Effects of Bullying

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Bullying had recently become a hot topic throughout the news. Several different cases involving both children and adults cover the news. Perhaps the most infamous cases of bullying leading to violence occurred fifteen years ago at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado. Once professionals were able to understand what caused Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold to create such a traumatic event, people began learning about preventing this type of catastrophe from happening again.
Up to half of all children are either an aggressor or victim of bullying. Prevalence of bullying in elementary schools is rapidly increasing throughout the United States. Connecticut reported 1,431 cases of bullying within their school districts at the close of the 2012-2013 school year (AP Connecticut). Numbers like this are just the beginning of a trend that Americans will not see the end of soon. As the definition of bullying changes, so does the amount of cases reported. Olweus, a highly regarded research program, breaks bullying down into three components: threatening with intention to injure, repeated violent or degrading behavior, and a difference in power between the bully and the victim (Bullying). Though many other definitions exist, this is the one most widely accepted.
When this behavior is repeated, the effects become even more evident. It is important to make the realization that bully affects every one involved. Most of the effects easily seen are those prevalent in the victim, such as physical damage. Bullying of a young child may result in broken bones or cuts. In many cases the worst damage includes psychological problems such as low self-esteem and depression. It is problems like these that lead to violence against themse...

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...he effects that can exist if they go unacknowledged. Many teens and adults are victims of consistent bullying that they feel they have no control over. While it may not seem like such a big deal at first, as the problem becomes more severe so do the effects. The best way of dealing with bullying is to discover the causes and then predict the outcomes and effects.

Works Cited

"AP Connecticut." Newsday. Associated Press, 20 Jan. 2014. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
"Bullying." Encyclopedia of Counseling. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 22 January 2014.
"Cyber Bullying: Statistics and Tips" I-SAFE Inc. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.
"Effects of Bullying." Home. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.
"Workplace Bullying." Business: The Ultimate Resource. London: A&C Black, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 22 January 2014.

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