Bully In The Classroom: A Series On Bullying in School

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When I was in junior high school, I remembered seeing a number of students picking on another student because he was different. They would push him, make him drop something and taunt him. Sometimes they would pull back his chair when he was attempting to sit and fall to the floor. Many people would laugh, thinking it was funny. It wasn't.

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“Each of us deserves the freedom to pursue our own version of happiness.
No one deserves to be bullied.”
– Barack Obama

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One day I decided to approach him because he was often alone. After getting to know him, I found out that his life was often hard because he wore thick glasses and loved reading books. He also wasn’t very athletic and he lost his father when he was young. He felt bad, lonely and generally tried to avoid people. But people intentionally went out to bully him, despite his efforts to avoid them. It was that day I decided to befriend him and stick up for him whenever anyone tried to hurt him. He still occasionally was picked on, but he gradually learned to stand up for his rights and made people appreciate him more. Till this day, we are still close friends and he became an outstanding & excellent teacher in California.

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Ever since Tom and I were friends, I learned a great deal about how people tend to make judgments and try to pick on the students who seemed less likely to fight back. It always bothered me to see such cruelty toward innocent students who just want to be accepted for who they are. I know since then, I have become an advocate for the victims who are bullied just because they are different, shy, or alone. I think that it also helped me to choose a field to help the handicap regain their independence in daily life challenges. Because of all of this, I decided to do a small series on the Bully in the Classroom. This is a tribute to all those victims who suffered from bullying.

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“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

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In an article at https://www.stopbullying.gov/media/facts/index.html, I found their definition of bully which is “unwanted aggressive behavior; observed or perceived power imbalance; and repetition of behaviors or high likelihood of repetition.” They stated that there are two modes and four types which students can be bullied or can bully others:

Modes:

1. Direct which is bullying that occurs in the presence of a targeted youth.
2. Indirect which is bully not directly communicated to a targeted youth such as spreading rumors.

Within these two modes are four types of bullying that encompass broad categories of physical, verbal, relation (e.g. efforts to harm the reputation or relationships of the targeted student), and damage to property.

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According to this article, bullying can happen in different places, under different contexts, and locations. It can happen online or through a cellphone. Bullying can be done through emails, chat rooms, on posts, & instant messaging, etc. All these listed can be considered electronic bullying or cyber-bullying which can be described as verbal aggression, like threatening or harassing electronic communications or relational aggression like spreading rumors via electronics. When efforts are made to do electronic attacks, this is considered electronic bullying involving property damage. It should also be noted that some bullying actions can fall into the criminal categories which involve harassment, hazing or assault.

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“I would rather be a little nobody,
than to be a evil somebody.”
– Abraham Lincoln

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The article also gave some statistics in the US. Between 1 in 4 and 1 in 3 US students say they have been bullied at school. Most of this bullying occurred in middle school of which the most common types were verbal and social bullying. 28% of US students in grades 6-12 experienced bullying and 20% of US students in grades 9 -12 experienced bullying. Although there is more awareness of bullying in schools, it still remains a serious problem in today’s schools.

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In https://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/effects/index.html, another article on bullying described the effects of bullying on the victim and on the ones witnessing the bullying incident with impacts on mental health. They went on to say the kids who are bullied can experience depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. If these issues are not treated when they are young, it can persist in adulthood.

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Many of these young students who are victims of bullying may have decreased academic achievement, miss school or even drop out of school. The ones who do the bullying also may eventually engage in violent or other risky behavior which can lead into adulthood. Statistics show a high correlation of being a bully can lead to alcohol and drug abuse, vandalizing property, getting into fights, have criminal convictions, being an abuser of partners, spouses or children.

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“Strong people stand up from themselves.
But the strongest people stand up for others.”
– Unknown

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The impact of bullying can be significant on the schools. If bullying does continue and if no actions are taken, the school’s entire climate can change. In my next post, I will cover more on what can be done to address bullying issues in the classroom and school. Every child needs to be able to learn and participate in school activities in a safe and healthy environment. Everyone has a responsibility to assist in this process including school administrators, teachers, parents, students, & employees at the school. Working together can bring quicker and faster results to make school enjoyable and safe.

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They tear you apart,
they get in your head,
they shatter your heart,
they make you feel dead.

They somehow get deep,
way into your mind,
secrets they won’t keep,
and more they will find.

They share them with friends,
so people can hear,
your rumor is out,
and so is your fear.

They ruin it all,
your life they could end,
too strong and too tall,
for you to defend.

They punch and they kick,
their words oh so strong,
they are just so sick,
they are just so wrong.

They do have a lot,
and they are really smart,
But they don’t have one thing,
and that’s a good heart.

-Renee, Poems about Bullying
http://blog.reachforchange.org

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All pictures are from https://pixabay.com

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