate of 74% of students had experienced name-calling in schools as a form of bullying. 62% had been witnesses of teasing occurrences, and 13% of students had experienced negative racial, religious, sexual orientation and disability remarks from other students (Harris & Hathorn, 2006).
The places that bullying occurs have been evaluated to occur at different ages among the students. The weak supervision of the people in charge propels its occurrence especially during recreational periods in schools. However, bullying also takes place indirectly during studying periods in the mid of the teachers and trainers or right in front of them.
The difference of gender has a large impact on bullying levels amongst students in schools. Male students stand higher chances of experiencing bullying or being bullied in comparison to the female students. According to research findings, boys are more prone to physical bullying while the girls were more prone to verbal bullying. Girls were found to be more sympathetic towards the victims of bullying in comparison to boys. However, emotional traumas after the occurrence of bullying have been reported to take a longer time in females than males. The reasons behind bullying in both genders differed. Girls were bullied due to their physical appearances, academic performances and the level of their emotional stabilities. In this case, bullying has the impact of lowering the self-esteem of the girls in comparison to the boys’ victims. As the students’ progress to higher education levels, the rate of bullying reduces but might still occur. The incidences of bullying among male students reduced from a 50% estimate at the ages of 8-10 to a 7.5% estimate at the ages of 18 and above. Consequently, female students’ estimates reduced from 35% at the ages of 8-10 to 14.5% at the ages of 18 and above. The reduced estimates of 14.5% and 7% are still quite large numbers at which bullying behaviors still exist at the beginning stages of adulthood (Harris & Hathorn, 2006).
Interventions and outcomes
Intervening is significant in the reduction of bullying levels in schools. Multiple levels can be used to yield the best results. First and foremost, families need to take part mainly because the teachers and trainers may fail to have a relationship with the parents of the students. The family should offer support to the schools when it comes to matters that regard the occurrence of bullying. The integration of prevention programs is yet another strategy that can be used in the reduction of bullying experiences. These programs ought to be monitored by the management bodies by the schools such that these programs run at their full potential. Everyone in the school community should be involved as all the rules and policies would apply to all. The creation of solid policies meant to address the occurrences of physical and emotional harassments should be revised and evaluated annually. More so, a clear communication channel of the acceptable behaviors and practices to all involved students, parents, teachers, and staff should be established.
The consequences of breaking a given policy or law should be clearly communicated as well as the procedures that will occur following the incidences. The partnership of both parents and teachers in ensuring that students do not experience bullying is an advantage to the prevention programs. Changing negative school environments involves a complete dedication of the people who make efforts to advance and enrich the education cultures of schools such that knowledge is better absorbed (Dupper & Meyer-Adams, 2002).
Bullying is bred in challenging environments of which most cases are found in the homes of students. The lack of parental care and discipline may spark some of the bullying attitudes likely to be seen amongst the students who carry out the deed. The lack of interventions at the earlier stages of such students’ lives reveal a 25% chance of criminal records by the time the students get to the age of 30. Children who have not bullied other students had a 5% chance of landing a criminal record by the time they got to 30 years of age (Ross, 2002).
Challenges encountered
A problem that can be experienced in the implementation of the intervention methods would occur is the training of the personnel involved in the prevention programs regarding protocols to be undertaken in the event of bullying. The failure of students to report of an occurrence of bullying would also impede the performance of the prevention program. Since the performance of the system highly relies on the reports made by students, the discretion of their concerns would require more attention which the teachers and trainers in the institutions may fail to realise. The methods of bullying prevention also had a challenge of diversity since the methods had to rely on variable human social factors which hinder measurability as well as accuracy.
References
Dupper, D. & Meyer-Adams, N. (2002). Low-level violence: A neglected aspect of school culture. Urban Education, 37 (3) 350-364.
Harris, S. & Hathorn, C. (2006). Texas middle school principals’ perceptions of bullying on campus. NASSP Bulletin, 90 (1) 49-69.
Ross, D. (2002). Bullying. In J. Sandoval (Ed.), Handbook of crisis counseling, intervention, and prevention in the schools (electronic version) 2nd ed. (pp. 105-135): Mahwah, NJ: L. Erlbaum Associates.