Too Much Violence and Bullying among Adolescents

Bullying is defined as the prolonged malicious act of harming peers by abusing their own--or an existing imbalance of--power, and has become one of the most common sources of trauma among adolescents. One report shows that one of three children were victims of bullying during some point in their life, and that 10-14% of all adolescents were victims of chronic bullying for at least six months prior to participating in the survey. Children who were victims of bullying are also found to be at a higher risk of diagnoses for anxiety disorders and depression during young and middle adulthood. These victims are reported to be more likely to have lower levels of general/physical health, and lower educational acquirements than young and middle-aged adults who were not bullied (Wolke & Lereya, 2015). Because bullying is such a prominent problem, citizens, policymakers, and social scientists alike, should feel or have some social and moral obligation to address, and hopefully avert bullying. The state of bullying, and how it is enacted, is constantly changing and adapting to social frameworks. Because bullies can adapt to social changes and regulations, we, as a society, should be equally adaptive in how we perceive, address, prevent, and punish bullying.

Bullying has been recognized as a risk factor in improvement and personal growth of children and adulthood. It is a form of hostile conduct in which an individual engages to cause another individual harm or distress (Kirves, & Sajaniemi, 2012).. Therefore, it is vital to be able to detect signs of bullying in order to stop further consequences, such as self-harm, and suicide. Children who have experienced bullying become hopeless, anxious, have low self-efficacy, and have recurrent negative thoughts (Kirves, & Sajaniemi, 2012). Research in bullying has also concluded that children who bully other children are more prone to become anti-social and engage in criminal activity (Kirves, & Sajaniemi, 2012).

These effects can last into the adult years and cause irreparable damage (Berger, 2007). This speaks to the importance of continued research of the topic, and the development of effective prevention and intervention strategies. This paper will discuss the findings of four studies on bullying amongst adolescents, and examine the effectiveness of parental support and prosocial behaviors as protective factors for victims.

Zoe came to school today with her hair in a low bun. She wore an off white crochet cardigan with dark gray jeans. Her sneakers were white Nike sneakers known as “uptowns”. She walked in the classroom in a rush as if she was running down the hallway so she would not be late for class. Upon entering class she greeted me, Mr. Liam and Ms. Amy and quickly walked to her seat. As she sat in her seat she opened her brown tote Coach bag and took out a purple pen, a highlighter pen, and her big turquoise binder. She began to complete her tutorial request form like given in every class to see what areas the students need help in. As she completed her TRF she was picking at her hair, her hands were all over her face, she held her forehead with the palm of her hands as if she had a headache.

Bullying can be hard to define, because research has shown that it comes in many forms which makes it difficult to find one set of characteristics that will describe a bully. Conclusively, studies have defined bullying as a set of repeated aggressive behavior that is intended to harm someone, which usually involves an imbalance of power between the victim and the perpetrator (Morgan, 2012, p. 174). Studies have shown that there are two distinct types of bullying, which is a direct form of verbal and physical aggression, and indirect, which often results in name calling, rumors and exclusion (Aluedse, 2006, p. 38). This form of peer victimization can have devastating effects on a child 's academic work and their physical and psychological well being (Limber, 2003, p. 23). In terms of gender, boys are more likely to be involved in physical bullying (direct) as for girls are more likely to be involved in indirect bullying (Wang et al, 2009, p. 371). Previous research indicates, that parents and friends are two important factors of social interaction associated with bullying and victimization among adolescences. Bullying is quite common among middle school children, because it is during this time that children go through puberty and hormonal changes. During this time students are looking to be accepted and fit into a specific group; however, when there is a lack of acceptance and esteem due to victimization, this can cause children to isolate themselves from those around them

Bullying has become a national epidemic. Although it was once considered a rite of passage; parents, and educators now see bullying as a behavior that is likely to produce emotional and social problems during the teen years and later in life for both the victim and the aggressor. Being a teenage bully can also be an indicator of future troubles. Bullying is a violation of human rights and is criminal, especially in cases when suicide is a result. State lawmakers are willing to criminalize bullying behavior. However, I believe that throwing bullies in jail might not be the best remedy. In doing so may not be effective in controlling the behavior of students or improve the school atmosphere. I believe both the bully's and the victim's parents

The study came from the need to determine the role that bullying plays on adolescent violent behavior and delinquent acts. Most research has been done middle school bullying with very few studies looking at high school bullying.

