Effects of Bullying of Psychosocial Development of Elementary Students - Assignment Example

?Effects of Bullying of Psychosocial Development of Elementary I. Definition of Bullying “Insults and threats followed 15-year-old Phoebe Prince almost from her first day at South Hadley High School, targeting the Irish immigrant in the halls, library and in vicious cell phone text messages” (Reitz, 2010). This and many such instants occur in schools on a daily basis causing students to suffer mentally and physically. Bullying is defined as that consistent undesirable attitude (like shouting, mimicking, calling names, threatening, written abuse, forcing to do nasty things, and much more) having traces of unjustifiable and illogical criticism and disapproval which compels the victim to get isolated, humiliated and singled out in crowd (Olweus, 1993). The aim of the bullying person is to gain power over the bullied (see Figure 1). An individual is said to be bullied when he finds it difficult to protect himself from repeated negative actions from another person or a group of persons. Smith and Sharp assert that studies concerning teacher opinion show that school bullying involves “5-10 per cent of children as being bullied and about 5 per cent of children as bullying others” (1994, p. 5). They state that bullying is generally hidden from the school authorities because the bullied students and their peers hesitate in informing their teachers about the bully, and that is why it keeps on going (Asher & Coie, 1990). Bullying students1 are normally very sociable and bold without any idea of shame or guilt; whereas, the bullied ones2 are already very shy and unsure which makes them prone to bullying. The definition of bullying is not complete until we describe the facets of bullying. Bullying can be of various forms. Some of these include: Oral bullying like shouting, calling names and spreading rumors about the victim Written bullying like nasty letters and text messages Physical bullying like kicking, hitting, slapping, punching and pushing Isolating the victim from social gatherings Making the victim do things he does not want to do Making the victim feel ashamed of his race, color, religion and language Sexual harassment is also a facet of bullying Cyber bullying like teasing through nasty emails, chat messages and phone calls II. Effects of Bullying In this section, we discuss how school bullying affects the psychosocial development of elementary students. Bullying can have disastrous effects on the bullied student so much so that he may be compelled to commit suicide. He may suffer from hypertension, freight, loneliness, anxiety, depression, low self-worth, low grades and suicidal attempts. Let’s discuss these effects in detail. Poor Attendance and Low Academic Outcome The National Association of School Psychologists (as cited in Shore, p. 5) estimates that “160,000 children miss school every day for fear of being bullied”. Glew et al. (2005) conducted a cross-sectional study using 2001-2002 school data to determine the association of elementary school bullying with school attendance, academic outcome, psychosocial adjustment, and self-reported feelings of grief, security, and psychological well-being. Twenty two percent of children who were surveyed had been involved in bullying. The researchers found that “Victims and bully-victims were more likely to have low achievement than bystanders”; “All 3 bullying-involved groups were significantly more likely than bystanders to feel unsafe at school”; “victims and bully-victims were more likely to report feeling that they don’t belong at school”; and, “Bullies and victims were more likely than bystanders to feel sad most days.” Hence, it is proven that bullying not only affects the victims but also the bullying students. The researchers conclude that since bullying prevails on such a large scale, it is important to bring into practice evidence-based anti-bullying curricula in all elementary schools. Effects on Observers of School Bullying Besides bullied students, bullying creates bad effects on the observers of bullying as well. Since bullying creates a fearful environment in elementary schools, students who watch someone being bullied, who are also called the bystanders, may tend to turn away from their studies, feel guilty for not stopping it or may even be tempted to participate and support the bullying students. Rivers et al. (2009) conducted a study regarding the mental health of those students who witness school bullying. The participants included 2,002 students aged 12 to 16 belonging to 14 schools in the United Kingdom. The researchers found that “observing bullying at school predicted risks to mental health over and above that predicted for those students who were directly involved in bullying behavior as either a perpetrator or a victim” (p. 211). The observers are either convinced to take part in bullying or they refrain from involvement or from protecting the victim, all of which are signs of poor mental health. Aggression in Bullies Craig (1998) studied the relationship of school bullying with depression, anxiety, and aggression in elementary school children. The participants of the research included 546 children (254 boys and 292 girls) in grades five through eight. Craig found that male bullies suffered from high physical and verbal aggression. Students belonging to low grades suffered more from physical aggression; while, those belonging to higher grades suffered both from physical and verbal aggression. This aggression created a bad impact upon the bullies’ psychosocial development and thus they had poor mental health. Aggressive students have fewer friends and they are not accepted anywhere wholeheartedly. A similar study was conducted by Bentley and Li (1996) who investigated the bullies and victims' beliefs about aggression in elementary schools in Calgary, Canada. There were 379 elementary students as participants belonging to grades 4 to 6. They found that 21% of the students were bullied and 11% were the bullies that term. The approach to bully was more verbal than physical. The researchers state in their research that “results of the Beliefs Measure revealed that bullies were more likely than victims and students who were neither victims nor bullies to endorse certain aggression-supporting beliefs”. This supports the fact that bullies are the aggressive students in all elementary