Impact of Bullying on Adolescents - Research Paper Example

?Impact of Bullying on Adolescents Module Module ID: The present paper looks for investigating into the short-term and long-term impact of bullying and harassment of adolescents on their personality formation and cognitive development as well. Since children serve as the future builders of every social set up, taking their problems into consideration and examining of the issues related to them maintains imperative significance in its nature and scope. The researcher is determined to analyze the significance of exploring the topic under study in the light of cognitive development theory articulated by Jean Piaget and Vigotsky. The research will be supported with the previous studies conducted on the topics same or similar to the study above-mentioned. Socio-cultural influences of the child bullying will also be discussed in the present paper. At the end of the research process, the conclusion and suggestions will be presented, which could turn out to be helpful for the future researches. Introduction Children are rightly viewed as the weakest stratum of society, with delicate nerves, innocent thoughts and feeble physique; because of such mental and physical weaknesses, they are unable to defend themselves from the outer threats, attacks and intimidation. Consequently, they become victim of bullying, violence and torture at the hands of the ruthless and stone-hearted people both inside their homes and outside their residences in schools, playgrounds and other public places. Such type of offensive behavior not only creates fear and terror in their innocent minds at the eve of the mishap they experience, but also leaves indelible impact of the same on their personality for long. As a result, there appear to be the explicit probabilities of their becoming the prey to psychological collapse on the one hand, and uncontrolled inclinations of choosing the path of crime and destruction on the other out of sheer feelings of depression, despair and despondency in their later years. Hence, the adolescents, victim of bullying and molestation, contain high tendencies of leading abnormal life for the future days to come, and thus turn out to be a grave challenge for the healthy and peaceful environment of the social establishment. “Numerous studies have discussed the direct relationship between child sexual abuse and adolescent/adult prostitution. The estimates range from 76 to 90 % of prostitutes having a history of child sexual abuse, the most common form being incest (the sexual abuse of a child by a family member).” (Weisberg, 1985:91) Since the future of a society is directly reliant upon its adolescents and youth, mentally abnormal and psychologically criminal individuals are likely to create impediments in the collective progress and prosperity of the entire nation just because they once had undergone molestation and harassment in their childhood at the hands of the nasty and obnoxious individuals of society. Thus, studying the causes and impact of child molestation is extremely important for the individual and collective benefit of society. The topic under examination is also important in nature due to the fact that the contemporary society witnesses fast increase in the proportion and frequency of crimes against adolescents, which has put the peace and stability in grave jeopardy. Consequently, researches are being conducted and theories are being articulated in order to eradicate offences against the children with an iron hand in order to make the world a peaceful place to subsist. It is also a reality that family is the most fundamental institution of society, which does not tolerate any type of violence against its children that may deteriorate their life and personality; it is therefore they are determined to explore the causes behind such child molestation in order to invent and implement the measures for the complete and unconditional protection and safety of their children. Furthermore, if the authorities and law enforcing agencies do not pay due heed to the eradication of bullying against children, chaos and anarchy will find their way to devour the ethical, moral and legal fabrication of the culture and society at large. It is therefore the present study contains valuable significance in its wide scope, in the light of the findings gathered during the study, so that the society could be purified from the black mars of molestation and exploitation of children at the hands of the adults and older adolescents. Literature Review The present study has been supported with Constructivist theory of cognitive development articulated by the Swiss biologist Jean Piaget (1952). Cognitive development simply means the growth of mental processes and the ability to think and perceive. It also estimates the relation between innate mental capabilities and children’s learning from the socio-cultural environment. Piaget is of the view that cognitive development is directly dependent of child’s interaction with his society, and hence, mere innate cannot bring developmental changes in them. Since man is the biological animal, it is society that converts him from biological to social animal, and he learns how to act, react and behave at various occasions. Piaget conducted researches on child psychology and defined the stages of development in children, according to which, there are four stages in children for the development of the basic cognitive competencies. These stages include: i) sensory motor stage, (from birth to 2 years) ii) preoperational stage, (from 2 years to 6/7 years), iii) concrete operational stage, (from 6/7 t0 11/12 years of age) and iv) formal operational stage (from 