“EFFECTS OF BULLYING”

Chapter 1

The Problem and Its Background

Bullying is the act of continual abuse where one party tries to enforce its power over

another. It is a serious problem especially in school. Lot is experiencing this often to the

teenagers. Bullying is the use of force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidates or

aggressively dominates others. It is learned behavior and detrimental to the academic,

physical, social and emotional development of all involved the bullies, targets and the

people who witness it. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. Behaviors used to

assert such domination can include verbal harassment or threat, physical assault or

coercion, and such acts may be directed repeatedly toward particular targets. The

victims experience the physical, verbal and social bullying that tempt them to depress.

Bullying is divided into three basic types of abuse: the emotional, verbal and physical. It

can also define in many different ways. Bullying can occur in any context in which

human beings interact with each other. This includes school, church, family, the

workplace, home and neighborhoods. It is even in a common push factor in migration.

Bullying can exist between social groups, social classes and even between countries.

Bullying in school and the workplace is also referred to as peer abuse. Many students

were getting involved to this problem and affected by bullying. The purpose of the

researchers why they study this topic is to make the other people realize that too much

bullied can cause an effect to the students.

Everywhere, bullying happens. The most serious place where bullying happen is at

school. There are many places in school that bullying happens, like hallways, restroom,

classroom, canteen and others. School bullying is a widespread issue which affects

students in several ways. Bullying in school sometimes consist of a group of students

taking advantage of or isolating one student in particular and gaining the loyalty of

witnesses, who, in some cases want to avoid becoming the next victim.

Victims of school bullying are known to be at risk in peer relationships and to sometimes

use ineffective coping strategies, but little previous research has examined differences

among escaped victims, continuing victims and new victims.

Bullying is one of the problems that the society is facing today. Although the government

sector implemented laws against bullying but still, the cases of bullying getting higher.

There are kinds of bullying but the researches will focus in school bullying because

most of the time children are in school.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study focused on effects of bullying on the students. Specifically, answer to the

following questions would be seen through material resources.

1. What are the effects of bullying on the students?

1.1 The big impacts of bullying.

2. How to prevent bullying?

3. What do they feel like to be bullied?

4. What are the characteristics of the victims of bullying?

This research might help the following people to know how to deal with the problem of

bullying and its obvious consequences and effects on the students.

Students: To know how bullying affects them and how to handle bullying

Parents: To know the signs if their children experience bullying in school and

how they will help children who are being bullied.

Teachers: To know the students who are experiencing bullying in class.

Institutions: To seek for the answers on how to avoid bullying among the children and

to help the victims of bullying.

Peers: To know the effects and consequences of bullying and being bullied.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION

Bullying is still a big problem in our community, especially in school. In fact, the rate of

students being bullied in school is getting higher and higher every year. This study

directly concerns bullies and those who are bullied. This study aims to deepen our

knowledge on why and how bullies act that way and its cause and effect. Moreover, the

results of this study can be used as future references for further investigation on

bullying. Researchers will also design action plans that may be propose to lessen the

bullying of students.
DEFINITION OF TERMS

Academic Performance- the outcome of education the extent to which a student,

teacher or institution has achieved their educational goals

Bias- against one thing

Coercion -the practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or

threats

Detrimental- tending to cause harm

Discrimination- the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or

thing

Domination- exercise of preponderant, governing, or controlling influence

Implicate- show (someone) to be involved in a crime

Pervasive- spread

Stigma- a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person

Suicide- is the act of intentionally causing one's own death

Taunting- provoke or challenge

Truancy- the action of staying away from school without good reason
 CHAPTER 2

Reviews of Related Literature and Studies

According to some findings, the existence of bullying at school has become a worldwide

phenomenon and a problem that can create negative impacts for the general school

atmosphere and for the rights of students to learn in a safe environment without fear.

Bullying can also have negative lifelong consequences both for students who bully and

for their victims. Although formal research as well as intervention programs to prevent

bullying have been taking place for decades in some developed countries, the problems

associated with bullying have been also discussed all over the world whenever formal

schooling environment exist.

It is likely that bullying has gone on at schools for as long as schools have existed.

Many parents and teachers have become more determined that action must be taken to

stop severe bullying. It is clear that bullying can blight the life of many pupils who

experience it, while those pupils who set away with bullying others are learning various

at odds with any proper preparation for citizenship. Schools have become increasingly

aware that bullying is a problem to be addressed, and that doing so openly will get

grateful recognition from parents and pupils.

According to the study of the Queensland Department of Education and Training

that being bullied can result in a person feeling miserable and powerless, so the

response of those around that person is important in making a change.

According to the study of the National Education Association that there are many

ways how to prevent bullying. We may be aware if the bullying can happen to you. Be

pay attention on it. There are many warning signs that may point to a bullying problem,
such as unexplained injuries, lost or destroyed personal items, changes in eating habits,

and avoidance of school or other social situations. However, every student may not

exhibit warning signs, or may go to great lengths to hide it. This is where paying

attention is most valuable. Engage students on a daily basis and ask open-ended

questions that encourage conversation.

