The Consequences of Bullying in School - Admission/Application Essay Example

?Running head: Bullying in school Bullying in school Bullying is a problem that has been seen in entirely all conventional schools where several students learn together. It is a world-wide problem that really impacts negatively on those affected thereby robbing them the opportunity to enjoy a peaceful environment in the learning process. It causes fear, anxiety and the loss of self esteem on those whom it is meted out. Worse still, the effects of bullying might continue to have lifelong consequences to those who experience it for long periods of times. Much research has been done with respect to the whole concept of bullying and several conclusions have been drawn. It has been realized that bullying is a problem that affects entirely all countries in the world and its consequences on their victims are normally similar across these different countries as long as the schools run formal systems (Oliver, 2008). Bullying normally takes direct behavior patterns such as beating, taunting, teasing, threatening and even stealing from a victim to demoralize them. Bullies normally mete out these behaviors on their victims on regular basis either directly or indirectly. When done directly, the victim is made to endure beatings and other physical attacks while it can also be done indirectly through seclusion of an individual away from the rest so as to emotionally torture them. It has been established that while most boys engage their victims in direct bullying, girls normally resort to the indirect means such as isolation and spreading rumors about their victims. Whichever form it takes, bullying will usually have the same negative consequences on individuals. The physical and psychological intimidation caused thereof can have very grave consequences on the health of an individual if the bullying process occurs repeatedly. Several research findings have established that close to 16 percent of school-going children are either victims of bullying or are themselves perpetrators of this vice (Smith, 2007). It is also seen that direct bullying seems to progress through the elementary years reaching its peak in junior school and eventually decline during the high school years. Whereas verbal abuse remains constant irrespective of the increase in the age of an individual, physical assault of the other hand declines as one grow in age. The occurrence of bullying is normally unaffected by such aspects as racial composition and the location of the school. It is also indicated that boys are normally more susceptible to instances of bullying than girls. Boys also engage in more bullying behavior than girls. Most students who engage in much bullying behaviors are normally driven by the desire to feel powerful and in control of their victims. They obtain maximum satisfaction by causing harm and intimidating their victims. Most often, they will have no empathy for their victims, always justifying their actions by claiming that the victims provoked them in some way. Interestingly most bullies hail from family backgrounds where physical punishment is a common occurrence. Such students develop mindsets that inspire them to cause havoc and mayhem at any opportunity that arises. Such students will always develop very antisocial behaviors and will always be in constant quarrels with school authorities since they will frequently break rules. They will also display a lot of opposition and defiance toward adults and anybody they do not like. Contrary to what most people believe, bullies will normally have very strong self-esteem and this drives. In most cases they do not victimize others because they feel bad about them but as an exercise of an inner drive that compels them. Victims of bullying are normally greatly affected since they experience a lot of insecurity, anxiety, caution and they generally suffer from low self-esteem. Socially, they become isolated and they develop poor social skills as a function of this isolation and lack of friendship with others. They normally seek solace in their parents who in most cases become overprotective thereby increasing the whole disgrace inflicted upon their children. Normally a striking characteristic between bullies and their victims is physical weakness. Most bullies are stronger and bigger than their victims. Other factors like dressing and weight do not have strong influences on the bullying behavior. Consequences of the vice Several studies have shown that a strong correlation exists between the behavior of bullies in their lives as students and the propensity to commit criminal activities later on as adults (Chandler, 2009). Most bullies will normally experience a criminal conviction by age 25. On the other hand, those who develop a chronic behavior of bullying tend to develop very poor relationships in future as adults and usually find it difficult to maintain positive friends. In addition, victims of bullying usually regard the school as the most insecure and unhappy place. Most of these victims will therefore have the tendency to stay at home rather than go to school on several instances in a month. They then develop a kind of depression that grows with them into adulthood. This is further aggravated by the fact that most peers do not usually want to be associated with victims of bullying so that they avoid themselves being bullied. In a way, it can be felt that victims of bullying are normally partially responsible for attracting bullies to them. The tendency to stay quiet and desist from fighting back will greatly motivate most bullies to bully their victims more. Those who vigorously fight back instances of bullying will usually deter bullies from approaching them. It is also felt that bullying toughens a weak individual and makes them brave and strong for the school environment. Some people will also argue that bulling teaches the victims the appropriate behavior to survive in the school system. In most cases parents are unaware of the bulling behavior will usually not discuss it with their children. Most victims will feel that parent’s involvement in the whole issue in always ineffective and infrequent. Reporting instances of bullying only attracts more anger and rage from the bullies. Therefore, most victims of bullying resort to staying quite and hoping that the whole nightmare will pass with time. However, in most cases, this is never the case. Moreover very little action is usually realized from school authorities who feel that the whole thing is a harmless and mandatory right of passage. They will always do very little to punish the perpetrators of this vice unless it goes to very grave cases where much physical injury in inflicted on the victims. Intervention activities It is agreed that bullying is a social problem that affects all and sundry. It is an aggression that happens in the social environments where parents and teachers are usually aware but are only unwilling or reluctant to address it. Intervention s in this case must incorporate all the stakeholders at large. Schools are encouraged to develop very strong policy interventions to address the whole issue. The school environment should be improved, circular measures be implemented and the students to be empowered through programs in conflict resolution and peer counseling. A parental awareness initiative and campaign should be launched to inundate the parents and teachers alike on the imperatives of addressing the whole concept of bullying. In the sum total it must be remembered that bullying is a real issue that drastically affects its victims. It impacts negatively on the social development and academic progress. It is therefore imperative that the interventions addressed above be initiated so that these effects be mitigate. All should be ready and willing to learn so that the issue is addressed once and for all. References Chandler, K. (2009). Student victimisation at school. New York: Madison Books. Oliver, R. (2008). The Perceived roles of bullying. Cambridge,MA: Blackwel. Smith, P. (2007). School bullying: Insights and perpectives. London: Routledge. Read More