What is Bullying?... |
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They started investigating bullying by firstly establishing a definition of bullying from an Oxford dictionary
Maybe another question would be why should we worry about bullying as an issue at all? Is it not just part of growing up? Yes it is a fact of life, but that does not mean that we should not be concerned about it, or try and do something about it. Another definition of bullying is:
"A student (or pupil) is being bullied or victimised when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other students." Bullying at School. Olweus, Dan. Blackwell 1993.
As far as being concerned with bullying, when young people come together there is bound to be interaction and some of this could be of a negative nature (bullying).
The fact is that bullying can lead to long-term "deficiency" and insecurities in the bullied person and they may find it hard to behave normally because they are being bullied.
Quiet, withdrawn behaviour is one example here. Unfortunately, such behaviour can itself lead to further bullying because the individual appears more vulnerable.
Because schools, colleges, etc. are learning institutions it is important to address and deal with bullying because people cannot learn well whilst being under the influence of bullying.
The NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) indicated that one UK bullying helpline received over 16,000 calls and these figures are rising.
Often, where children feel rejected by their parents, they express their frustration and rejection in the form of bullying, be it physical or psychological.
Social factors such as the increase in the divorce rate, work demands, low incomes, etc. are all having an affect on young people whom often turn to bullying as a release.
A Psychology Department study, by Sheffield University UK, found that approximately 10 per cent of pupils in primary schools reported being bullied at least once a week (There was a 4 per cent report of bullying in secondary schools).
If these figures are extrapolated, then up to 350,000 school children in the age range 8 to 12 years, and over and 100,000 secondary school children, are being bullied in some form or another, at least once a week. So there is a problem.
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