11/12 years to adulthood). He further describes that major intellectual changes during childhood. (Quoted in Anderson, 1990:441) Since interaction with social 5environment took place during the childhood years offers him wide range of learning opportunities, it helps them to understand the society and social behaviors in a better way. It is therefore socialization procedure must be creative, pleasing and productive, so that it could leaves indelible impact of pleasant memories on the personality of the individuals. Additionally, the brought up of children in a creative environment multiplies the scale of constructive thoughtfulness among the children. On the contrary, if there is atmosphere consists of torture and violence all around the children, they would certainly choose the path of violence, law-breaking and crimes for the future years to come, and their emotional bonds will remain weak and frail. Russian theorist Vigotsky has also supported cognitive development theory, according to which cognitive development should be examined and investigated rather than obtained. Vygotsky looks for analyzing cognitive development by comparing and contrasting one child to his peers in order to draw out conclusions about the role of social interaction in cognitive development among children. Since cognitive development maintains strong relationship with culture rather than nature, according to Vygotsky, so social environment of the children must be free from impurity including maltreatment, wickedness, molestation and violence. Philips (2004) has conducted her study under the title “Effects of Bullying Worse for Teens”, where she submits to state that the impact of child molestation are directly dependent of the intensity and frequency of the violence and bullying inflicted upon the innocent children. As a result, the personality of the victims is reflective of the mishaps exercised upon them in past. Furthermore, the age of victim also plays pivotal role in the cognitive development of children. It is therefore the adolescents under eight or so cannot overcome the fear throughout their life they had experience during the very early years of their life. “Children bullied for the first time before they hit puberty seem to get over it, but those who are victimized for the first time late on in puberty seem to become more aggressive or are more likely to turn to drink as a means of coping.” (Philips, 2004:2) Thus, the children victimized at very early stage have probability of becoming psychologically depressed and emotionally stressed and fearful for long, while the adolescents becoming victim during later years tend to turn aggressive, revengeful and offensive. American Psychological Association (APA) has conducted a wide-ranged research on child bullying, where Gross (2002) declares bullying a serious problem on the part of the bullied. He is of the opinion that child molestation could not be taken lightly, and the responsible individuals must be pursued in order to eradicate the bullying with an iron hand. He views educational institutions as the place that contains highest probabilities of child bullying at the hands of elders adolescents or adults. He lays stress upon the parents, teachers and administrative staff of schools to keep an eye on children in order to assure their complete protection and safety. Bullying is, according to Gross, not confined to one gender or age-group only; rather, both boys and girls belonging to different ages and ethno-racial groups become prey to the nefarious designs and ill intentions of the nasty minds. Kim & Leventhal (2008) have elaborated the immediate impact of child bullying on the innocent adolescents, according to which the victims of bullying remain at the state of gloom and sadness, and thus do not mix with their parents, siblings and coevals even. Since they are undergoing serious feelings of fear, shame and depression, they do not try to share their misery with anyone at all. Such kind of depressed feelings adversely tell upon their delicate nerves and they start remaining isolated from the outer world. Another after-affect of molestation is this that the adolescents apply the same on their siblings and peers after their return from schools, as they experience on them at school. It is really a perturb state of affairs, where instead o discovering the reason behind such aggressive and unpleasant behavior conducted by the child, the parents and guardians start announcing severe punishments and trials upon the responsible child. It adds to the misery of the victim, who finds rescue either in running from school and home, or in committing suicide in order to get rid of the disturbance he is constantly undergoing. “Almost all of the studies found connections between being bullied and suicidal thoughts among children. Five reported that bullying victims were two to nine times more likely to report suicidal thoughts than other children were. Not just the victims were in danger: "The perpetrators who are the bullies also have an increased risk for suicidal behaviors.” (Kim & Leventhal, 2008:4) Though it does not mean that all suicides and suicidal attempts made by the children are the outcome of molestation and bullying, yet molestation plays vital role in paving the way towards suicidal attempts on the children. Researches prove the very reality that the families and teachers responsible for child molestation and violence not only destroy the very personality of the children, but also create the feelings of hatred and revenge against the family, teachers, peers and studies. Consequently, they not only wind up their studies and schooling, but also get involved into destructives activities