Bullying.

Bullying, often labeled as just a part of growing up, is a major problem in America’s schools today. Although it is such a hot topic in our country right now, it is also a long ignored problem that only seems to worsen. The complication with bullying is that no one quite understands it, and it is not taken seriously. The definition of bullying is an overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people. In more simple terms, bullying is not a onetime incident; it is repetitive and happens among individuals when there is an imbalance of power. Statistically, every one in six children are bullied, and this cannot continue to take place. Every child has the right to feel safe and have the pursuit of being happy in which bullying completely takes those rights away.

This social issue has been in the spotlight for quite some time now and is the leading cause for students to miss school, become less social, cause self harm and even in some cases death. Bullying and harassment are commonly seen for the most part amongst teenagers who face issues at school, not only does this happen here in the United States, but in schools universally. ¨17% of American students report being bullied 2 to 3 times a month or more within a school semester¨ (Valerie). Although this is mostly seen among teens it can also happen between children and even adults. Bullying can occur everyday throughout Madera High School and no one would be able to acknowledge or stand up for the victim. Vice Principals at MHS have said that more

Bullying is defined as “verbal, physical, or psychological abuse or teasing accompanied by real or perceived imbalance of power” and is usually targets what children perceive as different (Olweus, 1993). Bullying is prevalent across the nation. It has devastating effects on students each day. Bullying is a problem for all students, regardless of race, gender or class. The National Education Association reports that 160,000 children are absent intentionally from school each day because they fear being bullied whether it is an attack or just intimidation by other students. This accounts for 15% of all school absenteeism (Hunter, 2012). Dan Olweus (1993) from the National School Safety Center tells us that bullying includes three parts: (1)

Bullying is not as serious as people make it out to be. I mean yeah it happens. “For all students grades 6-12, “hate related graffiti” in school classrooms, bathrooms, hallways, etc. “dropped from about 36% in 1999 to about 28% in 2011. The rate of students who reported fearing an attack or harm at school at all has also dropped dramatically, from nearly 12% in 1995 to less than 4% in 2011. For black and Hispanic students, it’s an even more encouraging shift – from more than 20% of both groups of students worried about being attacked at

Bullying among school-aged children is regarded as a widespread problem in the United States and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), over one third of students in elementary and middle schools are impacted by bullying (Klein, 2012). Bullying is defined as “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time” (Klein,2012). Studies show that the consequences of bullying not only include students who are bullied, but the effects extend to those who bully and

Bullying has engrained in American society since the country’s founding. Bred from a capitalistic economy and competitive social hierarchy, bullying has remained a relevant issue through the years. School age children are learning skills and lessons from their teachers as well as through peer interactions. Although schools are great tools that children benefit from, there are some bad experiences, such as bullying, that may negatively affect and remain with these children for the rest of their lives. Some

Bullying in the K-12 system in America is a serious societal issue. Bullying is commonly discussed and argued in our society, and it can be seen on the news and in the media very frequently. The problem with bullying is that it has been around for a long time, yet it is still not being fixed. Schools cannot continue this way because it damages young children and causes issues throughout the life course. As scholars have found, bullying leads to lower academic performance and low self-esteem, which shows the need for change. In a survey of about 50 peers, 43% agree that bullying is an issue, and 35% strongly agree with the statement. This means that more than 75% of respondents agree that bullying is an issue in our country. All teachers,

According to Cristina Maza in “Bullying Prevention: Can Students Make Kindness Cool?”, “In 2013, some 20 percent of high school students reported experiencing bullying, according to federal data compiled on StopBullying.gov - the figure jumps to 28 percent when middle school students are included” (Maza, 2015, Pg.1). An ample amount of students in the United States are bullied everyday at schools and even on social media. Schools are doing a great amount to prevent bullying during and after school because they are getting the students and even the parents involved.

Bullying is also a major issue in not only elementary schools, but every level of schooling. In elementary school students are just beginning to figure themselves out and sometimes single out individuals who may be different from them. The good thing about elementary school is that they are less exposed then the higher levels and as a result the bullying is less extreme. Although it is less of a threat it still exists and any form of bullying or harassment is unacceptable under any terms. This is only a small part of a bigger picture in schools across America.

Many problems come across the United States everyday. One problem that stands almost as clear as the seas in Indonesia is bullying. Bullying gives schools all across America issues because of the violent, aggressive behavior students have to one another. Most bullies usually threaten the weak, or the ones that don't know how to defend themselves. They like having that power over someone, that's why it keeps happening.

Phoebe Nora Prince was born in England but at a young age moved to Fanore, County Clare, Ireland. You can't get more rural than Fanore, it has one main street, blink and you miss it. In fact the West of Ireland is notoriously rural and unspoiled. Fanore is nestled on the Irish Sea and is 10 miles from Quilty, the village where my Grandmother came from in County Clare. When I heard about this young girl taking her life after being subjected to bullying, it really hit home for me. My heart broke for her. All I could think was that she was like a lamb to slaughter. Thrown into an American High School, there was no way this sheltered child could have coped with such a sea change in culture.

Many people do not realize how serious bullying has become. If you look at statistics suicides due to bullying have increased over just a few short years. This has become a very big problem for not only the victim but the bully as well as it affect both of them. School bullying is mentally destructive to not only the victims, but bullies because of the harmful words, harassment, and physical violence involved as well as the consequences for the bully.

The sheer number of people involved in bullying is painful to look at. According to Bullying Statistics, 20% of all students were bullying another 25% of their peers, meaning that 40% of all students were involved in some form of bullying behavior. (Jones par. 4) That is a very large number of students who are forced to deal with this

School bullying is a big problem that most students face in school. The NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) report reveals that most bullying starts happening in middle school rather than senior high school. It begins when a student continuously abuses another by hitting, calling them names, or spreading a false rumor. These hurtful actions may cause many students to suffer from depression, dropping out of school, or even suicide. School bullying has caused many problems to students, but there are ways that parents and school staff can prevent school bullying.

School bullying and bullying as a whole has become a growing concern. The need for more intervention is more recognized, as incidents of bullying and inappropriate acts towards others occur in places outside of the classroom. This literature takes a closer look at bullying in schools. Olwesus (2013) states “the field of bullying research is to some extent plagued by problems, disagreements, and unresolved issues” (p.752). Whether if anyone will agree on the root of bullying, the fact remains that bullying has to be examined at its very core to remedy the matter before it becomes a bigger concern. There is a dire need for intervention based programs to be set in place to address the fact the act of bullying has lasting effects on the bully and the victim. When intervention programs are put into place to address bullying, the act of bullying decreases due to the gained understanding of the effects.