Argue 1

Rylee Argue

Mrs. Di Somma

ERWC Period 2

2 February 2017

Bullying continues

In todays society bullying affects everyone. It starts when children are young, normally

elementary school. It begins when children feel the need to be superior to boost their self esteem.

Bullying in schools continues to be a problem in 2017.

There are different types of bullying in schools. Bullying can be anything from teasing,

taunting, threatening, hitting, and stealing against one or more students. While boys usually

engage in those types, girls use more subtle strategies such as spreading rumors, enforcing social

isolation (Banks). Boys take an aggressive up front style, while girls use mind games. As both

are harmful as well as hurtful to one's feelings, these social techniques used by young girls are

very damaging to present and future self esteem. Bullying can be direct or indirect, but when it

keeps happening it becomes abuse (Banks). Some children experience this in their everyday

lives at school. There is a reason why in domestic cases it is called child abuse, when a parent

or guardian consistently or regularly violates a child. Students threaten to harm others increases

in grades 4-9 (youth violence). As there is a real difference on what can be done about physical

and verbal abuse, disciplinary or prevention actions schools or parents take on verbal abuse can

end up leaving children that are bullied vulnerable at a young age. If you re read this statistic it

says that youth violence increases between grades 4-9; that being said there is already damaging

harassment going on early in their lives. Also youth violence includes various behaviors. Some
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violent acts can cause more emotional harm than physical harm(youth). Children can

experience this in schools with fellow classmates. With bullying starting at a young age it can

affect the victim mentally or physically.

There are reasons as to why bullying happens so easily and frequently in schools. People

are aware that students who engage in bullying behaviors seem to have a need to feel powerful

and in control (Banks). We all know that one kid, the one who is tougher, meaner, stronger,

more aggressive, smarter, better in every movie, tv show, book, situation in our daily lives, that

feels superior or better in some way. With this mentality that they are better or above others they

feel they need to exert their superiority as almost a justification or reassurance for themselves

that they really are better. Bullies receive satisfaction from seeing others suffer, they also have

little pity on the victim's (Banks). With this mentality that they are better or above others they

feel they need to exert their superiority as almost a justification or reassurance for themselves

that they really are better. Bullies do not care about the victims, or the pain they inflict so, why

stop? Why stop what makes me feel great or better even if it maybe hurts someone else's

feelings a little? Therefore they make the ends justify the means and the harassment keeps

happening. Furthermore, child and teen bullying and cyberbullying are at an all-time high.

Some kids are so tormented that suicide has become an alternative for them. It has everyone

worried. Not just the kids on the receiving end but the parents, teachers and others who may not

understand how extreme bullying can get(the issue). As a result schools have taken action and

created no bully tolerance and safe zones. These actions are very necessary as the methods of

bullying are evolving into a more sinister evil that controls and drives our society as a whole.

Bullies in schools can be stopped, but the victims must take action, but they cannot do it alone.
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The after life for victims bullied in school can be very self destructive. Most kids who

are bullied are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and

loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to

enjoy(effects). Bullying can affect the victim for life. This is the most harmful result of bullying

that the bullies have no idea the long lasting effect on their victims. That even one simple name

or mean comment can completely shut someone out socially and mentally. Also youth violence

refers to harmful behaviors that can start early and continue into young adulthood. The young

person can be a victim, an offender, or a witness to the violence(youth). Just as bad as the

offender is an innocent, soft-spoken or even worse, unspoken bystander, who witnesses and does

nothing to help or harm. Both these behaviors of bullying and non-action are what fuels the fire

that burns and ruins lives. Bullying can start as young as the fourth and fifth grade. It does not

start to decline until the tenth grade (youth violence). Bullying is an ongoing problem for

growing up children. Some might justify it as apart of growing up that once they mature and

man up they will be able to fix their own problems or maybe eventually it will just stop. Also

children that are bullied have trouble in school and notice a drop in their gpa and test scores.

They are more likely to want to skip school or drop out too(Effects). Children cannot cope with

the bullying and want to get away anyway they can even if that means missing school. Seeing

their gpa go down is there any hope of change for the better to help these victims? Is there

anything

The result for children that bully in schools. Children who bully later experience abuse in

alcohol and drugs as adults, and are more likely to abuse in other relationships (effects). Bully

like behaviors carry on throughout their lives. You see this in media, business, politics as people
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today are developing this misguided sense of arrogance that they are allowed to treat people this

way and that it might get them somewhere, but on the same token they believe that there are

people who deserve to be treated in such a way. When children start to bully it creates this

behavior that can set the tone for a lifetime of intentional cruelty or worse. And the consequences

to the victim can seriously affect them for the rest of their lives(effects). This can be seen in the

egotism that is deeply rooted in our society as a community, as a nation, and as the human race,

that being better than everyone else and superior is something to strive for and be. These

children can and should seek help. In the end bullying affects almost everyone, 1 out of 4 teens

are bullied and 1 out of 5 kids admit to being bullied. 232,000 students are physically attacked in

high schools each month (the issue). Bullying doesn't just affect the victim or the social group it

affects everyone. Bullying needs to be stopped, and it needs to start in schools but first and

foremost it begins with the actions and changes you make in your lives and the lives of those

around you to stop the hate.

Bullying is a real issue that everyone experiences at least once in their lifetime. To stop it

all together would be a miracle. But there is only so much one person can do, so start with

yourself. Happiness and forgiveness are attributes that are contagious and easy to mimic, and

people who are happy with themselves do not bully. Stay positive.

Works Cited

Banks, Ron. Bullying in schools. CSU expository Reading and Writing Course. California

state university, 2013. Print. 23 January 2017, pp. 140-143.

Effects of bullying. Stopbullying.gov.Stop bullying, Web. 19 January 2017.

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The issue of bullying. STOMP out bullying. STOMP out bullying, 2007. Web. 26 january

2017.

Youth violence. centers for disease control and prevention. Centers for Disease control and

prevention, 24 May 2016. Web. 26 January 2017.

Youth violence project. Youth violence project-curry school of education. Rector and visitors

of the university of Virginia, 2015. Web. 26 January 2017.