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Journal of
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A National School Social Work monthly dedicated to networking of parents and teachers.
Volume VII Issue 07 Contents December 2010
Page
Editorial 02
Curbing Cyber Bullying Rekha N Mistry 03
Steps to Reduce Peer Bullying Raja P
Dr Saraswathi L 09
Therapies for Bullies and Bullied Uma L 13
Bullying – An Overview Lucy Josephine A
Dr Kalamathi A 16
Behaviourism and Bullying Radha Vallury 19
Bullying : A Psycho-social Disorder Kalaiarasi M 22
Bullying: A Social Evil Padmini M 26
Anti-bullying: Role of Parents Rani Manda 29
Can Bullying be Eradicated? Sripriya P
Dr Kalaimathi A 31

Journal of S C H O O L SOCIAL WORK
Focus: Bullying
Hony. Special Editor: Ramesh K S,
Head and Student Consellor, P G Department of Social Work
Mar Gregorios College, Mogappair, Chennai
Journal of School Social W ork,
8 (New 14), Sridevi Colony, Seventh Avenue,
Ashok Nagar, Chennai 600 083
Mobile: 98406 02325 E-mail: jssw.india@gmail.com
Note: Views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily the official view of the Journal.
December 2010 Journal of S C H O O L SOCIAL WORK December 2010 01
Editorial Can Bullies Go Scot-free? Focus Bullying – An Overview
Earth is considered as Mother in teachers between 2002 and 2005 Lucy Josephine A*
Hindu Mythology and meant to across Dehra Dun, Mussoorie and Kalamathi A**
provide equal space and opportunity Chandigarh found that students had *Lucy Joesphine A, Ph D Research Scholar, Mother Theresa Women University,
to all organisms that are inter bullying experiences both on the Kodaikanal.
dependent on each other to live playground and in the classrooms. **Dr Kalamathi A, Ph D (Econ), Mother Theresa Women University, Kodaikanal
peacefully. The human race, being The report also says, even in the age Introduction consists of acts of physical
unique has taken control over all the group of 14 to 18 years, 58.7% boys Bullying is an act of repeated aggression and social aggression or
other species and edged them out and 65.09% girls reported bullying. aggressive behaviour in order to hurt indirect bullying is characterized by
with the so called sixth sense. And Forms of bullying may vary among another person, physically or forcing the victim into social isolation.
now, through bullying, some of us boys and girls but the news that more mentally. One behaves in this way to It is achieved by spreading gossip,
want to edge out the weak, deprived than 2,300 children committed gain power over another person. refusing to socialize with the victim,
and voiceless ones amongst us. suicide last year many of which Such bullying behaviour may be bullying other people who wish to
According to Dan Olweus, the directly attributed to bullying at verbal/ physical activity or written socialize with the victim, and
Swedish researcher, bullying can be schools, is shocking to say the least. abuse. Norwegian researcher Dan criticizing the victim’s manner of
physical, psychological, emotional, That ‘bullying’ happens at every Olweus asserts that it would amount dress and other socially-significant
social or economic independently or stage of life, at all the times and in all to bullying when a person is exposed identifiers (including the victim’s race,
in any combination. Modernity has parts of the world is not an excuse. repeatedly to negative actions on the religion, disability).
added a new menace in the form of But, if it happens in India with its part of one or more other persons. Effects on victims
cyber bullying. He defines negative actions as The effects of bullying can be serious
culture of demonstrated tolerance
The largest research on violence even towards the aggressors, it is to intentionally inflicting injury or and even be fatal. Mona O’Moore of
against children (of both sexes) be considered seriously and every discomfort upon another person, the Anti-Bullying Centre at Trinity
conducted in 2007 by the Ministry of effort made to nip it in the bud. through physical contact, through College in Dublin, observes: there is
Women and Child Development, So, school social workers have to be words or in other ways. a growing body of research which
Government of India revealed that appointed to make schools safe for Types indicates that individuals, whether
two out of three children were children. Correcting bullies without According to USA National Center for child or adult, who are persistently
physically abused and every other compromising the bullied, is the real Education Statistics bullying can be subjected to abusive behaviour are
child faced one or more forms of challenge for School Social Work. neatly broken into two categories: at risk of stress related illnesses
sexual abuse. 1.Direct bullying. which can sometimes lead to suicide.
