Bullying: A Social Issue or Problem Using a Sociological Lens (Essay Sample)

BULLYING
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Introduction
Bullying refers to a continuous or persistent inhuman behavior normally exhibited among school children due to a history of perceived power imbalance while is the deed or act of taking own life purposely. These two events intermarry. This is because bullying is an act which involves torture, punishments and generally making life unbearable, this acts of bullying may lure one to committing suicide or killing himself or herself. In this essay, it will be argued that bullying in school predisposes the victims to circumstances that increases their chances of committing suicide
Bullying in schools has been going for quite number of years. In fact it is a vice that has been happening or that has been recorded for decades yet no much emphasis has been given to address it in totality. Students are being turned into entertainment theatres by the elder or senior students or prefects and this has been going unnoticed. The idea of bullying was given an ear when Dan Olweus in 1970’s wrote about bullying in schools (2008, p 152). His book become the first book to shed some light about bullying. Bullying in schools has been going on for quite sometime and it has led to students dropping out of school before their time of completion elapsed. This act normally takes place when students are in session and despite the presence of teachers, either the affected fail to report the act to the teachers or the teachers fail to acknowledge the existence of the vice and become more involved in detecting and addressing it. Dagman Strohmeier and Gil Nolan gave their views regarding reaction of teachers to this kind of inhuman ways of students treating each other. These authors argue that most of them take it for granted not knowing that is creating trouble and discomfort among the students (Dan Olweus, 2008,p 152).
Many students have been bullied. Bullying come in different forms. Some students are forced to surrender my money, lunch, told to do press ups, drink 20 liters of water, tortured and subjected other forms of punishments by prefects and other senior students who are the worst bullies. Many students at school are ambushed and cornered, beaten up, their hair yanked and asked for bribe in order to be allowed to enjoy their little freedom. Such students may have to be forced to give the bullies the only money they were given by their parents for such basic requirements as lunch or other needs. Some of the bullied students may feel that life is unbearable at that point and may start hating going to school (WhatIs, 2010).. Such students start losing hope, the grades for such students will start dropping. Their social lives will start changing and they see themselves like prisoners in their school. School Administration should deal with these bullying acts, counsel the bullies and try creating some rules to stop bullying. This could not be 100% effective. They have to employ other new ways or interventions (Rigby, 2011, p.280).
Bullying in schools has made the students commit suicide. This is because when a student undergoes this kind of torture he or she sees no other savior around them and they finally contemplate and decide to commit as a remedy avoid bullying. Undergoing bullying while in school makes students have lower self esteem, get discouraged, become stressed up and finally get depressed, this trend is dangerous because at that level of depression, the student may decide to commit suicide. Students commit suicide is actually rampant and is increasing and should be dealt with, for example, suicide in the year 2004 was rated the third cause of death among the teens in the world (WhatIs, 2010).. As far as elementary school level, many can see the way students are bullied. Here, their fellow students made fun of them, and some are told they are ugly like warthogs, fat like hippos, dressed with ugly clothes like there grandmothers. Bullies make their colleagues are worthless. These acts make many students commit suicide. Research conducted in Holland shows that 13% of boy’s bulls 18% of school boys and they indirectly suffer from suicidal acts or ideation (va der Wal, de Wit & Hirasing, 2003, p.209).
Causes of cyber bullying
The main cause of cyber bullying among people is the aggressive nature various people have. They are aware of the consequences of participating in gang activities and as a result, they engage in the act of cyber bullying to satisfy their ego. Among such individuals, such practices boost their ego and it gives them a reason to laugh at others especially the peers (Dilmac, 2009). The aggressive nature among these people in the society calls for the urge to be noticed in the surrounding and participating in the bullying activity may be a good way of not being noticed only in the society but also globally.
The other cause of cyber bullying is immaturity among the teenagers. The access to the internet has become relatively cheap and affordable to everyone including those who have nothing important to do on the net. As a result, they end up participating in cyber bullying activities just to keep them busy online. They usually engage in such activities without knowing the harm their actions may cause to others. Parents are also ignorant to watch on what their children do on the internet and this further supports cyber bullying. Ignorance on how harmful words can be is also a cause of cyber bullying (WhatIs, 2010). When people attain teenage, they find most words non-offensive to use. As a result, they might use abusive and undermining words to address other people via the internet who might find the words offensive (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009). The offended people feel intimidated quite often and end up feeling bullied.
Revenge is usually common among various groups of people especially the teenagers. When a person gets intimidated via the internet, they might feel the urge to throw back harassing words to others to meet their urge for revenge (WhatIs, 2010). Therefore, revenge plays a major role in spreading cyber bullying. There is no cure for the urge to take revenge among people. Therefore, as the level of ICT increases among the society and a large number of people gain access to the internet, many people will continuously intimidate others. The level of revenge will always accompany, which may lead to a faster spread if no stern actions against the practice are taken.
Bullying among young people in schools has become a rampant occurrence. Bullying is a form of violence. It is any unwanted aggressive behavior by a single youth or group of them. It occurs majorly because of a perceived power imbalance among the young people. It tends to be repeated several times. Bullying can include aggression that is physical hitting, verbal abuse, that is, name calling, teasing, spreading rumors, and , leaving out of group. Therefore, a young person can be a perpetrator, a victim, or both a victim and a perpetrator. Worryingly, bullying can also take place through technology. When this happens, this is called electronic aggression or cyber-bullying. Electronic aggression is bullying that is perpetrated and executed through e-mail, a chat room, instant messaging, a website, text messaging, or videos or pictures posted on websites or sent through cell phones(WhatIs, 2010). Sadly, bullying result in physical injury, social and emotional strain, and even fatalities. Affected youth are at risk of depression, anxiety, sleep discomfort, and poor school adaptation. Youth who bully others are at increased risk for substance use, academic problems, and violence later in adolescence and adulthood. Relative to youth who only bully, or who are only victims, bully-victims suffer the most serious consequences and are at greater risk for both mental health and behavior problems.
Since recent history concerns the effects of harmful behavior, the entire majority of studies on video games looked at the potential games to promote aggressive behavior. This is essential especially getting the benefits of video games. Furthermore, there is much shifting of aggression and violence. There is rampant confusion of play with violence. It should be therefore, put into consideration(WhatIs, 2010). Most of the children therefore often engage in some sort of rough and tumble games that are never hurt them neither. Studies shows that hostility of an individual based on thoughts are equivalent to a violent behavior.
Peer victimization is therefore put into consideration by clearly stating the awareness on the meaning, impacts as well as repercussions of bullying. This actually s done by teachers in schools parents at home as well as the adult mentors at large. Creation of such awareness definitely is growing but conveniently the teachers and parents hide some information that they might have been used by the students and their children. This has called for more books in schools that are used to impart knowledge to these children. This is inclusive of articles, journals, watching bullying videos. This is the most effective way of learning and the students gets to know the reality of getting into the shoe of bulling. (Kolbert, 2014) They will conversantly become convinced and therefore more strategies and warning are kept. Students raising alarms are essential since it creates awareness by making of policies in institution on the way to tackle. Teachers however tend to approach bullying state if the case is reported. This gives room for proper handling of the situation in the best way possible. This includes giving punishment to the offenders as well as providing guidance and counseling.
The programs for stopping bullying found in the past studies include parenting programs as well as preventing a fall. In parenting, it clearly and vividly describes the current literature on the nature of parenting programs ...