Bullying in Canada and the United States - Essay Example

There are different classifications of bullying, but any behavior that makes another person feel intimidated or embarrassed and which is seen as fun by perpetrators can be considered bullying. As a result, bullying can occur in any setting, from kindergarten to the office environment (Ferguson, 2013).

Thesis Statement: Bullying in Canada and the United States is similar to bullying in Iran; the only difference is the degree and form.

Bullying in Canada and the United States

Bullying in Canada and the United States is a headache for authorities. Statistics show that Canada has the ninth highest degree of bullying among thirteen-year-olds on a scale of thirty-five countries (Catalano, 2014). Forty-seven percent of Canadian parents have reported having at least one child who has been a victim of bullying. Recent statistics show that at least one in three school-going adolescents have reported bullying in Canada (Catalano, 2014). Recent statistics also show that among adults, thirty-eight percent of males and thirty percent of females reported having faced frequent or occasional bullying while in school. Seven percent of adult internet users in Canada, aged eighteen or older, have experienced cyberbullying at one point or another in their lives. In the United States, the statistics are not any different (Catalano, 2014).

Data shows that about 160,000 school-going children miss school days as a result of fear of bullying or intimidation by their peers. American schools contain about 2.1 million bullies and 2.7 million students who are subjected to bullying (Catalano, 2014). In addition, fifty-six percent of students have personally faced some form of bullying at school. 282,000 students experience physical attacks from bullies in American high schools (Catalano, 2014). These statistics could be listed all day, but it is essential to look into the data and uncover patterns. It is apparent that bullying is more common in Canadian and U.S. schools than in any other setting. It is also apparent that most forms of bullying occur as physical aggression that instills fear in the victims (Catalano, 2014).

Comparison with Iran

Most people think that bullying in Iran is a myth because of the strict laws in the country. However, laws do not apply to schools, where it is obvious that bullying is prevalent (Catalano, 2014). One difference between bullying in Canada and the United States and bullying in Iran is the degree; the vice is more common in North America than in the Middle Eastern country. Another difference is that bullying in Canada and the United States entails more physical aggression than in Iran. The case of the student who had a disorder that caused him to bald is an example (Chelala, 2014). He suffered bullying but most of it was verbal than physical. Studies show verbal bullying is the most prevalent form in Iran while in North America the physical form is more common.

North American countries have implemented strict measures that aim at punishing bullies in schools and other settings (Catalano, 2014). However, in Iranian schools, teachers use more passive means to solve the problem. In the aforementioned case, the teacher shaved his head bald in order to send a message to the bullies and stop the vice (Dehghan, 2014). This is a rare occurrence in Canada and the United States where teachers believe in systems and rules more than anything else.