schools and this hinders with their normal psychosocial development. Psychological Symptoms in Bully Victims The bully victims undergo many psychological disturbances which make them socially isolated. Due et al. (2005) conducted a cross-sectional study regarding bullying symptoms among elementary students. They found that the bully victims showed many psychological symptoms which included “bad temper, feeling nervous, feeling low, difficulties in getting to sleep, morning tiredness, feeling left out, loneliness, helplessness” (p.128). Bullied students suffer from inferiority complex and do not feel normal at mood. They undergo constant stress and dejection due to which they feel shy among social gatherings which leads to their social isolation. The helplessness they encounter while being bullied sometimes becomes so great that they find escape through the dangerous attempt of suicide. Kaltiala-Heino et al. (1999) studied how bullying in elementary schools led to depression and severe suicidal ideation. They found that “There was an increased prevalence of depression and severe suicidal ideation among both those who were bullied and those who were bullies.” Depression was found in both the bullies and the bullied ones; however, when depression was controlled, suicidal ideation was still found to prevail in the bullies. This again proves the fact that school bullying affects the bullies just as much as it affects the victims of bullying. Moreover, bullying has been also been connected with an increase in emotional and psychosomatic symptoms. Williams et al. (1996) found that students who were regularly bullied at school were reported to wet their beds, have trouble sleeping, and suffer from headaches and tummy pain. Male Response Males and females respond to bullying differently. Roome (2010) asserts that boys, when bullied, tend to detach themselves from social gatherings and become reserved. It becomes important for parents to get to know the reason for this isolation as they confuse it with teenage behavior. Bullied males stick to their rooms and keep silent most of the time. They may also become aggressive at times out of frustration and, to take out this aggression they may act dominant at home. They may try to hurt themselves physically. Research has shown that when boys react in a non-aggressive manner, they tend to stop bullying; whereas, if they fight back aggressively, that increases bullying. Female Response Female victims normally respond emotionally than physically. Their sensitivity to negligible issues increases, at home and at school. They tend to cry more often. They may try to act as a governing person with her siblings. Horne, Newman-Carlson & Bartolomucci (2003, p. 292) state that girls react to bullying in a “helpless manner” which eliminates all chances to stop bullying. They tolerate it which accelerates bullying. Researchers have found that unlike boys, when girls show counter-aggressive behavior and decide to fight back, bullying ceases. III. Approaches to Counter School Bullying In order to address the serious issue of school bullying, it is important for students, parents, teachers and school administration to stay proactive to take measures to counter this problem because all of them are directly or indirectly related to the bully victims. What parents can do? The first thing that parents need to do is look for symptoms of bullying in their children. Since elementary students are so young at age, they do not know that they have to tell their parents that somebody at school bothers them or they may become afraid of the reprisal from the bullying student, so parents of elementary students need to be extra cautious. Parents must know that the most common symptoms of bullying include unexplained resistance in going to school, mysterious fearfulness, sleep and hunger disturbances, headaches and anxiety. Parents must know if the child is regularly losing his possessions which may include books, stationary, lunch, and the like, and whether his clothes are ripped when he comes back home. They must also be aware of the scars or any injuries that the child may try to hide from them, and should report to the teacher on first observation. One thing that parents must keep in mind is not to ask direct questions from their child about the bully. They must proceed like, “How was your day at school, son?”, “So, let me know how you spend your lunch hour.”, “Hey, tell me about your journey in school bus.”, or “Is there any student in your school who is violent all the time?” Questions like these will encourage the child to start talking about the bully because he may be afraid enough not to respond to a direct enquiry session. Once the child starts responding, the parents must be good listeners. They must not make them feel that they are not being seriously listened to. They must also not advise them to stay quiet or fight back because both things will aggravate bullying. They must teach them how to avoid to be in situations that cause bullying. For example, if they come to know that their child is being bullied when he is lined up in a queue at canteen, the best thing is to make give him lunch box from home so that he does not go to canteen at all. If the child tells them that an older child bullies him in the school bus, the parents can request the school admin to change his bus or arrange some other conveyance. Parents must act like advocates for their children so that they latter know that they are not helpless. They must also stay in regular contact with the teachers in order to know their children’s performance in academics and also in extra-curricular activities. If teachers state that the child is not taking interest in studies, stays tense through the class, does not respond, misses classes, or stays inside the classroom all the time, then this is an alarming signal saying that something or someone is bothering him. A normal elementary student stays happy and relaxed most of the time. The parents must be able to know the difference when their child is behaving normally and when he is acting suspiciously. Also, the parents must be aware if their child is being a bully. Since, the aftereffects of bullying are more or less the same both for the bully and the bullied, the parents must educate their children at home not to mess with other students without reason. If parents ignore advising their aggressive and violent kids to