Bullying in the Junior Highs - Term Paper Example

A Curable Epidemic: Discussing Bullying in Los Angeles and Riverside Junior High Schools Name Due Date INTRODUCTION Pretty much everyone remembers being teased by other children, called names, and physically bullied by other children. It has become something of a societal cliché; we often tell children “it happens and you will all grow out of it.” Unfortunately, the same complacency that has allowed bullying to become commonplace is the complacency that has now participated in allowing the negative phenomena to become a nationwide epidemic. From sea to shining sea in-school, after school, along with cyber bullying are a day-to-day torments for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of school age children. Statistics on bullying can be incredibly disturbing, the negative effects can extend to self loathing, self harm, emotional outbursts, depression, and possible suicide attempts and worse successes. Junior high age children show some of the highest instances and experiences of bullying. Los Angeles and Riverside Counties California is no exception to those outcomes, statistics show that approximately 7% of 8th graders in both counties intentionally find reasons to avoid attending school to avoid the treatment they receive on-campus by bullies (Jimerson et. al 2). While existing anti-bullying initiatives are actively being implemented are often too costly and have mixed levels of success, the bullying continues to occur and evolve. Measures must be taken to improve statistics, enforce anti-bullying initiatives, and provide feasible, productive, and beneficial change to all of the children who suffer from bullying today. Defeating bullying will involve group and individualized approaches in multiple stages inside and outside of the counties junior high schools. HISTORY Bullying can be defined by the simplest definition as a repeated behavior and can include verbal or written attacks, social bullying, or physically bullying one’s body or possessions (Piehl 32). We are not talking about the kind of bullying that involves knocking books out of someone arms, giving them a “swirly,” and spitballs shot at the back of their head, it is much more serious than that today. In all of Junior Highs throughout, both Los Angeles and Riverside counties, children are being beaten, spit on, stripped down, photographed, recorded, and mocked for everything from their appearances, social status, race, and sexual orientation. Bullying has become more the equivalent of stalking than bullying. The victims of modern bullying can become introverted, constantly fearful, constantly stressed out; these attacks can have deep and long lasting effects upon the lives of these junior high students. Parents play a huge role in today’s bullying, because they ether are unaware of what is happening with their children or turn a blind-eye until the treatment becomes more severe. DISCUSSION There are many forms of modern bullying, from “hazing,” essentially a rite of passage, to personal vendettas and the side-effects of lacking “popularity.” On top of the face-to-face attacks upon them these same children will return home and find the same harassment and lack of acceptance awaiting them in the realm of social media (Robbins 255). For this reason feasible, efficient, and effective change needs to be implemented with not only the goal of ending the current issues of bullying in junior high schools in Los Angeles and Riverside counties, but to reduce the instances of bullying down to a rarity in all of these schools. There are a number of existing initiatives already being attempted in n number of schools, including junior highs, that are geared towards anti-bullying advocacy, both school-provided and peer counseling, and interactive programs that help to teach victims and witnesses of bullying how to stand up for themselves (Piehl 32). While all of the efforts are well-intended they do not seem to produce the results that one might have hoped. The issues of bullying not only continues but has continued to increase over the course of the last decades. Children should not have to face hurtful, hateful, and possible physically damaging experiences just to attend school and read social media. Children continue to be harmed and if public and private institutions cannot or will not protect them the parents are already manifesting their own solutions. Today many parents are optioning to seek independent study programs, home-school, and internet educational courses that keep their children at home. Unfortunately, this prevents some children from being bullied but it does not put an end to the actual behavior (Brodie 1). It does not necessarily endorse proper socialization skills for any of the children involved. So how can we address the issue of bullying in Los Angeles County and Riverside County junior highs with real tangible results? It is achievable but it will require a lot of work and reformation in the way we view bullying; we tend to accept a certain level of bullying before we consider it severe enough to warrant intervention. This is often very true of teachers in educational institutions. Many students do not feel that there seeking help from instructors or school staff will be taken seriously or be properly considered. This is something that needs immediate and serious change (OConnor 141). We must immediately stop the behavior in all of its forms, great and small. California ranks 47th in mathematics and 42nd in reading (Naguchi 1). when compared to other states in the nation they lack in the quality of the education, the rates of graduation, and the number of students who pursue higher education. Bullying is contribution to those negative statistics. Students that are preoccupied with bullying are hardly focusing on their education (California Department of Education 6). The psychological damage caused from bullying, in all multiple facets, can be permanently damaging and influence the behavior well into adulthood for both the victims of bullying and the bullies themselves. Bullies gain a sense of entitlement and negative personal empowerment to control the people in their lives, which will not, necessarily, serve them well in real worked conditions, and the victims may become submissive in their life and relationships, believing that they deserved to be bullied and that the faults all lay with them (Livingston 120). If they carry this attitude into the adult world it is depriving them of quality of their individual lives. The worst part is that it is entirely preventable with reformation measures that will fulfill all of the needs necessary to change the instances of bullying in the LA and Riverside Counties. Unfortunately, many of the schools in these same counties are incredibly deprived needed