But, is bullying restricted to children
The Bullying Research Initiative in and commoners? Not so anymore. 2.Indirect bullying which is also Victims of bullying can suffer from
Training and Education (BRITE) in its if WikiLeaks is to be believed, even known as social aggression. long term emotional and behavioural
survey of school students and diplomats are bullies! Ross states that direct bullying problems. Bullying can cause

02 Journal of S C H O O L SOCIAL WORK December 2010 Journal of S C H O O L SOCIAL WORK December 2010 16
problems like loneliness, depression,
anxiety and then lead to low self-
esteem and increased susceptibility
to illness. A report released by the
U.S. Secret Service concluded that
in 2002 alone bullying has played a
significant role in many school
shootings and that efforts should be
made to eliminate bullying behaviour.
Empirical evidence
When a survey was conducted in the
schools by interviewing the children
of single mothers of Chennai, it was
found that these children are the
ones most affected by the bullying
activity that regularly occurs in their
schools. Especially because they are
from fatherless families, they are the
easy targets for the bullies who keep
repeatedly teasing them using
abusive words, making reference to
their specific family situation. Often
the bullies isolate the children of
single parents from the rest of the
school children in order to inflict on
them shame and humiliation. The
suffering caused by such bullying
affects the growth of these children
leading to self-blame, guilt and even
suicidal attempts. It affects the
emotional wellbeing of the single
mothers.
17 Journal of S C H O O L SOCIAL WORK
Suggestions
1.Schools should remain ever alert
to this phenomenon and take more
precautionary measures to reduce
such violence on their premises.
2. School authorities must identify
the bullies and counsel them to stop
this type of antisocial behaviour.
3. Parents and teachers must
come together to devise preventive
measures like making bullying a
punishable offence and also to take
steps that would provide special
protection to the bullied.
4. In general parents must advice
their children not to indulge in any
type of teasing activity at school.
5. At any cost, the bullied should not
be encouraged to ‘take it out on the
bully’ or fight the bully because this
itself can trigger bullying tendencies
in the target/ victim to become a
bully himself later.
6. The school authorities can create
peer menitoring cells where the
higher standard students can
provide a protective company to
lower standard students.
7. The student mentors can easily
find out from the victims the names
of bullies as children seldom
‘squeak’ on their classmates for fear
December 2010
of intensified bullying in the absence thwart the bullies’ action and suffers
of adult supervion against the in silence as he can’t even report it
umbrage. to elders. The consequences are
8. The free periods can be inevitably not pleasant and eventually
converted into discussion sessions would make the victim feel small,
to debate the issues of equality, humiliated, frustrated and grow with
fundamental rights, free expression, low self-image. This ruins the normal
gender bias, compassion to the growth of the person and eventually
needy and the challenged. affect his future too. Hence, the victim
9. The known builly may be given must be counselled to be assertive
more responsibilities to make him and not aggressive. On the other
feel important and to channelise her hand, if the ‘bully’ is not treated or
excess energy in productive ways. counselled in time he could become
10. A well-knit communication an antisocial and terrifying ‘rowdy’
system among parents, teachers element in future. Punishments may
and the law enforcing authorities is deter the bullying action temporarily
essential to curb the menace and but a change of heart alone will cure
to keep the bullies at bay. this social illness. The bully requires
Conclusion an iron hand in velvette gloves which
Bullying is a dehumanizing act which aims at correction and not a rough
should, at any cost, be prevented. and rude punitive approach which is
The bullied is very often unable to condemnatory, to say the least.
References:
Rigby, K. (2001). Health Consequences of Bullying and Its Prevention in Schools.
In J. Juvonen and S. Graham (Eds.), Peer Harassment in School: The Plight of The
Vulnerable and Victimized (pp. 310–331), Guilford Press, New York.
Garrity, C., Jens, K., Porter,W., Sager, N., & Short-Camilli, C. (1997, March).
Bully Proofing Your School: Creating A Positive Climate. Intervention in School
and Clinic, 32(4), 235–243.
Elias M (2002): Kids’ Meanness Might Mean Health Risks when They Grow up.
USA Today, Sep 26, p. D10.
Ericson, N. (2001, June). Addressing The Problem of Juvenile Bullying. Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Retrieved Feb. 24, 2009, from http:/
/www.ncjrs.gov/ pdffiles1/ojjdp/fs200127.pdf
18 Journal of S C H O O L SOCIAL WORK December 2010