In a Chicago’s Southside study, researchers Voisin, Bird, Hardestry, and Shiu (2011) discovered the different coping strategies that African American adolescents go through after witnessing violent acts. Some coping strategies many adolescent from urban settings might adopt are accepting their community conditions by getting through, getting away, getting back, and getting along the distress (Voisin, Bird, Hardestry, & Shiu, 2011). However, researchers found that boys are more exposure to violence than girls. Gender plays a significant role in contributing to violent behavior among urban youth due to the fact that boys are more exposure to physical attacks, fighting, incidents involving police, gun violence, and murders (Voisin, Bird, Hardestry,

Teenage bullying has emerged as a reoccurring problem in America. Scenes from beloved movies have moved from the big screens to hallways of our high schools. Individuals have been targeted for the way they dress, or their overall preferences as a normal human being. Bullying can be inflicted on an individual verbally or physically. At times a mix of both can occur. These negative actions have resulted in increased rates of self-harm and even leading to suicide. Teenage bullying is a significant issue in the present society we live in today and needs to be put to an end.

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.

According to Horne, Stoddard, and Bell (2007), “Recognizing that bullying and aggression result in negative academic, emotional, and behavioral consequences, a number of programs have been developed in the last century to address the problem of bullying and aggression in schools” (pg. 264). This argues that there are ways that students can find the help that they need to reduce their feelings that they may have against another student. If students attend these programs that are set up specifically for them, then there could be a huge improvement in reducing bullying in school systems today.

Having a child that is a victim of bullying is an experience that many parents can unfortunately relate to. The teenage years can be hard for any family but when bullying is added to that time in a child’s life there can be many more obstacles to navigate around. The challenges that come from teenage bullying can be an obstacle for parents as well as for the child. Stigmas, confidence, and parenting boundaries are only a few of the many various challenges or obstacles that victims and there families face on top of the bullying that is already troubling them. As a family preventing and removing obstacles caused by bullying can be difficult and these challenges, if not removed, can have serious impacts of the lives of the family.

In all schools, discipline and safety is a multifaced affair that not only involves the schools but stretches to the confines of families, local authorities, federal and to a greater extent personality. This makes analysis and in-depth understanding of school violence through a multidisciplinary perspective. For instance, it is crucial to view the past and recent school violence from racial, religious, economic and behavorial angles. Moreover, school violence must consider loopholes within the legal and policy frameworks while providing an idealistic solution that allows strategy implementations to make schools safe for children.

Mistreatment and intimidation are common occurrences within childhood and adolescent peer groups. These actions can be detrimental to the social relationships of those involved, leaving an enduring impact on one’s ability to socialize and interact with those around them. Due to the severity of the potential harm bullying can cause, much research has been conducted on how bullying can influence the lives and actions of those associated with it. In order to better address the issue of bullying, one must first understand not only the impact it may have, but the factors that influence how those involved are affected. These factors include the role one plays in the bullying, the method through which the bullying occurs, the gender of the victim, and the level of support the victim receives from family, friends, and the other adults they interact with. This research has demonstrated how complex the relationship between victims of bullying and their fellow peers can be, as well as how damaging this phenomena potentially is on those who experience it.

Violence in schools today has become a huge problem for educators and students alike. At its worst, we have seen cases of where violence has lead to injury and even deaths in some of the cases. Many questions have been asked as to whether or not these cases could have been prevented and are the schools doing enough to watch for this type of pattern in certain students. While the school system cannot be held liable for a student’s actions, it makes one wonder if it could have been caught before a tragedy happens, if educators were to be on the lookout for behavior relating to these incidents happening.