school supplies and are underfunded as a whole. Many of the existing seminars, activity programs, and popular approaches are not free to the schools and therefore high-cost prevents tangible and immediate implementations. Bullying is never experienced or distributed exactly the same between every student, more importantly, how each individual child will be affected and damaged by different natures and types of bullying involved. Bullying is a multifaceted problem therefore the solutions are going to have to be as equally diverse, complex, and individualized, however, it does not have to be costly to be effective and beneficial. Some victims and bullies may respond better to role-play and peer-counseling, while others may benefit better from speaking with adult counselors. Success can be found in allying advocacy, counseling, seminars, interactive programs, and a new concept, presented here first, that will be cost effective, multifaceted, in and outside of school, involving students, teachers, and parents; the Ax5 Model Acknowledgment, teachers and parents need to be more aware of bullying and have a proactive recognition of the behavior and immediate responses. No longer will “small bullying” be allowed to go consequence free. Addressing, or rather “pre-Address,” the issue of bullying immediately, because too often bullying goes on long before it is noticed, can have an incredible stunting event. If the consequences of bullying are apparent and readily visible to all then it can have a deterring effect. Accountability is essential in any effort to affect the statistics of bullying in any environment. Bullies, of course, need to more quickly held accountable for their actions, but parents need to be accountable to be involved in their children’s lives concerning the subject, and finally educational institutions have a responsibility to provide a equally safe and academically nurturing environment for all of their students; bullying makes that impossible. Action-Plans are essential, these are the activities, seminars, and in-class assignments all geared towards educating the “tween” age student’s real life scenarios and better understanding of the real life consequences of those behaviors. In order to change the behavior it is necessary for the children to engage in “…acts discipline, tolerance, friendship, understanding, trustworthiness, integrity, and honesty” (Livingston 120). Children are like “sponges,” their brains are innately eager learners, they can change their behaviors as long as there are positive guides for them to follow. It is the responsibility of their parents, teachers, and educational institutions to provide that for all of the students. Anonymity of information can be an incredible tool in the fight against junior high bullying problems in the schools within these target counties. The number one reasons that victims of bullying do not inform teachers is not only because their issue might not be taken seriously, but, also, because they fear retaliation for their “snitching.” The same is often true of witnesses of bullying; they do not want to get involved out of fear for themselves (O’Connor 141). However, by providing an option where instances of bullying can be reported anonymously and then addressed by the institution through the different Action-Plans they have adopted. However, there is one other implementation that can have a huge impact on the junior high students in the Los Angeles and Riverside Counties and it has absolutely nothing to do to with the junior high schools at all. It is at the Elementary School level that the infancy of bullying begins (O’Connor 141). However, if we can “nip in the bud” the potential for future bullying from ever occurring then we have a responsibility to consider it. Elementary school students have not all established their behaviors and outlooks on their classmates just yet, especially in the initial 3 years of school. So if we begin at the earliest stage of education, teaching respect, kindness, and tolerance as it is as equally as important as reading, writing, and mathematics then bullying could eventually be wiped put. It is feasible to believe that this would reduce the issues of bullying before it reaches the junior high level. Prevention should always be an integral part of any plan of action in hopes of making change. CONCLUSION Children need quality education and positive learning environments, bullying makes that impossible and separatist educations at home or online may be detrimental to certain children’s development and does not have to be the only solution to the problems, consequences, and negative side and after effects bullying creates. Bullying in the junior highs can be reduced by embracing a combination of approaches, that includes inclusive involvement between parents and faculty of these Los Angeles and Riverside districts, greater focus on the 5A Model introduced, and, finally, prevention measures introduced at the earliest ages of education in hopes of aiding in the formation of future behavior as opposed to having to reform behaviors after the fact. Bullying is a serious and cruel behavior that we can diminish and potentially eliminate, here in these counties, across the state of California, throughout the nation, and all over the world if we are willing to engage, become involved, and become an entire nation of anti-bullying advocates standing united. Work Cited Brodie, Laura. “Homeschooling to Escape Bullies: Whats Wrong with That?” Psychology Today.(2010). 1. Web. 24 May 2014. . Jimerson, S. R.,et al. “Handbook of bullying in schools: an international perspective.” (2010). Print. New York: Routledge. Livingston, P. K. “A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of Anti-bullying Advocacy Programs on students. (Order No. 3305368, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi)”  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, (2008).120. Web. 24 May 2014 . Naguchi, Sharon. “California Students Score at Bottom of Nation in Reading, Math.” The San Jose Mercury News. (2013). 1. Web. 24 May 2014. . OConnor, J. “Participant Perceptions on the Need for an Anti Bullying Program in Elementary School” (Order No. 3516757, Walden University).” ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, (2012). 141. Web. 24 May 2014. . Piehl, N.. “Bullying.” (2009). Print. d Detroit: Greenhaven Press. Robbins, R. “Anti-Bullying Policies and Practices in Texas Middle Schools.” (Order No. 3529252, University Of North Texas). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses,  (2011). 127. Web. 24 May 2014. < http://search.proquest.com/docview/1041250924?accountid=27800. (1041250924)>. California Department of Education, . "Bullying at School." California Department of Education. (2003): 1-52. Web. 24 May. 2014. . Read More