Bullying is the ultimate source of physical and emotional violence, therefore, it is the destruction in society. Although bullying was rare in the 1970s, it has occurred in the U.K. and Japan, victims took forms of harassment and isolation. It is an important issue in our society today because thousands of teens are afraid to attend school. At school, many teens are abused emotionally and physically by their peers; victims will develop depression, thoughts about suicide, and the effects can escalate to adulthood. I chose to write about this issue because it occurs throughout high schools across the nation.
Bullying is a form of aggressive and violent behavior among children and teens that involves unequal distribution of power (stopbullying.gov/). Both guys and girls may try to manipulate other people by damaging one’s reputation. They often tend to dominate others and focus on themselves with no empathy (kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/bullying/bullies.html). Bullies withhold their influences on bullying figures in their past. There are three forms of bullying; verbal, social, and physical. Verbal bullying includes cyberbullying, cruel text messages and posts on social networks. Social bullying includes gossiping and exclusion. Physical bullying includes shoving, punching, and hitting (kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/ bullying/bullies.html). Bullying occurred during the 18th and 19th century. In the U.K., victims with external characteristics were often targeted compared to Japan, whereas they take form of psychological bullying (group isolation) (files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ768971.pdf). Some risk factors that affect students include: overweight or underweight, physical appearance, popularity, and social status (stopbullying.gov/). As noted above, the existence of bullying symbolizes society’s faults and flaws.
No doubt that many teens and children have experienced or witnessed bullying for their appearance, personality, sexuality, etc. Despite the prevention of bullying, individuals should learn the importances and effects of bullying. Victims of bullying often develop health issues. For example, signs of depression/anxiety, health complaints, and decrease in academic achievements (stopbullying .gov/). Thus, bullying is an important issue in society that is difficult to cope with alone.
Although joking and fooling around are forms of amusements, the presence can ultimately lead to physical and emotional violence. Bullying statistics show that about 77 percent of students have admitted to being the victim of bullying (bullyingstatistics.org/content/school-bullying.html). Research shows that bullying have been increasing in schools and online. The leading cause is the increase of domestic violence influenced at home. Impacts includes chat rooms in social networking websites. Many students are forced to see hurtful comments and rumors on the internet (kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/bullying/bullies.html). Bullying represents the demolition of civilization, in which cruelty leads to the forms of violence.
Ultimately, the resemblance of physical and emotional violence indicates the corruption and destruction in the humanity. Bullying often leads to more violent behaviors and no successful career or relationships. To prevent further bullying issues, victims should notify adults in positions of authority (parents, teachers, coaches, etc), avoid being alone, or ignore the bully and walk away (kidshealth.org/teen/ school_jobs/bullying/bullies.html). In addition, schools in America have established policies in order to prevent bullying and teachers are educated to identify signs of bullying. Therefore, bullying is an unforgettable issue in society and the unhealthy lifestyle of violence.
Citations:
Koo, Hyojin. “Bullying in Different Contexts.” A Time Line of the Evolution of School Bullying in Differing Social Contexts 8.1 (2007): n. pag. Asia Pacific Education Review. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
“Bullying Statistics.” Bullying Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
“Bullying Definition.” Bullying Definition. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. – Washington, D.C. 20201, n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
“Dealing With Bullying.” KidsHealth – the Web’s Most Visited Site about Children’s Health. Ed. Arcy Lyness. The Nemours Foundation, 01 July 2013. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
Pictures:
Lunch Time: Threatening a student for their lunch money.
Give me your money: Stealing money from other students.
Move out of my way: Hitting/punching classmates.
A perspective by Anna Wu
Raoul Wallenberg High School 