just because of the bitter experiences they have obtained while their stay in the company of molesters and wicked. As a result, the society gets deprived of the talented and creative minds, and the powers go to the hands of the nasty stratum of society eventually. “Targets of bullying often experience internalizing (i.e. sadness, distress, anxiety), and somatic (i.e. stomachic and headache) symptoms as well as physical injuries. Targets may also experience confusion, anger, lowered self-esteem and feelings of insecurity. (Olweus et al., 1999) Thus, bullying adversely causes mental, physical and psychological harms to the adolescents. Discussion By critically analyzing the contemporary societies at large, it becomes crystal clear that the areas and cultures displaying molestation and bullying towards children indirectly cause the creation of frustration, chaos and socioeconomic and political instability in their wake. The same can be witnessed in Afghanistan, the war-afflicted zone of central Asia. In Afghanistan, various factions, sects and groups have been at daggers drawn for the last several decades, and the people belonging to divergent ethno-racial backgrounds look down upon one another. The same-sex relationship is a strict taboo in the country, but a large number of the male individuals practice the same quite secretly. The awkward popularity of homosexuality is partially due to the existence of very strict laws regarding male-female union and interactions. Since the society does not allow natural inclinations of males towards females, the youth satisfies its sexual lust through secret intimate sexual relationship between the individuals belonging to the same gender group. However, mere same-sex union is not the symbol and sign of bullying or maltreatment, as it is allowed even in several advanced states of the globe. On the contrary, exploitation of males and females in order to satisfy sexual lust serves as the most condemnable act on the part of so-called religious population. The Afghans treat the youth with great harshness and cruelty, and demand very arduous and tough jobs from them to accomplish. Rich and influential men frequently get involved into sexual exploitation of hapless, defenseless and poor boys, and hire them for dance and sexual abuse. “The country has been lawless for many years and responsible bodies and people can't protect children. Dancing boys are picked out at a young age by men who cruise the streets looking for effeminate boys among the poor and vulnerable, who offered them money and food for performing dance as well as for the sexual intercourse with them.” (Qobil, 2010:2; retrieved from BBC News) The children, on growing young, lift weapons, and practice the same kind of sodomy in order to take revenge of the child abuse from society. Additionally, they also get indulged into crimes, offences and torturous activities and subjugate others out of the feelings of sheer hatred and vindictiveness for the people responsible for the misery and deterioration of their childhood and personality as well corrupted by the obnoxious and ill-fated adults in their youth. The same is also the fate of poor children in the most advanced and purported cultured society of Europe and USA, where the step-fathers, uncles, neighbors and teachers deflower innocent adolescents, and leave them into the miserable state of gloominess, despair and grief. It is therefore famous American writer and feminist Dorothy Alison started abhorring the entire male folk because she was continuously molested, maltreated and abused by her stepfather for six long years from age five to eleven years. (Alison, 2005: 254) Furthermore, adolescents in the USA are also maltreated out of ethnic and racial discrimination by an overwhelming majority of the population; it increases racial differences, hatred and discrimination at wide scale, and challenges the very progress, prosperity, unity and even foundations of the entire country. Since a divided and psychologically retarded nation is unable to produce hopeful results in technological, political, economic and strategic fields. History is replete with the examples that the divided and alienated nations are unable to face the challenges they come across; consequently, the circumstances turn out to be unfavorable for them, and their internal conflicts weaken the bases of socioeconomic fabrics due to lack of justice, freedom, unity and coherence among the people. It is particularly the case with the mental, physical and emotional exploitation of adolescents, as cultivation of the depressed and dejected youth certainly create the crop of mentally retarded and psychologically vindictive, sick and incapable population for the future years to come. The European nations ruled over Asian and African states just because these states had been divided into groups, factions and communities, where every strong member had been exploiting the weak by crushing his wishes under the chariot wheels of selfishness and exploitations. Cultural values certainly influence upon the brought up of future generations .If there exist truthfulness, justice and benevolence in a society, people take care of one another, and particularly treat the young people with extreme compassion, kindness and care; on the contrary, if social fabrics are being woven with the spin of hatred, abhorrence and exploitation, the weak strata including women, children and elderly become the special target of cruelties and ruthlessness at the hands of the stone-hearted groups existing in the society, which leave no stone unturned in hurting the others in order to soothe their physical strength on the one hand, and their psychological supremacy