How to beat against school bullying?
WHAT IS BULLYING
School bullying, which is also called peer victimization, refers to aggressive behaviors frequently happening in school-aged students especially adolescents. There are several characteristics that enable us to identify school bullying. One of the factors are physical or psychological harm to the victim. Also, bullies would deliberately repeat hassling and teasing over time. Another distinct factor is imbalanced power, such as physical size and social status, between bully and the victims of bullying. In fact, the phenomenon of bullying is getting common around the world. According to the research written by Olweus (1997), it is estimated that 9% of the students at the age of 7 to 15 are victims of bullying and 6 to 7% of students are regularly involved in bullying others in 1997. What’s more, Frisén, Jonsson, & Persson (2007) indicate that 39 % of 119 high school students in Sweden have been bullied, and 28% are reported engaging in bulling acts; 13% are both victims and bullies in their school life. As a result of the serious situation of bullying, I strongly call for public to take action to deal with school bulling.
The impacts of bullying for students are out of imagination. In 2007, Nicholas Carlisle, a child and family psychotherapist, pointed out that participants who experienced school bullying for a long time would suffer from shame, anxiety, and difficulties in social relationship in adulthood. For bullies, research shows that it is four times more likely for bullies than non-bullies to be convicted of crimes. And 60 percent of bullies would commit at least one crime (Shetgiri, 2013). In fact, not only both victims and bullies but also bystanders would be affected by school bullying. Witnesses risk more mental health than those that are directly involved in bullying (Rivers,2009). In my survey, the number of people who observed bullying before is up to 78.7%, and victims for participants’ relatives or friends accounted for 23.4%; around 27.7% of participants have been bullied by peers (Figure1). From my view, it is notable to see school bullying indeed negatively influence on the campus lives. Here I offer three solutions and expect all the people can get rid of the terrible shadow.
Figure1: Survey responses to bully-relative experiences
First, teacher intervention is advised because it is difficult for students to break a high level of status hierarchy. According to research conducted by Garandeau and Salmivalli (2013), school bulling is related to high level of classroom status hierarchy and school should implement precautionary measures of bullying to share status power between peers. If adult or third parties don’t intervene in the conflicts, the power of status hierarchy is hard to be broken down. What’s more, teacher–student relationships are closely connected with peer victimization; teachers who emphasize with cooperation would dramatically improve the situation, especially for boys (Di Stasio, Savage, & Burgos, 2016). Even though teacher intervention effectively beat against it, 40.4% of participants disagree that it can work (Figure 2). Some people may denounce that the intervention might result in opposite effect if teachers have little authority or caring heart, which would anger bullies to oppress victims harshly more. Rigby and Bagshaw (2003) think that less than 50% of Australian adolescent thought that teachers don’t pay attention a lot on school bullying. Building the communicate channel with students is helpful for increasing frequency of connection, which would boost willing to beat against bullying for student to work with teacher. What’s more, it is suggested that teachers who learn intervention skills can effectively resolve school bullying (Newman‐Carlson& Horne, 2011).
Figure2: Survey responses to teacher intervention
Next, those who are bullied with certain identities or attributes such as races, regions, weight, and sex orientation would choose to transfer to other classes. According to a report released by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), almost 20% of lesbian students were injured by physical attack in 2013 because of their sexual orientation. Faced with unfriendly environment, victims transfer to more supportive or friendly environment. Tzani-Pepelasi, Ioannou, Synnott, & McDonnell indicate that buddy strategies (buddy support) help both bullies and victims to perceive more friendship, safety, belonging and protection, which would decline the possibility of school bullying. However, participants of my survey thought that transferring to classes was not effective enough to stop bulling (29.8%); 34% disagreed with this method. Opponents may say that transferring to other classes do not resolve any problems for both sides. As far as I am concerned, the best way to avoid physical and mental attack in a short time is transferring to other classes especially in the case of critical situation. I suggest that this solution can compensate or assist other defects of anti-bulling projects to minimize the injuries.
Figure3: survey responses to transferring classes.
Finally, bullying shadow isn’t easily erased in despite of keeping away school bullying. Arseneault (2017) suggest bullying would cause long-lasting effects on those who are bullied in their childhood. Victimization for girls at the age of 8 has strong relationship with later suicide. What’s worse, after accepting psychological therapy, committing suicide wouldn’t be out of their minds (Klome,2009). Experts attempt to figure out this situation. Undheim and Sund promote no matter students are victims or aggressors, they should accept appropriate treatment intervention (psychological treatment). They think that the possibilities having mental heath problems is equal for both side and appropriate counseling aggressors could correct their misbehavior in case of other victims being bullied. Even though educational institute universally implement this policy, several opposite people claim that kids haven’t cultivated mature mental, therefore, the effect of psychological treatment isn’t significant either for aggressive youth. Around 34% of the participants disagree with the solution of psychological treatment while 25.5% agree to implement the treatment. However, It is advised for those who get involved in bullying to cooperate with psychological therapist. If rebellious adolescents are not willing to work with consultant, bullies’ parents or significant others must play an important role on correcting adolescents’ attitude. According to te report from Committee of anti-bullying, adult accompany would positively influence on kids during the process of psychological treatment. Therefore, committee of ant-bullying should offer the communicate channel with psychological consultant and parents and beat against school bullying corporately.
Figure4: survey responses to psychological counseling for both side.
TAKE ACTIONS!
In conclusion, people should take the issue of school bullying seriously and in this paper, we discuss three solutions to school bullying. First, teacher intervention could be used to break down the high level of hierarchy. Moreover, transferring to other classes can avoid physical attack if serious events happen. At last, consultation can correct their deviate behavior of aggressors. Among these solutions to peer victimization, I think counselling for both sides is feasible method because conveying right values to bullies can completely solve problems. However, counselling system in schools does not seem to be well and sound and educational institutions must improve their mechanism as soon as possible. At the same time, teacher themselves should monitor students’ social relationship. In this way, multi-interventions from different parties can offer students a peaceful and safe school environment.
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