Fshs 533 - Bullying

Bullying

Heather Ravenell

FSHS 533

Kansas State University

April 25, 2011

Description^[a]

        The most common definition of “bullying” comes from Dan Olweus, who is considered the pioneer in bullying research.  His definition states, “A student is being bullied or victimized when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other students (Drake, Price, and Telljohann 2003).  Negative actions include attempted or actual intentional affliction of injury or discomfort perpetrated upon another person, this can be done through physical contact, verbal, facial or obscene gestures and intentional exclusion from a group.  

        Bullying is typically found in the school setting. The website, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids; estimates that children in the sixth through tenth grade, more than 3.2 million- nearly one in six are victims of bulling each year, while 3.7 million bully other children. There have been no significant differences in the frequency of being bullies between youths from urban, suburban and rural areas.  Suburban youths are actually less likely to bully, while rural youths are more likely. ^[b]

         Gender plays a significant role on who bullies and who will be bullied.  Girls are less than boys to be bullies or to be bullied.  According to School Psychology Review, a study conducted found 26 percent of boys were moderate to frequent bullies, while 14 percent of girls were moderate to frequent bullies (2003).  Girls tend to be bullied more through belittling looks, harsh comments, rumors, or exclusion; whereas boys are bullied more through physical aggression and derogatory remarks about their sexuality.

        Both bullies and their victims share many of the same ^[c]characteristics.  These children typically suffer from depression, psychiatric problems, authoritarian parents, come from harsh home environments, have suffered child abuse, low self –esteem,  and poor school performance.^[d]   School Psychology Review reports nearly 60 percent of boys who are classified as bullies in grades six through nine were convicted of at least one crime by the age 24, and 40 percent of them had three or more convictions by that time.  ^[e]

        Bullying has a significant area focus due to the detrimental effects on the individuals involved and society as a whole.  Not only are these youths at greater personal risk from problem behaviors, but their angry responses to being bullied puts others at risk.  For example, profiles of the Columbine and other school shooters found that most of the shooters had been bullied before choosing to attack their perceived tormentors. The most devastating effect bullying has is that youth come to believe that violence solves problems.   ^[f]