Olivia Dominguez Rios – Sunday, July 17, 2022, 11:44 AM
Number of replies: 2
We are all familiar with the concept of bullying and how damaging it is to a person’s state of wellbeing and self-esteem. It has been studied and analyzed in order to provide support to victims and to eliminate root causes. It is such a common occurrence in different settings of the community that the government has gotten involved to find solutions and the law to prosecute such behaviors. The process is not simple, these studies have been established not only to find a solution but to also better understand what drives an individual to “punish” a fellow schoolmate, college, friend, partner and even family member. What psychological trait lies behind this type of nature? In schools for example, where children’s education can become seriously impacted by bullying, many resources have been brought upon to aide this type of situations. For example: children have been taught to familiarize with the concept, to understand its various types in order for them to be able to identify when they are being bullied. Also, to understand the prohibited quality of such and the negative consequences that acts of bullying carry. They are told to report any incidence of bullying. The schools’ personnel is also trained to confront it by talking about, interviewing students, getting the parents involved and by implemented an already set of rules and regulations stating what is and it is not allowed in school property. But bullying goes far beyond the school fences, what to do then? The school staff understands this and so does the government. For this reason, even though no law covers bullying specifically, it does overlap with other set laws such as discrimination so any kind of threat or actual event that eventually may lead to a violent act of crime must be reported to the law enforcement authorities. Children also have the responsibility to report bullying and are told to also stand up for others. They are instructed on how to deal with Cyberbullying, which is bullying in the for of text messages, social media, emails etcetera. An adult’s involvement is crucial, parents especially. They need to be aware of their children’s activities and unusual behavior. Bullying has always been present and while many may argue that it is a problem that will not go away, truth is many things can be done to reduce the incidences and to help the victims to deal with this, to know they are not alone and to help others. No child should be scared to go to school and all children are entitled to a peaceful and productive educational experience.
Reference:
Services, U. D. (2021, November 5). Prevention: Learn how to Identify Bullying and Stand Up to It Safely. Retrieved from stopbullying.gov: https://www.stopbullying.gov
Belkis Caballero Rodriguez – Monday, July 18, 2022, 9:07 PM
Number of replies: 0
The U.S. HHS (2021) delineates bullying as aggressive behavior due to perceived or actual power imbalance among school-aged individuals. Both the victims and perpetrators of bullying are at risk of a wide range of adverse emotional, social, mental health, academic, and physical outcomes. For example, Kudzama (2018) reports that bullied kids are susceptible to anxiety and depression, diminished academic achievements, and social isolation, whereas CDC (2021) warns of bullied children’s possible violent retaliation- 80% of those who perpetrated school shootings in the 1990s had once been victims of bullying. Likewise, children who bully show more tendencies towards violent and risky behaviors (such as alcohol and drug abuse, criminal behavior, domestic abuse, and dropping out of school) than those without such experiences (HHS, 2021). The NCES (2022) reported that approximately 23% of children aged 12 to 18 experienced bullying in 2019 in the U.S. These outcomes suggest a critical need for broader access to information on bullying prevention and how to assist bullied children.
Bullying prevention is a collective issue that requires a community-wide approach to identifying children exposed, controlling perpetrators’ behavior, and transforming the attitudes of youth and adults who tolerate such behavior in communities, schools, and peer groups (HHS, 2021). Despite the possible relationship between the high prevalence of bullying and the lack of adequate school reporting and monitoring systems, bullying may occur outside school (In Stamatis & In Nikolaou, 2018). Considering prospective partners such as mental health specialists, local associations, religious establishments, service groups, and law enforcement in discussions helps establish workable and targeted solutions to bullying (HHS, 2021).
Various programs currently function to prevent and help children who have been exposed to bullying. Local and state-wide programs can benefit from OJJDP’s support to reinforce juvenile justice systems and protect children from the adverse effects of bullying. For example, OJJDP published an MPG (model program guide), a resource that guides communities and practitioners concerning best practices in child safety and protection (Rachel, 2018). Likewise, the Three Bold Steps toolkit for School Community Change provides information to guide partnerships that can develop a safe environment for children in schools (Education Development Center, 2013). STRYVE (Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere), on the other hand, delineates a nationwide initiative that provides access to tools and information, technical assistance and training, online community forums, and practical strategies for youth violence prevention (CDC, 2021).
In conclusion, bullying is a widespread and critical problem affecting U.S. children and youth. Importantly, empirical findings link bullying to various psychological, emotional, behavioral, physical, and mental health issues that may last throughout a child’s lifetime. A call for a community-wide approach towards preventing and helping children exposed to bullying comes with the increased realization that bullying may occur in various settings, in and outside of schools. Society effectively prevents bullying and assists children exposed to bullying through multi-level partnerships. Schools, parents, mental health service healthcare providers, religious establishments, and other community stakeholders can use available resources to identify best practices in bullying prevention. The Three Bold Steps toolkit for School Community Change provides partnership guidelines. At the same time, national and local initiatives (such as the STRYVE) give access to information, tools, training, and technical assistance in preventing and helping children exposed to bullying.
References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021). Adolescent and School Health: Violence Prevention. CDC 24/7: Saving Lives, Protecting People. Retrieved 12 July 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm.
Education Development Center. (2013). Promote Prevent 3 Bold Steps. 3boldsteps.promoteprevent.org. Retrieved 12 July 2022, from http://3boldsteps.promoteprevent.org/.
In Stamatis, P. J., & In Nikolaou, E. N. (2018). Violent communication and bullying in early childhood education.
Kudzama, E. C. (2018). Health Promotion Throughout the Life Span. (9th Ed.). Elsevier ISBN: 978-0-323- 41673-3 Chapter 20: pages, 501 – 534
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (2022). Bullying at School and Electronic Bullying. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved [date], from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/a10.
Rachel, S. (2018). The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Model Programs Guide. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Retrieved 12 July 2022, from https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/model-programs-guide/home.
