The Effects of Bullying In Relation to a Childs Performance both Academically and Socially - Research Paper Example

School bullying is a pervasive problem found in primary, middle and high schools across the United Kingdom and around the world. As an international phenomenon, school bullying occurs at similar rates in disparate cultures, countries, and educational settings (Carney & Merrell, p364-382, 2001). Once seen as a normal, if not harmless part of growing up, school bullying is now recognized as one of the primary threats to school safety today (Junoven, p36-40, 2005; Scarpaci, p170-174, 2006; Whitted & Dupper, p167-175, 2005).

Within the last decade, several fatal school shootings committed by the victims of school bullying including the Dunblane massacre have brought major media attention to the issue. The result has been an increase in public awareness about the harmful effects of school bullying and a flurry of local, state, and nationwide programs designed to prevent or at least contain the problem. In recent years, psychologists, sociologists, and school administrators have all published a plethora of research about school bullying.

This topic is chosen because it addressed a key dilemma facing our society and youth which needs to be addressed and resolved. I hope this paper would have a way for policymakers to formulate their policies in light of the suggestions in this paper.Before I begin the review of literature on this subject, I believe we Definitions of school bullying include four basic elements. First, school bullying does not happen between peers who share an equal or similar degree of power, but always involves a more powerful perpetrator intimidating a weaker subject.