Chapter 2: Discussion

CHAPTER 2

DISCUSSION

What are the reasons why other people bully the weak?

Definition and Types of Bullying

 Definition of bullying is the use of force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate or aggressively impose domination over others. Bullying is defined as a repeated verbal, physical, social or psychological behavior that is harmful and involves the misuse of power by an individual or group towards one or more persons. (http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/studentsupport/bullying/definition/) Bullying can cause a victim to feel upset, afraid, ashamed, embarrassed, and anxious about going to school. It can involve children of any age, including younger elementary grade-schoolers and even kindergarteners. Bullying behavior is frequently repeated unless there is intervention. (http://childparenting.about.com/od/schoollearning/g/bullying-definition.htm)

On the other hand, children who are ostracized by their peers and bullied often become depressed, but new research suggests that the relationship may work the other way around as well: children's depressive symptoms in elementary school precede social victimization and isolation later on.(http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/09/the-complicated-relationship-between-bullying-and-depression/). Adult bullying doesn't receive the same amount of press. But it has been found that the social form of bullying doesn't stop at childhood, but continues into adulthood. The same sorts of activities associated with childhood bullying are present in adults. (http://anxietypanichealth.com/2008/08/25/bullying-causes-anxiety-disorders-and-its-not-just-kids/).

Bullies bully for a reason and nobody knows why they do and sometimes they pose a threat, also that the rest of the student body and their victims are very intimidate by them because of what they can do. In reality, bullying is one of the number one top issue around the world and it is one of the things that the government is trying hard to stop. “Even though people are outside of high school. The memories of these experiences continue to be associated with depression and social anxiety.” (Allison Dempsey, 2008).

With regard to bullying, self-harm behaviors may stem from a desire to relieve tension or communicate stress, and in most extreme cases may represent a suicidal intent in the individual. The study found that 16.5 percent of 16-17 year olds had self-harmed in the previous year, and 27 percent of these did so because they felt as though they “wanted to die.” (http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/05/29/being-bullied-increases-likelihood-of-self-harm/55357.html)

“Many children suffer in silence and never speak out being bullied. While bullying also increases the risk of depression, many adolescents in our study self-harmed without being depressed – so it is important that when children or adolescents show signs of self-harm or indications of non- specific symptoms, we consider bullying as a possible cause and provide them with support.” (Wolke, 2013) Hospital admissions for self-harm among teenage girls have jumped by 10 percent in just one year, new figures reveal. In the last 12 months, there were 13,400 cases of self-harm among girls aged 15 to 19 that required hospital treatment – up from 12, 220 in the previous year.

Bullying can be taken to a new level and a more dangerous one. Bullying and harassment can have negative on the development and mental health of the GLBTQ community, such as extreme anxiety and depression, relationship problems, low self-esteem, substance abuse and thoughts of suicide. “Because of this, it is a major underestimate of the rate of bullying among gay youth. While family and peer support have important positive effects for gay youth and reduce feelings of suicide and depression.”(Patrick; 2013;http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/05/16/anti-gay-bullying-tied-to-teen-depression-suicide)

Reasons why bullies bully others

A. Family problems

Most of us don't know the reasons why bullies bully others and one of the reasons why they do it is because of family problems. The bullies experience painful things as well, even though they don't show it they put their anger and their hurt through bullying others.

Parenting styles that emphasize demands over parent-to-child affection can indirectly encourage bullying behavior. Part of the reason lies in children failing to gain positive support when they've performed well or behaved well. Without parent emotional rewards to guide the child's behavior, the child will seek eternal rewards. In such cases, children might find rewards through bullying, such as gaining peer respect or gaining material goods, including possessions of classmates. (http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/parental-influence-bullying-5917.html)

Bullies within the family, especially female bullies, are masters or mistresses, of manipulation and are fond of manipulating people through their emotions and their beliefs, attitudes and perceptions. Bullies see any form of vulnerability as an opportunity for manipulation, and are especially prone to exploiting those who are most emotionally needy. The family bully encourages and manipulates family members to lie, act dishonorably and dishonestly, withhold information, spread misinformation, and to punish the target for allege infractions, for example, the family members become the bully's unwitting and sometimes witting instruments of harassment.

Family problems is one of the main reasons why bullying is such a huge problem in the community. Sometimes family issues, particularly those involving abuse or violence, mean that you have to leave your family, home or partner and start a new life elsewhere. Coping with your emotions, getting money and finding somewhere to live all at the same time can be really hard.

B. Jealousy

Youngsters from affluent backgrounds are being targeted because of their accents, their parents “flashy” houses and their hobbies. Some teenagers even reported trying to change the way they speak to stop being accused of being “posh”. The poll of almost 2,000 students has revealed that those from wealth families are in a “high risk” category for being bullied. Some 12 percent from high-income homes said they have been targeted because of their wealth, with those from the 200,001 British pounds plus bracket most likely to say they have been persecuted. The findings come as leading head teachers warn of a growing “posh prejudice” which is leading to “jealousy and hostility”.

Victims may be good at what they do

A lot of times kids will be bullied because they get a lot of positive attention for something. This could be everything from excelling in sports, making the cheer-leading squad or getting the editor's position on the school newspaper. Bullies target these students because they either feel inferior or they worry that their abilities are being overshadowed by the target's abilities.

Bullies bully the smart ones and the good ones because they think that the smart ones will over-power them in a sense the smart people will get the spotlight rather than the bullies, so instead the bullies just do what they do and get the spotlight for themselves.

Targets have an illness or disability.

Oftentimes, bullies target special needs children. This can include children who have Asperger's, autism, ADHD, dyslexia or any other condition that sets them apart.

Targets have different religious or cultural beliefs.

One example of bullying because of religious or cultural beliefs includes the treatment Muslim students received after the 9/11 tragedy. But any student can be bullied for religious beliefs. Both Christian students and Jewish students are often ridiculed for their beliefs and practices as well