and sexual lust on the other. As a result, the innocent people like children and women start becoming the victim of their cruelties, and gulf of hatred and criminal offences pave the way towards the moral, ethical and socioeconomic plummet of the entire nation at large. Conclusion To conclude, it becomes crystal clear that child molestation and bullying has gained popularity during the contemporary era, where traditional social values including love, affection and compassion towards the children have experienced plummet and decline to a great extent. There was a time when uncles, step-parents, neighbors and teachers used to treat and consider the children like their own family, and the children used to be the center of the adults’ attention and attraction. However, time has taken drastic turn, and social behavior has collectively observed painful collapse; the people look for the fulfillment of their physical desires and mental relief without taking the outcome of their actions, reactions and behaviors into slightest consideration. Consequently, exploitation of the weak has become order of the day, and even the innocent flowers of nature i.e. children are becoming prey to the lustful desires of adults on daily basis. Child bullying is not confined to sexual exploitation only; rather, children are tortured mentally, physically and psychologically by the close relations, friends, peers and teachers at home, schools and playgrounds. Such type of torturous attitude is not only causing decline in the social norms, cultural values and mores once prevailed in society, but also putting the parent-child and teacher-student relation in grave jeopardy. Besides, it is producing mentally sick and psychologically depressed individuals, who prefer to lead isolated and recluse life far from the company of the wolves in human guise. In addition, the children, who have become the victim of bullying and maltreatment by the adults, get involved into suicidal attempts as well as seek relief in chemical dependency and liquors in order to make themselves forgetful of the mishaps and tragedies, took place in their life. Moreover, they also adopt the line of crimes by taking law and order in their hands for punishing the culprits responsible for bringing woe, tragedy and pains in their happy and peaceful life. Theorists regard childhood as the most dynamic, fertile and creative period of life, which decides and determines the future years of human life. If this time period turns out to be the dreadful era for the children, the future years would also be horrible and destroying ones for the children. On the other hand, if children are provided with peaceful, tranquil and pleasant atmosphere during these years, they may introduce wonderful positive and constructive transformations in their society. Eminent psychologist theorist Sigmund Freud also declares the initial years of life as most fertile and fruitful ones in respect of cognitive development and personality development of children. If these years are spent under stress, strain and exploitations at the hands of others, society would surely witness the crop of criminals, offenders, retarded and sick members; on the contrary, if society is supportive in providing a healthy and pleasant environment to the young generation, it will lead the entire world in all fields of life at large. The children, victim of bullying, torture, violence and exploitation, find themselves at a perplexed state of affairs, as they are unable to comprehend with the aspirations of the nasty adults that bring calamity, disaster and disturbance to their life. Not only this that their trust in humans and society observes serious collapse, but also they find themselves completely alone, isolated, defenseless and miserable. In utter disappointment and despair, they attempt to take their life in order to get rid of the pains they have been inflicted with, and thus the society gets deprived of the talented brains and creative minds, which could add their valuable share in the socioeconomic, cultural and technological upbringing and uplift of the entire society. The authorities and public must take necessary measures for the urgent and comprehensive eradication of child bullying; otherwise, the dragon of hatred, revenge and exploitation may devour the very foundations of social unity and cultural values for the future years to come. References Anderson, J. R. (1990) Cognitive Psychology And Its Implications. Third Edition, W.H. Freeman & Company, New York. Piaget, J (1952) The Origin of Intelligence in Children, International University Press, NY. Qobil, Rustam. (2010) The sexually abused dancing boys of Afghanistan Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11217772 Weisber, D. Kelly. (1985) Children of the Night: A Study of Adolescent Prostitution Lexington, MA: Lexington Books Kim, Young-Shin & Leventhal, Bennet (2008, July 19). Bullying And Being Bullied Linked To Suicide In Children Review of Studies Suggests. ScienceDaily Yale University Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717170428.htm Philips, Helen. (2004, Oct 29) Effects of bullying worse for teens Retrieved from http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn6600-effects-of-bullying-worse-for-teens.html American Medical Association (2002, May 3) Educational Forum on Adolescent Health Youth Bullying http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/39/youthbullying.pdf Olweus et al (1999) Long Term Effects of Bullying Lopez-Duran, Nestor (2009, Oct 14) Bullies and Victims: Boys will be boys or a symptom of distress? Retrieved from http://www.child-psych.org/2009/10/bullies--and-victims-a-risk-for-psychopathology.html Read More