According to the study of Perren that a child could have been a victim all through

childhood and when emerging into adolescence or adulthood decides it is time to take

control, control over others. Perren (2005) states that research has found that children

who bully others, but are also bullied themselves form a sub-group that is called

aggressive victims, proactive victims or bully-victims.

SUICIDE

There is a strong link between bullying and suicide, as suggested by recent bullying

related suicides in the US and other countries. Parents, teachers and students learn the

dangers of bullying and help students who may be at risk of committing suicides.

In the recent years, a series of bullying – related suicides in the US and across the

globe have drawn attention to the connection between bullying and suicide. Though too

many adults still see bullying as just part of being a kid, it is a serious problem that leads

to many negative effects for victims, including suicides. Many people may not realize

that there is also a link between being bully and committing suicide.

(http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html)

According to the centers for Disease control, suicide is the third leading cause of death

among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year. For every suicide among
young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts over 14 percent of high school

students have considered suicide and almost 7 percent have attempted it.

According to studies by Yale University, bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more

likely considered suicides than non-victims.

A study in Britain found at least half of suicides among young people are related to

bullying, 10 to 14 years old girls may be at even higher risk for suicide.

According to statistics reported by ABC news, nearly 30 percent of students are either

bullies or victims of bullying and 160,000 kids stay home from school every day

because of fear of bullying.

According to Kelly Yeomans (1984–1997), age 13, a English schoolgirl from the Allenton

suburb of Derby, became widespread news when the cause was blamed on bullying to

which she had been subjected by other local children. She was reported to be the victim

of repeated harassment and taunting, particularly about her weight. Matters came to a

head in September 1997, when a group of youths reportedly gathered at Yeomans's

home on several consecutive nights, on each occasion throwing food at the house and

shouting taunts aimed at Yeomans. This prompted Yeomans to tell her family, "I have

had enough and I'm going to take an overdose”. Five youths between the ages of

thirteen and seventeen were convicted of intentionally harassing Yeomans in the

months leading up to her death.

According to Amanda Todd (1996–2012), age 15, Canadian high school student who

committed suicide by hanging due to school bullies and cyber bullying. She committed

suicide at the age of 15 at her home in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. Prior

to her death, Todd had posted a video on YouTube in which she used a series of flash
cards to tell her experience of allegedly being blackmailed into exposing her breasts via

webcam; bullied; and physically assaulted. The video went viral after her death,

resulting in international media attention. The video has had more than 19 million views

as of May 2015. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and British Columbia Coroners

Service launched investigations into the suicide. At the time of her death, Todd was a

grade 10 students at CABE Secondary in Coquitlam, a school that caters to students

who have experienced social and behavior issues in previous educational settings. In

response to the death, Christy Clark, the Premier of British Columbia, made an online

statement of condolence and suggested a national discussion on criminalizing cyber

bullying. Also, a motion was introduced in the Canadian House of Commons to propose

a study of the scope of bullying in Canada, and for more funding and support for anti-

bullying organizations. Todd's mother Carol established the Amanda Todd Trust,

receiving donations to support anti-bullying awareness education and programs for

young people with mental health problems.

TRUANCY

Closely related to the issue of a child’s relationship with school is the matter of bullying.

Bullying is a prime component in the making of an unsafe school environment; If a child

does not feel safe at school or on the way to/from school, they are much more likely to

become truant. Bullying occurs for many reason and it goes beyond the one isolated

instance of harassment either because of teacher’s inability to control, or problems

arising from the child’s own personality or learning abilities. A parent might say they are

keeping their child off school because they’re being bullied. The school might call it
truancy (http://www.susanscheff.net/truancy-causes.html)

Boys are only slightly more likely to be sent to court for truancy than girls. According to

juvenile court statistics collected by the National Center for Juvenile Justice, 54% of all

petitioned truancy cases between 1990 and 1999 were for males, and 46% were for

females. [Source: Puzzanchera, C., et. al., Juvenile Court Statistics 1999, National

Center for Juvenile Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, July

2003

According to the research by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

truancy rates in UK schools are higher than those in other developed nations but the

Government insists it has cut the number of pupils classed as persistently absent.

British schoolchildren were more likely to miss lessons than the international average; it

emerged, with truants falling a year behind those with regular attendance in math

exams. The study showed that 18 per cent of pupils sitting a new test had “skipped a

day of school in the two weeks” prior to the exam.

According to Lietta Ryan that bullying can result in reluctance to go to school and

truancy, headaches and stomach pains, reduced appetite, shame, anxiety, irritability,

aggression and depression are also frequent effects. Bullying is a direct attack on a

student’s status, sense of belonging and core identity, and often results in low self-

esteem. The effects of bullying often continue many years into adulthood. In the most

extreme cases, targets have taken out their anger and despair through school shootings

or by committing suicide.
For the school, the costs of bullying are countless hours consumed in tackling a

problem that is resistant to change, truancies, reduced student retention, low teacher

morale, negative perceptions of the school by the wider community and parent hostility.

The school campus becomes a place where many kids are marginalized and where no-

one feels safe. As students become alienated from school, academic performance

declines. Schools are increasingly sued for failing to provide a safe learning

environment and are being held liable for the harassment, violence and suicides caused

by bullying.

