Bullying Being considered to be a subset of aggression, bullying in childhood and adolescence has been the focus of many empirical studies in the last several decades. Both theorists and practitioners have indicated that bullying is a significant problem that can affect the physical and psychosocial conditions of those who are frequently bullied and those individuals, children in particular who bully their peers at an early age (Batsche & Knoff, 165).
From the theoretical point of view, bullying constitutes a set of behaviors that is intentional and causes physical and psychological harm to the recipient (Smith & Thompson, 1).
Practically, bullying involves such actions as name-calling or teasing, social exclusion, and hitting (Crick, 1997).
However, because past research on the issue was limited by the focus on overt aggression, specialists indicate that bullying behaviors of early adolescents, in particular threats and teasing, are less comprehended (Crick, 611).
In 1989, Olweus provided the most complete definition of bullying, indicating that the dominant position of aggressor and the repeating character of the event is considered to be a differentiating factor between bullying and teasing or fighting. According to Olweus, a person is being bullied or victimized when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons (Olweus, 24).
Contemporary psychological practice measures levels of bullying and being bullied by utilizing two important variables: how often has an individual taken part in bullying other students in school, and how often has an individual been bullied in school.
Bullying and Teasing
Abstract The importance of the recognition of bullying is to get people to notice and be aware of what’s going on around them. For them to see the damage and harm it is causing every individual. The statistics of bullying is so overwhelming that it awakening and frightening at the same time. Bullying and Teasing: No Laughing Matter Unfortunately, teasing is often part of growing up — almost every ...
Several extensive studies conducted across the United States indicated that 7597 of adolescents reported some form of victimization from a bully during their school years, and that victimization resulted in significant problems, including loss of friendships and feelings of isolation and hopelessness (Hazier, Hoover, & Oliver, 22).
Moreover, during the study it was determined that the climate of a school can be directly impacted by bullying behaviors, if they are ignored, and threats and intimidation associated with bully behaviors make a negative atmosphere for all students. Thus, taking into consideration the negative multiple consequences for victims and the impact of bullying behavior on the school environment, psychological preventive intervention during early adolescence is extremely important to minimize these risks. Because counselors are likely to obtain referrals from school administrators and teachers for students who bully their peers, counselors working with these children must be informed and aware of various environmental factors that usually contribute to and retain bullying behavior. Knowledgeable expertise should be applied in order to implement relevant prevention and intervention programs. Due to evolution of contemporary learning theory, perspectives on aggression have been changed from the view of aggression as a congenital peculiarity of all individuals to the more modern conception determining that aggression, hence bullying, reflects some degree of learning from the surroundings. Practically, the external environment influence the process of acquiring and maintaining aggression, and thus children learn from adults and peers how to use aggressive means to reach their objectives.
Hawkins distinguishes some risk and protective factors, expanding on this matter, in particular family management, practices, family conflict, neighborhood disorganization, and economic distress (Hawkins, 101).
Several studies, focused primarily on childrens perceptions of family aspects, revealed important differences between bullies, victims and bully-victims, determined simultaneously as a bully and as a victim. According to studies conducted by Bowers, bullies perceive their family as less cohesive and experience more hostility than regular individuals (Bowers, 219).
The Essay on Homelessness Effects The Child Family Housing Problems
Whether the child's homeless condition is one where they are on the streets or in temporary or deficient housing, the effect of this homeless state causes many different degrees of retardation on the child's development. The effects of homelessness begin when the child's family first begins to struggle with the payments on the family home. This could be a result of being unable to pay mortgage ...
Moreover, Smith and Thompson associated peer bullying with an avoidant attachment history (Smith & Thompson, 2).
According to conclusions of the studies, strong power imbalance between father and mother encourages less autonomy, accompanied with inadequate communication structures, and thus usually reinforces aggressive behavior. For victims of bullying, large congruence was indicated between their reports of family functioning, child-rearing practices, and problem-solving strategies and those of non-involved children.
Their parents only differ from parents of bullies in reporting a higher level of avoidance. Children identified as a bully and a victim typically reveal a pattern in between victims and bullies. Compared to noninvolved children, they report more conflict and punishment, and a less close relationship with their parents. They only differ from bullies on perceptions of control, reporting more discipline and rules. Individuals also show large congruence with family characteristics of victims, from which they only differ in levels of conflict. Practically, bully-victims report more anger and more aggression within their families. According to several studies, in hypothetical conflict situations, bully-victims differ from the noninvolved group on negative affect and destructive problem-solving in bully risk situations, and on destructive problem-solving when being victimized.
Their abnormal strategies are characterized as less prominent than these in the bully group in bully risk situations, but comparable to the bully group in victim conflict situations. Compared to victims, these children report more negative affect and more destructive problem-solving in all conflict situations. Bibliography Batsche, G. M., & Knoff, H. M. (1994).
The Essay on What Are The Problems Associated With Child Prostitution
Everyday millions of innocent children are forced to do jobs, not of their own free will but as a result of poverty especially in third world countries. These children often resort to options of labor or even more extreme prostitution. So what is one to do when one is poor, young and in a third world country? There are several options available to chose from ; asking for essentials materials a ( ...
Bullies and their victims: Understanding a pervasive problem in the schools. School Psychology Review Smith, P.
K., & Thompson, D. (1991).
Practical approaches to bullying. London: David Fulton Crick, N. R. (1997).
Engagement in gender normative versus nonnormative forms of aggression: Links to social psychological adjustment.
Developmental Psychology Olweus, D. (1989).
Bully-Victim Questionnaire for Students. Department of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway Haziler, R., Hoover, J., & Oliver, R. (1992).
What kids say about bullying. The Executive Educator Hawkins, J. D.
(1992).
Risk and protective factors for alcohol and other drug problems in adolescence and early adulthood: Implications for substance abuse prevention. Psychological Bulletin Bowers, L. (1994).
Perceived family relationships of bullies, victims, and bully/victims in middle childhood. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