behave well at school and not bully other students, they will have to pay the price when the bullying children grow up into violent individuals messing around all the time with other citizens. What teachers can do? In order to avoid negativity in the school atmosphere caused by bullying, it is important for the elementary school system to promote interpersonal and helping relationship among its students. Students’ emotional health is vital to stop them bully others or be a victim. They need to be educated about the effects bullying has and how it deteriorates the overall environment of the school. Teachers should deal equally with all students without favoritism. When students are dealt on equal and unbiased basis, they tend to bully less. Also, when they are encouraged to stay in groups sharing kind relationship with peers, there are fewer chances that they get bullied because bullies target at someone who is alone and cannot fight back (Inger, 2010). Being in a group also makes one confident which bullies do not look for. When students know that they can always discuss their problems with their teachers and can always turn to higher authorities for a complaint, they will bring bullying to an end. Teachers should make their best efforts in fostering fruitful relationships among students because this way they will be able to study well to get high grades. According to Swearer, Espelage & Napolitano (2006, p. 6), “when there is positive adult leadership in schools, positive student leadership, and healthy relationships, there is less bullying. It’s not impossible to stop bullying; it just takes a coordinated, intelligent effort”. Students should be taught how to respect one another and that every student, no matter which country, religion or race he belongs to, has got the same rights. Anti-Bullying Strategies for Schools Elementary school personnel plays important role in formulating strategies for the prevention of bullying so that students feel willingness to expose bullies. The first strategy is teachers’ training so that they come to know about bullying signs and effects and how to deal with it (Espelage & Swearer, 2004, p. 133). Parent-teacher meetings are a must in order to allow the parents to discuss their children’s behavior with teachers. Elementary schools must adopt policies that counter both direct and indirect bullying by providing instructions to teachers and students how to react with bullying (Thompson, 2006, p. 258). Seminars can be arranged to spread awareness about bullying. Electronic surveillance gear like hidden cameras in classrooms and cafeterias should be used to keep a check. Proper supervision through additional staff must be maintained. Questionnaires and surveys should be conducted with students so that bullying rate can be estimated. Complaint boxes should be arranged so that the victim may drop in a letter if he feels reluctant in talking it out because of fear or threats. Smith (1999, p. 120) writes that Justin Morahan, a teacher, devised a very effective strategy in 1993 which includes three questions to be answered by every student who writes them down on a paper, encloses it in an envelope, seals it and hands it over to the teacher. These questions ask him if he is being bullied, or anyone in his class or school is being bullied. The anti-bullying administrator reads these responses, arranges meetings with the bullies, the victim and his parents. Smith asserts that there are several anti-bullying programs that can be adopted which include The Stay Safe Program, Meitheal, and Home/School/Community Liaison Scheme. Every elementary school must implement a whole-school policy which is a written document discussing the school’s objectives regarding the elimination of bullying. This document is a set of strategies that are to be followed by the school personnel along with the methodology to implement the strategies. The school officials must make sure that the policy is being followed. Peer-support system must be implemented which means that students must be encouraged to do group work in classrooms. Special sessions must be arranged in which students talk to each other about bullying and violence at school. Each student must be encouraged to befriend with one other peer in his classroom. There must be a group of peers or a peer committee that is responsible for the implementation of anti-bullying strategies. There should be a school tribunal which can also be called a bully court in which students themselves hear cases and evidence and make decisions about the bullying students. This is a very effective method which also increases student awareness. Laslett (1980) found that since a student court was set up in a Canadian day school to make decisions about bullies, the strategy helped reduce bullying to a great extent. Another thing to consider is that since bullying most occurs in playgrounds, the school authorities must make sure that there are guards or some teachers present in the playground during the play periods and lunch hours. The key is to arrange for proper supervision all the time and at every nook and corner inside the school premises. This may be a difficult task but it pays. IV. Conclusion Bullying in elementary schools is not a new issue. Bullying is in the form of physical, verbal and emotional abuse. Bullying tends to deteriorate a student’s mental state which leads to the deterioration of his psychosocial development eventually. The bullied student hesitates attending the school; shows poor grades; suffers from tension and anxiety; is ill at health; and, may become too depressed to behave normally. He isolates himself. The bully himself suffers from an abnormal mental condition which leads to poor academic achievement and aggression. It is important for parents and teachers to stay alarmed at changing behaviors of children in order to prevent bullying. Bullies should be shown zero tolerance because abusing someone verbally or in any other form is just not acceptable. Schools should adopt effective policies and strategies to counter bullying in order to maintain a healthy educational atmosphere where all students can flourish both mentally and physically. Figure 1: School Bullying References Asher, S.R., & Coie, J.D. (1990). Peer Rejection in Childhood. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Bentley, K.M., & Li, A.K.F. (1996). 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