as a Bystander By: Mary Contreras, Trinity Harwell, and Sarah Ortiz Introduction to Bullying Bullying not only negatively affects the victims, but it also affects the people around the victim and bully.
Anyone can be a bully and anyone can be a victim of
bullying, whether they are the direct subject of bullying or a bystander watching the bullying.
Bullying is a worldwide issue that is only being
increased with new types of social media Introduction to Bullying From Ron Banks article Bullying in Schools in ERIC Digest: bullying and bullies can have negative consequences for the general school climate and for the right of students to learn in a safe environment without fear (Banks 140).
Verbal abuse and sexual harassment bullying [increases]
through the elementary years, peak in the middle school/junior high school years, and decline through the high school years. However, Verbal abuse appears to remain constant (Banks 140). Definition of Bullying and Where it Comes From Bullying: the harassment of individuals that are seen as weak targets who are easily harassed, manipulated, or intimidated
There are a number of causes for bullying, including being
bullied, unsafe home situations, educational issues, and mental health issues.
Certain communities of people are bullied more seriously than
others including, racial minorities, mentally disabled, and the LGBT community. Due to the lack of respect they receive and their lack of representation in local, state, and national governments Definition of Bullying and Where it Comes From Bullies, according to a study in 1995, tended to focus on victims considered to be weak, nerds [and/or] afraid to fight back (Banks 141).
From Pamela Kan-Rices article School Bullies are
Often Also Victims; Feeling Safe Reduces Youth Bullying in UC Agriculture and Natural Resources News and Information Outreach: bullies at school are often themselves the victims of bullying (Kan- Rice 155). Definition of Bullying and Where it Comes From Education Secretary Arne Duncans letter to his colleagues in the Educational department: harassment and bullying are serious problems in our schools, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students are the targets of disproportionate shares of these problems (Duncan 157). El Dorados Bullying Policy The El Dorado Union High School Districts board policy prohibits, at any district school, or school activity, unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying of any student based on the students actual race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression; the perception of one or more of such characteristics; or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. (Student Handbook 1) The policy also prohibits retaliation against any student who reports an act of bullying. El Dorados Bullying Policy: IDEAL Consequences Consequences: students who engage in discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying shall be subjected to appropriate discipline up to and including counseling, suspension, and/or expulsion. An employee who permits or engages in prohibited discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying shall be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. (Student Handbook 1) Students can fill out and turn in bullying forms to inform the staff about an issue on campus, and to receive assistance in solving the issue. El Dorados Bullying Policy: REAL Consequences Despite the strict guidelines on bullying intolerance, the most effective way the school deals with bullies and unsafe situation is by providing extracurricular clubs for students to join so they are not alone and have a safe place to hang with other students with the same likes and dislikes.
The bullying forms are used as a joke, as students will fill
them out as a joke against their friends or their teacher and then laugh about it. Students actual concerns are not taken seriously Examples of Bullying in Schools Exclusion: mental abuse People who are excluded develop the feeling that they are not good enough, and the feeling becomes more impacted over time. Even people who are liked but excluded feel they are not good enough, and never can be, as if they are perpetually average rather than excellent because people don't want to engage in a long-term friendship, or even a long- term conversation with them. Examples of Bullying in Schools Sexual Harrassment/Assault: mental & physical abuse Was she asking for it? No--the answer in this, and any other scenario in which the victim doesn't verbally ask for sexual attention, is always no. However, society today seems to believe this kind of behavior, and in fact, any degree of sexual harassment besides rape, is acceptable. If a person feels violated in any way, especially sexually, they can experience long-term effects of trauma. Trauma is not exclusive to rape cases. Examples of Bullying in Schools A victim of exclusion stated, everyone seems to like me, just not enough to invite me to anything (Anonymous 1). On Sexual Harassment and Assault: In an interview
with PBS in 2013, Sarah Murnen, a social
psychologist who has studied hypersexualization at Kenyon college for more than 25 years, stated, Its now common to see more parts of the body exposed. There is more emphasis on the size of womens breasts. And easy access to all these images has made it all more acceptable to us (Melker). How to Handle Bullying and How to try and stop it from happening Different people handle things differently so it is hard to answer with a specific way to handle bullying. The best way to handle a bully is to do whatever you
feel comfortable with and whatever is going to help
you get through it. May include talking to parents and friends to find support, confrontation, telling a school staff member, or for some people, even ignoring it As long as the way is non-violent and does not hurt anyone else then there is no wrong way to handle bullying. How to Handle Bullying and How to try and stop it from happening Some people are like Lisa Lybbert from the NCPC
who is a big fan of immediately dealing with the
situation (Kowalski 152).
Other students like Jovon Hill who believes there
are alternatives to violence really think for yourself, because there are ways to get out of [bullying] situations (Kowalski 152). Conclusion Bullies seek out and torment their victims physically, emotionally, or both, and it is the responsibility of the bully, the victim, and the bystanders to make it come to an end.
There may not be an absolute solution to end bullying
for good, but if the goal is to strive for harmony, everyone --adults and students-- need to try their best to achieve it. Work Cited Anonymous 1. Interview. May 2017. Anonymous 2. Interview. May 2017. Banks, Ron. Bullying in Schools. Bullying: A Research Project: n. pag. Rpt. in CSU Expository Reading and Writing Course: Student Reader. 2nd ed. Long Beach: California State University Press, 2013. 140-142. Print. Duncan, Arne. Key Policy Letters from the Education Secretary. Bullying: A Research Project: n. pag. Rpt. in CSU Expository Reading and Writing Course: Student Reader. 2nd ed. Long Beach: California State University Press, 2013. 157-158. Print. Work Cited Melker, Saskia. Researchers Measure Increasing Sexualization of Images in Magazines. PBS NewsHour. NewsHour Productions, 2013. Web. Kan-Rice, Pamela. School Bullies Are Often Also Victims; Feeling Safe Reduces Youth Bullying. Bullying: A Research Project: n. pag. Rpt. in CSU Expository Reading and Writing Course: Student Reader. 2nd ed. Long Beach: California State University Press, 2013. 155-156. Print. Kowalski, Robin. Students Perspectives on Cyber Bullying. Bullying: A Research Project: n. pag. Rpt. in CSU Expository Reading and Writing Course: Student Reader. 2nd ed. Long Beach: California State University Press, 2013. 155-156. Print. School Handbook. Placerville: El Dorado Union High School District, 2016. Print.