ESSAY QUESTION: Bullying is a social problem that is not limited
to the schoolyard. Explain
In this essay I would like to demonstrate the seriousness of the bullying
problem in our schools and point out its effects on the social welfare
industry. I would also like to show how people trivialise bullying so that
they don't have to do anything about it. It's important to realise that such
behaviour is encouraged, glorified and rewarded.
Bullying in schools is a serious problem and needs to be treated in a far
more determined fashion than it has been to date. I remember my seventh
grade Social Science teacher, Mrs Williams telling my class once that
bullying is a far more serious problem today than it has been in the past.
Before presenting my argument I must define my terms. The Collins Pocket
English Dictionary (1996) says that a bully is a "person who hurts,
persecutes, or intimidates a weaker person". Link (1998:1) expands on this
by saying that bullying is also teasing, threatening, making fun of, taking or
destroying property , ganging up, or exclusion. The dictionary also
characterises assault as "a violent attack".
People like to believe that bullying behaviour is limited to the playground,
and can therefore be ignored, however this is not the case. Bullying
behaviour can have repercussions many years after the event and in many
different situations. My research also strongly suggests that there is a link
between being a bully as a child and later criminal activity.
A great deal of "bullying" is in fact an assault but schools try to adopt a light
hearted attitude towards the dangerous nature of the problem. Because of
this few cases actually get to court and those that do are often laughed off
as an over-protective parents misunderstanding the nature of school yard
bullying.
Our society is not just ignoring bullying but is actively encouraging and
admiring such behaviour. This rests the responsibility for bullying firmly on
society as a whole and not just the school system.
The first part of the case is to show that bullying can have an the victim and
on society as a whole. Linke (1998:3) states that emotional bullying is more
common then physical attacks, and that bullying over a long period of time
can cause victims to suffer from a low self-esteem and depression. They
can also suffer from major health problems. Some New Zealand school
students said that the distress cause by bullying was second only to that
caused by the death of a love one. Rigby (1998:22) says that some victims
become bullies and thus the problem is compounded.
The statement "names will never hurt me" is simply discredited by the
evidence presented above.
But more frightening is that Marr and Field have written a book about what
they call bullycide. This means that sometimes bullied children will see
suicide as the only way to put an end to their pain. They report that the
youngest victim was only eight years old.
Are bullies victims as well? Elliott (1997:61) says that bullies can go from
school to school and that this excludes them from mainstream education.
Obviously, this will have a huge effect on the education of the bully. She
also says that they have poor social skills and are emotionally insecure.
They also come from a culture that accepts violence and feel their
behaviour repeats that. Therefore bullying can be cause by problems
beyond the control of the bully.
Bullying can effect the parents of the victims. From personal experience
parents can be greatly troubled by bullying especially when the victim takes
his anger out at home. Tattum and Herbert (1994:14,16) cite the following
from parents. One mother says that she spent years worrying about her
bullied son. One father is cited as saying that his whole family were suffering
the effects of her daughter being bullied.
Elliott ( 1997:65) cites one example of the parents of bullies also suffering
from the consequences that of bullying. The parents tried everything they
could and finally succeeded but it was not easy. Therefore the effects of
bullying can effect directly or indirectly the families of both the victim and
the bully.
Teachers can also suffer the effects of bullying. Perhaps the most common
way of dealing with these effects is to think that bullying is not worth dealing
with, or that it will always be with us. Often when I have reported bullying
little if anything was done. Elliot (1997) says the teachers may need to have
the bully under supervision, that means that staff do not have as much time
for doing their job. Staff deal with bullying when they should be teaching.
Can bullying be a criminal matter? Take the example of Damilola Taylor
(Tendler 2000) who was killed on his way home from school, or the more
recent case of someone being raped at school which has been in the media
lately. At Lyneham High School in 1995 bullying lead to a victim attacking
a bully with a knife. There is a problem with figuring where the line between
bullying and crime is drawn. Elliot (1997:202) suggests that some bullying
meets the legal definition of assault. She (1997:206) also suggests that the
schools have to ensure that they meet their duty of care. Linke (1998)
points out that children who are bullies can be delinquent in their teens.
The second part of the case is to show that society as a whole must share
some of the blame for bullying. I will do this by explaining how society
rewards, encourages, and sees bullying as normal or acceptable behaviour.
Tattum, Herbert (1994:5) and Linke (1998:21) mention the following as
statements made by people within society to try and avoid dealing with and
even justifying. Statements such as "boys will be boys" "it'll sort it self out",
"he's got to take it like a man", "boys need to learn how to fight", "if children
are bullied it's their own fault," and "bullying will always be with us".
Essentially blame the victim.
There are ways that society gives the idea that bullying is acceptable.
Linke's (1998:4) list includes behaviour in parliament (just listen to question
time on the ABC), bullying on the road (road rage is not setting a good
example for the young). Cartoons and other television shows which are
designed for children (they show people getting hurt without the attackers
ever getting punished). Television teachers that violence does solve
problems. Domestic violence teaches children that aggression, violence and
bullying is normal. Homophobic and racist groups in society also set bad
examples for the young.
But society's view of bullying is frightening obvious at the present time with
he new wave of game shows such as Treasure Island (TV show on
Prime:2000), and the Weakest Link. (TV show on Prime:2001) In these
game shows contestants try to win the money regardless of what needs to
be done to everybody else who is getting in your way.
Allow me to cite a few examples of how the Weakest Link meets the
definition of bullying put forward by Collins Dictionary and Linke. The host
of the show is nothing like the "happy go lucky it's only a bit of fun with a
few mates" Tony Barber. This host goes to great lengths to insult the
contestants. The aim of the game is to vote off any team member you think
is getting in the way of you winning the money. Contestants need to gang
up, exclude and threaten the player they believe is the weakest link in order
to better their own chances of winning.
To sum up: bullying is in it's self a social problem and that other social
problems create bullying, it has also being shown that not dealing with
bullying is a key factor in it's being a social problem.
References
Ellot, Michelle (1997) 101 ways to deal with bullying, Holding and
Stoughton, London.
Heady, Kaye (editor) (1998) Bullying and peer pressure Spinney Press,
Balmain NSW. (where I got the Rigby quote)
Linke, Pam (1998) Let's Stop Bullying Australian Early Childhood
Association, Watson, ACT.
Marr, Neil and Field, Tim Books published by Success Unlimited
http://www.successunlimited.co.uk/books/bullycid.htm 27 March 2001.
Tattium, Delwyn and Herbert, Graham Delwyn and Herbert, Graham
Bullying: A positive response, South Glamorgan Institute of Higher
Education, Learning Resources, Cardiff
Tendler, Stewart (2001) Stop sheltering Damilola killers, pleads father
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-47735,00.html (27 March 2001)
Date of article 07 December 2000
The Weakest Link (tv show) Which went to air on April 2nd 2001 on
Prime
Last Updated - 20/09/2003
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