Bullying & Aggression Essay

Harmful effects of bullying (suicide, depression, decreased academic achievement, etc.) How to prevent bullying from happening  160,000 kids and teens stay home from school because of bullying. Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year according to the CDC. Bullying is an issue that that is not taken seriously today. Even though statistics state that thirty percent of the students in the United States are involved in bullying on a regular basis either as a victim , bully, or both. The effects bullying can have on a person can last throughout their lives, or may even end it. What Is Bullying? Bullying, is unwanted aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, overtime, according to stopbullying.gov. There are different types of bullying, Verbal bullying Saying or writing mean things – teasing, name-calling, inappropriate sexual comments, taunting, threatening to cause harm Social Bullying Involves hurting someone’s reputation or relationships. Often referred to as relational bullying -Telling other children not to be friends with someone -Spreading rumors about someone -Embarrassing someone in public ( Social bullying is mainly seen in girls) Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions – Hitting, kicking, taking or breaking someone’s things, making mean or rude hand gestures There is a variety of reasons of why bullying or being bullied is caused. Some of the reasons are: Cultural Causes We are part of a culture where we are influenced by power, violence, and winning. Experts suggest that not being influenced by these factors seems unrealistic. People will seek to gain power through violence, or verbal abuse. Being from a different religion, or a different race can be some of the reasons for being bullied. Having Power Being a bully gives you some sort of power over other students . Research indicates that the fact of having power make people wish to wield it in a noticeable way. Social Issues The fact that someone gets more social recognition for having negative behaviors than for positive ones can contribute to the reasons why bullying exists. Jealousy or envy and lack of social skills to deal with these  emotions can also lead to bullying. Experiencing social rejection can also produce a bully. The bully â€Å"passes it on† making his peers feel the same rejection he felt. Being different according to society, can be one of the reasons for being, bullied. Not fitting in, or not having the same social status as the rest of your classmates can lead to being bullied. Family Issues A home where there is no love or support towards the children is more likely to produce bullies. In a family where there is no discipline and monitoring, there is a greater chance of a child becoming a bully. A family issue, like both parents working full-time, or a divorce, can be a cause of being bullied. The child doesn’t feel like he has family support, nor someone to talk to at home, causing him to be insecure and in need of attention. Making him an â€Å"easy target† for a bully. Effects of Bullying