According to the study of the advice line article School truancy is a common outcome of

bullying. Bullied children prefer to risk getting caught bunking off school than to get

caught by the bullies. There are many causes of truancy ranging from violent antisocial

behavior, to boredom and disaffection, to escaping daily bullying which schools are

failing to deal with. Not everyone is academically minded, and academic qualifications

are one of the poorest indicators of potential.

DISCRIMINATION

Despite significant attention to the medical impacts of obesity, often ignored are the

negative outcomes that obese children and adults experience as a result of stigma,

bias, and discrimination. Obese individuals are frequently stigmatized because of their

weight and many domains of daily life. Research spanning several decades has

documented consistent weight bias and stigmatization in employment, health care,

school, the media, and interpersonal relationships. For overweight and obese youth,

weight stigmatization (including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, body

Multiple adverse outcomes are associated with exposure to weight stigmatization

including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, suicidal ideation,

poor academic performance, low physical activity, maladaptive eating behaviors and

avoidance of health cares. This review summarizes the nature and extent of weight

stigmatization against overweight and obese individuals as well as the resulting

consequences that these experiences create for social, psychological, and physical

health for children and adults who are targeted. It can result in reluctance to go to

school and truancy, headaches and stomach pains, reduced appetite, shame, anxiety,

irritability, aggression and depression are also frequent effects. Bullying is a direct

attack on a student’s status, sense of belonging and core identity, and often results in

low self-esteem. The effects of bullying often continue many years into adulthood. In the

most extreme cases, targets have taken out their anger and despair through school

shootings or by committing suicide.

For the school, the costs of bullying are countless hours consumed in tackling a

problem that is resistant to change, truancies, reduced student retention, low teacher

morale, negative perceptions of the school by the wider community and parent hostility.

The school campus becomes a place where many kids are marginalized and where no-

one feels safe. As students become alienated from school, academic performance

declines. Schools are increasingly sued for failing to provide a safe learning

environment and are being held liable for the harassment, violence and suicides caused

by bully.
 According to a study at Yale University published in the International Journal of

Obesity. For those who would challenge such discrimination, the study confirmed what

many say has long been abundantly clear: bias against people who are considered fat

is pervasive in employment, education, public accommodations, and virtually all aspects

of our society. Those who are overweight earn less than non-overweight people in

comparable positions, are less likely to be hired in the first place or considered for a

promotion, and are often viewed as lazy or lacking in self-discipline by employers and

co-workers. Over a 40-year career, a worker who is overweight is likely to earn

$100,000 less than a person who is thinner according to another study, and women are

stigmatized and financially penalized more than men for extra pounds. In the Yale study,

women were twice as likely as men to report that they had been discriminated at the

workplace because of their size.

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Academic achievement is the first aspect which influences bullying at school.

Therefore, bullied children live within fear, self-blame, feel weak and it affects their

personality traits and self-confidence, so this situation makes them unable to study well

and they might hate going to school. Furthermore, they will lose their opportunities to

participate with others or enjoy school activities. Hence, they will gain less academic

performance and low educational attainment. There is a strong relationship between

bullying and school quality such as class size, lack of library, sports facilities. Both

bullies and victims feel more negative about school, and persistent bullying may lead to
stress and depression. Bullying can lead to anxiety, low self-esteem, hopelessness and

isolation. Children miss lessons or are scared to attend school. They lose concentration

when they do attend. Some of the effects last long after the bullying, until they are

adults.

Students who are bullied cannot concentrate in schools, so their grades may be a

warning sign that a student is being bullied. A child’s grade may also suffer if he or she

misses a lot of school due to bullying.

According to the Washington Assessment of Student Learning6 and the Iowa Test

of Basic Skills,7 2 standardized measures of academic achievement, were administered

in the spring of 2002. Each examination consisted of subtest score for reading, math,

and listening. A composite score was created for each child, which was used as a proxy

for academic achievement. School attendance was expressed as a percentage of days

attended of days enrolled during the 2001-2002 school year. This was treated as a

continuous variable.

According to Faye Mishna, victimized children describe themselves as unpopular,

unhappy, and unsafe at school. They tend to lack friends and to be rejected by peers.

These children report feeling afraid in school, reacting negatively toward school, and

consequently avoiding school more often than their peers.

According to Katon De Pena, students who reported that they did not feel safe and

that they did not belong at school were more likely to be involved in 14bullying. Children

who said they were sad most days had higher odds of being either bullies or victims.

Lower achievement scores were associated with being a victim or bully-victim.

may thus deteriorate, according to Faye Mishna.

According to Margaret Allotey-Pappoey, that the victim who are bullied can lose

interest in school. They may suffer physical injuries and mental health issues. They may

suffer depression and anxiety. They look sad and lonely. They suffer eating and sleep

disorders and lose interest in activities they used to enjoy. They begin to perform poorly

in academic work. Some end up dropping out of school. The bully tends to have violent

behavior as well. If they are allowed to continue bullying, they may engage in risky and

more violent behavior. They will take this to adulthood.