Recent reports from the National School Safety Center suggest that American schools contain an estimated 2.1 million bullies and 2.7 million victims.
It doesn’t stop there. Along with bullies and victims, there is a dual role known as the bully-victim. These individuals are both bullies and are bullied by others.
While it might be difficult to wrap our minds around millions of students being affected by bullying, it’s estimated that 1 in 7 students, kindergarten through 12th grade, will be affected by bullying in some capacity, whether as the bully, victim or bully-victim.
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These numbers illustrate why the issue resonates with so many students.
While the stereotype of bullying might elicit an image of a child being pushed around on the playground or shouted at by peers, bullying comes in a variety of forms. Bullying includes overt and/or hidden strategies — physical encounters (pushing), verbal approaches (name-calling), indirect situations (spreading rumors) and, more recently, through technology: cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying occurs when individuals use a cell phone, computer or tablet to send or post hurtful words or images. It is known to affect 7 percent of middle and high school students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics from 2013-2014.
Cyberbullying can occur 24 hours a day, seven days a week — leaving no way for the victim to escape. And on public sites, cyberbullying becomes immediately visible to everyone. These posts are often difficult to delete and sometimes allow the bully to remain anonymous. Private messages are easier to trace to the initiator.
What drives one to become a bully remains unknown. However, some individuals have a greater proclivity. For example, students can learn behaviors from their environments. But this isn’t the sole explanation for bullying.
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There are internal traits that can make one more likely to bully, research indicates. Some students exhibit callous-unemotional traits — showing no regard or empathy for others. Some students are more aggressive and quicker to react. Identifying students with such attributes, one could redirect students who are more likely to be bullies. But this is no small feat.
Sadly, bullying can lead to detrimental outcomes — such as suicide.
While the causes of youth suicides are not always explained, their relation to bullying can be speculated upon. The American Association of Suicidology showed that during the past 30 years, suicide rates have increased more than 50 percent in children 10 to 14 years old, though the rates are still relatively low.
Moreover, a review of studies conducted by Yale School of Medicine presented links between suicide and bullying. The studies included 13 countries. Bullying is an international concern.
We cannot deny the consequences of bullying. It involves lasting outcomes. When suicide is involved, we have to ask ourselves, “What can we do now to bring bullying to an end?”
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There is no simple solution to stop bullying. There is not just one solution. We can attempt to halt bullying and bring peace through awareness, proactivity, education and discussion.
But first, we need to make ourselves aware of bullying and its prevalence.
We must inform ourselves on how bullying can present itself and identify those who are at risk for being a bully and being bullied. For example, students who are rejected by their peers are at greater risk of being bullied than students who are accepted.
Proactivity is key.
Teachers cannot ignore when a student says a classmate is calling him/her names, nor should a parent minimize when a child shares that a peer wrote something hurtful online.
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The American Osteopathic Association reported in 2011 that 1 in 6 parents knew that his or her child was bullied through social media.
It’s important to take a strong stance against bullying.
We must teach students how to interact properly with their peers.
Teaching emotional and behavioral regulation strategies can help prevent children from bullying their peers.
There exist various empirically supported curricula to teach students how to control their emotions and behaviors. Modeling appropriate behavior, and informing students how to address their feelings and regulate behaviors are beneficial.
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Students should hear testimonials from peers who have been bullied. In this way, they learn that their actions and words are not empty — they carry weight.
Students should learn not to tear others down. Instead, they should say and do things to build up others.
Even when bullying is stopped, individuals can still harbor pain and hurt. Physical marks from bullying might not be evident, but emotional scars can still exist.
The consequences of bullying include lower self-esteem and increased health problems. Individuals are also more at risk to skip school and use alcohol or drugs.
It’s important to secure help from professionals for bullies and victims. Therapists can fill this role, but so can a peer or a parent in whom the individual can confide and who can teach coping skills.
No one deserves bullying, but the reality is that it exists.
So, let us be aware of bullying and be proactive about it, while educating others. Let’s talk about this. Let’s prevent the alarming outcomes that can arise from bullying.
Jillian Pierucci, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of psychology at St. Mary’s University.