Bullying in Today’s Society

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Timea Szabo Bullying and its possible effects on children in today’s society Bullying is a growing concern in a society where status and exercising power over another human being are increasingly important in developing one’s social circles. Dan Olweus (Norwegian researcher and founder of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program) defines it as an “aggressive behaviour that is intentional and that involves an imbalance of power. Most often, it is repeated over time” (Violencepreventionworks.org). School victimization is an especially delicate matter that has only really been in the public eye for the past half century, as more and more researchers and psychologists pointed out its short- and long-term negative effects on targeted individuals. It has since been widely investigated and numerous programs have been developed in an effort to address and prevent the many forms of bullying that exist today. The negative effects of such an abusive behaviour are various and can greatly differ from individual to individual. However, there are three main consequences that can be associated with school bullying, which are: school avoidance, depression/anxiety and even suicidal attempts. According to Jaana Juvonen "we cannot address low achievement in school while ignoring bullying, because the two are frequently linked". Her study examines the academic achievements of 2300 middle school students and finds direct correlations between low performances and high levels of bullying. It is easy to understand how, for a child that age, marginalization and abuse (may it be verbal, physical or emotional) could lead to decreased achievements in school and low self-esteem. If the negative behaviour persists, the targeted individual could also develop ce... ... middle of paper ... ...of rule-setting against bullying should be implemented not only on an individual level, but on a classroom and school-level as well. "The school," says Dan Olweus, "has a responsibility to stop bullying behavior and create a safe learning environment for all students." He suggests a curriculum that constantly monitors abusive behavior, promotes kindness, acceptance of differences and educates teachers, school staff, parents and children alike about bullying and response strategies. Source 1: Juvonen, Jaana. Bullying Experiences and Compromised Academic Performance Across Middle School Grades. The Journal of Early Adolescence. Feb. 2011: 152-173 Source 2: Hinduja, S.& Patchin, J. W. Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Suicide. Archives of Suicide Research (14), 2010:206-221. Source 3: Olweus, Dan. What we know and what we can do. Cambridge MA: Blackwell Publishers, 1993.

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