Bullying - How Prevalent is It?

We all hear about bullying in the news these days and its certainly become a hot-button issue with its sometimes tragic consequences. In the worst case scenario murder, suicide or serious injury can result, but in most cases the injuries are psychological in nature. Over 30% of youth or 5.7 million children admit to being a bully or being bullied. In truth, the total is probably much higher. As a society we owe it to our children to confront this problem and provide all students and faculty with appropriate training on how to confront and to halt bullying.

Bullying between boys and bullying between girls take on different dynamics. Bullying between boys tends to take on a violent or physical nature. Boys complain about being made fun of because of the way they look or talk, but they are more likely to be hit, slapped or pushed than girls are. Female victims more often complain of being the victim of gossip or exclusion from a group. As much as 1.6 million kids say they get bullied every day.

Bullies in general come from homes where there is either an extremely lax disciplinary environment or one that is extremely harsh. Bullies are usually do poorly in and dislike school. They are physically bigger than their peers and feel little remorse for their bullying. For many years it was thought that bullies were masking feelings of insecurity with their bullying when in fact it turns out that they are actually quite confident. 1.7 million kids admit they bully other children every day and chronic bullies are more likely to grow up to be criminals - one study shows 60% have committed a crime by age 24.

Children who are bullied are more likely to be weaker physically, lack social skills and have low self-esteem. They have trouble fitting in and sometimes have little or no friends at all. Bullying lowers their already low self-esteem and puts them at risk for destructive behavior. It is estimated that 160,000 students skip school every day to avoid bullying and 15% have considered suicide. In addition 2/3 of the 37 recent school shootings have involved kids who admitted being bullied.

In most cases, bullying occurs in schools where there is less teacher, staff and parental involvement. Recess, lunch and other free time lacks proper supervision. Also, the staff at these schools tend to look the other when it comes to bullying. Sometimes because they don't see the bullying as destructive or they simply don't know what to look for.

Rarely does simply cracking down on bullies work to stop bullying. A more comprehensive approach is needed. Both staff and children need to be made aware of what bullying is and why it is destructive. In addition, every staff member should be involved with the prevention including custodial and cafeteria staff. Also, it's been found to be helpful for children to sign an anti-bullying contract.

How prevalent is it? The statistics say it's far too prevalent. Preventing bullying isn't easy. It takes an effort from parents, students, teachers and faculty to make a dent in the problem. Some schools have noticed as much a 50% reduction in bullying by putting together a comprehensive program. However difficult bullying prevention is if even one kid per school is helped, then the time and effort are worth it.