Bullying in schools is a universal and long standing problem. Because it's so common, many adults think that bullying is just a normal part of growing up. However, research indicates that school bullying can have major social, educational, health, and other consequences for the children who bully, the children who are bullied, and the witnesses of violence and their communities.

It is important to distinguish bullying from other forms of peer aggression or conflict. Not all aggressive behavior among children and youth should be considered "bullying." Bullying can be defined as the use of one's strength or status to intimidate, injure, or humiliate another person of lesser strength or status. Acts of bullying are not intentionally provoked by the victims; for such acts to be defined as bullying, an imbalance in real or perceived power must exist between the bully and the victim (Besag, 1989; Olweus, 1993).

Bullying is characterized by the following three criteria:
 

• Imbalance of power – real or perceived
• Intent to cause harm
• Repetition – a key component of bullying is that the physical or psychological intimidation occurs repeatedly over time to create an ongoing pattern of harassment and abuse.

Bullying can be relentless and vicious and the forms that it can take are varied. It can be categorized as physical, verbal, or social. Physical bullying involves physical injury, while verbal bullying refers to threats of injury, teasing or insults. Social bullying refers to the use of peer rejection or exclusion to humiliate or isolate a victim.  This may also include cyber bullying, in which a  person is bullied through email, instant messaging, chat room exchanges, Web site posts, or digital messages or images send to a cellular phone (Kowalski et al. 2008).

Most often, when we speak of school bullying the focus is on boys, but both girls and boys act as bullies. If one were to discuss differences in gender, the most discernible difference would be method.  Boys typically engage in direct bullying, whereas girls are more apt to utilize indirect bullying strategies. Direct bullying involves a great deal of physical aggression, and as such, it gets most of the attention. Examples of direct bullying are: shoving and poking, throwing things, slapping, choking, punching and kicking, beating, stabbing, pulling hair, scratching, biting, scraping and pinching. Indirect bullying is characterized by threatening the victim into social isolation. This isolation is achieved through a wide variety of techniques, including: spreading gossip / rumors, refusing to socialize with the victim, bullying other people who wish to socialize with the victim, criticizing the victim (e.g. manner of dress and other socially-significant markers), name calling, the silent treatment, manipulation, lies, staring, giggling, laughing at the victim, and mocking. Ultimately, regardless of the form bullying takes (i.e. direct vs. indirect) or the specific act carried out, the result is the same - to make the victim feel hurt, afraid, or uncomfortable.

The Consequences of Bullying

Bullying is a serious problem with detrimental long-term effects. The negative consequences of bullying are not limited to the victims but extend to the perpetrators and the larger community as well. As a person who is inclined to act as a bully matures, his or her related behavior patterns will often also mature. If aggressive behavior is not challenged in childhood, there is a danger that it may become habitual. We must not forget that “school yard bullying” is a risk factor for possible violence in the future, and may develop into adult antisocial activities.  

One of the most damaging aspects of bullying in schools is that it poisons the atmosphere of learning for everyone. Schools have long represented a place where, for all children, talent, hard work and perseverance open the door to opportunity.

However, in order for students to learn, they need to feel safe and secure. Becoming victim to physical aggression and/or derogatory language can severely affect a young person’s education as well as their mental and physical health. Students who are bullied often experience higher rates of anxiety surrounding school attendance, due to the threats and property vandalism directed at them. They also express a greater lack of interest in school and learning compared to their peers. This can manifest as truancy, whereby students who are bullied have poor attendance and/ or are habitually late.

No child should be cheated out of a quality education due to feelings of fear and trepidation. Recognizing bullying for what it is shouldn't lead to the conclusion that schools are dangerous, as the majority of injuries that occur at schools are unintentional and not violent. However, there is no doubt that bullying can increase the "fear factor" in school environments.

Ways to Help Fight Bullying

• Set standards of behavior, limits, and clear expectations for children, in and out of school.
• Monitor our own adult behavior and aggression; provide appropriate models of conflict resolution. Children copy the behaviors of parents and adults -- good or bad.
• Model empathetic behavior.
• Encourage children who are bystanders to act appropriately.
• Be concerned and responsive regardless of whether your child is the reported bully or the victim. 
• Teach children to have respect for differences.

• Explain the difference between an assertive and an aggressive response.

   

Adults have a responsibility to understand and intervene when bad behavior crosses the line and becomes bullying. Intervention also means empowering children, particularly those who are witnesses to bullying, to be part of the solution. Promoting an environment of health and safety is a community-wide responsibility. We must all do better for our children.

"LifeLines is a monthly column dedicated to addressing issues of mental, behavioural, and social health. The column appears on the 1st weekend of the month, and is written by professionals in the field of social work, mental health, and community medicine".

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