The Problem of Bullying
Everywhere you look, there is some instance of bullying taking place. Bullying happens to kids and even adults. Bullying takes place in person, through text messages, and on social media. It seems no matter where people congregate there is bound to be some form of bullying taking place.
Bullying is not something that anyone should take lightly. Bullying occurs to one out of every 4 teens. When it comes to cyberbullying, as much as 43% of teens online are victims of bullying. The actual number of victims of cyberbullying varies depending on which age bracket they sit. Some victims of bullying are able to turn to their parents, guardians, teachers, or school counselors for help with their bullying problem. Unfortunately, in recent years, some teens suffer so much abuse at the hands of bullies that they turn to suicide to escape the constant abuse.
More Statistics on Bullying
- Every 7 minutes a child is bullied on the playground. No intervention occurs 85% of the time, adult intervention occurs 4% of the time and peer intervention occurs 11% of the time.
- 1 out of 5 kids admits to doing some form of bullying
- More violence occurs on school property than on the way to or from school
- 9 out of 10 LGBT students experience some form of harassment either in school or online
- Physical violence occurs 80% of the time when someone argues with a bully
- 1/3 of students polled have overheard someone threaten to kill another student
- Each month 282,000 students in secondary school get physically attacked
- 8% of students stay home to avoid being the victim of a bully on any given day
- 35% of kids online have been the victim of threats.
- 58% of kids online admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them. Roughly 4 out of 10 say it has occurred more than once
- 58% of kids to not report cyberbullying to their parents, guardians or other adult authority figure.
Why Do People Bully Others
When someone is the victim of bullying, he or she might ask their parents, grandparents, or teachers why people become bullies. The truth is there are numerous reasons why people bully their peers. Here are some of the most common reasons.
- Some people bully because of the status of their home life. They may have absent parents, parents how drink excessively, do drugs, or the parents are abusive.
- An older sibling(s) bully them on a regular basis.
- Bullies learn from example. They may have a parent, teacher, or other prominent adult figure in their life who is a bully.
- Bullies target people they perceive as weak simply because they have a low tolerance for weak people.
- Bullies enjoy using and dominating others. They also crave the attention of others as well as power over others.
- Bullies are cruel to others because it makes them feel better than others. It makes them feel smarter or stronger.
- People bully other people so people do not bully them.
How Can People Stop Bullying
If you or someone you know is the victim of bullying the first thing you need to do is tell someone. Tell your parents, a teacher, a counselor, any adult you trust so they can address the bully and his or her actions. When reporting the bullying incident, give as many details as possible. Include who the victim of the bullying was, who did the bullying, as well as how, and where the bullying occurred. If you believe someone is being bullied tell a trusted adult that as well. It is better to report potential abuse and be incorrect than to let bullying continue.
Bullying is a serious problem presently. The best way to stop bullying is to notice the signs of bullying and report someone you suspect is a bully. Furthermore, if you see someone who is the victim of a bully one of the best things you can do is befriend them. Often times, having people show them some kindness or friendship will help them deal with the bullying of others. Bullying will only stop when everyone takes a stand against it.
References:
http://bullyingepidemic.com/every-7-minutes-a-child-is-bullied/>
http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-statistics.html>
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying>