An End to Bullying: A Look at Some of the Causes of Bullying and Possible Ways to Correct Them

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Recently, the topic of bullying amongst pre-teens and teenagers has gained national recognition. Devastating stories of student suicides due to bullying have brought the issue to the forefront of American attention. A number of television news channels have aired specials about the issue, including Anderson Cooper’s in-depth coverage on his CNN program. President Barack Obama has addressed the topic of bullying, most notably when he held a conference at the White House in March of 2010. An Associated Press release about that conference quotes the President as remarking that we must “dispel the myth that bullying is just a harmless rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up. It's not” (“Obama: Bullying”). Clearly, Americans are alert to this terrible situation and want to work toward a reduction in, if not an end to, bullying. One step in working toward this goal is understanding why this phenomenon occurs. There are many reasons, of course, but a few stand out as most prominent. There are a few correctable causes of the rise in bullying amongst students in high school.

The first remediable reason that bullying occurs is raising awareness. As previously stated, national awareness has definitely risen in regards to this issue due to high profile cases where students end up fatally harming themselves after becoming victims. However, it is wrong to always wait until the situation reaches that terrible point to begin to address the issue. We should identify the problem when it begins and when it takes place instead of waiting until it has gone too far. Many cases of bullying go unnoticed. Students and teachers are often very busy dealing with a number of tasks and responsibilities. It is easy for people to become immersed in...

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... those high profile cases gain recognition, there are thousands of students who must face bullying in their everyday lives. Reaching out to them and being available for help is necessary. At the same time, reaching out to the bullies is not something that is always considered, but should be available as well. The issue must be approached from multiple viewpoints. Through awareness and hard work, we can all work together to stop the pain associated with this damaging activity.

Works Cited

“Obama: Bullying Shouldn’t Be Inevitable, Accepted.” MSNBC.com. MSNBC.com. 3 Oct. 2011. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.

Magid, Larry. “Online Bullying: Still Way Less Common than in Real Life.” CNET. CBS Interactive. 9 Nov. 2011. Web. 9 Nov. 2011.

Mishna, Faye, et al. “Teachers’ Understanding of Bullying.” Canadian Journal of Education. 28.4 (2005): 718-38. JSTOR. Web. 8 Nov. 2011.

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