BULLYING IN SCHOOLS

Students in schools learn different things in different ways, sometimes the easy way, and sometimes the hard way. Of this, bullying is one such bad experience, many students face during their school life which involves dominance over a student by another student or group students by direct methods like threatening, insulting, hitting, or indirect methods like intentionally ignoring and isolating a student. Bullying can cause physical or psychological damage and therefore, students who involve in bullying must be suspended from school. Students of different age groups in Canada experience different degrees of bullying. A study carried out in Canada says that 8% students are bullied on weekly basis. It also reveals that boys are involved more in direct bullying like hitting or threatening and girls are more involved in indirect bullying like isolation, spreading rumors etc. Bullying is at the highest levels in grades 6-8, and lowers gradually in the higher levels (Canadian Public Health Association Safe School Study,2003a). Verbal bullying was almost same in both guys and girls which ranged from 10-15% (Solberg and Olweus, 2003). As many as 41% students of grades 4 to 7 confirmed that they were socially bullied and girls are more involved in it then the boys (Totten, Quigley and Morgan, 2004). Students involved in bullying tend to have an aggressive nature and they want to feel powerful. (Bullying prevention: nature and extend of bullying in Canada, 2011) It is also evident from the studies that most of the bullying students come from homes where they do not get enough parental love, affection and warmth. Such students develop an I-dont-care-attitude and become anti social as they grow up. They often have high self esteem and bully around over students with low self-esteem. Persistent bullying can cause deep psychological effects on their mind which can cause problems like anxiety, loss of concentration and self confidence. Also, most of the times parents are unaware about bullying at school as the children dont inform them thinking that it might worsen their problems at school (Banks, Ron 1997). Bullying is a problem in which the victim suffers silently most of the times without the help of family or teachers. To avoid this, specific rules must be formed and implemented. According to Dr.Rigby, most of the time bullying takes place in presence of others who do not do anything to discourage them. If these bystanders discourage the bullies half of the bullying can reduced in schools. (Dr. Rigby, 2011) Different policies should be formed like whole-school bullying policies, implementing curricular measures and improving the environment at school. The students must be informed what harms bullying can cause and they should be encouraged to report about bullying if they face any such situation so that it can be immediately handled. Various approaches can also be chosen like forming a questionnaire and distributing it among parents and students, making class rules, and other anti bullying programs can be initiated which will help in reducing the incidences of bullying to a great extent.(Bullying prevention: nature and extend of bullying in Canada, 2011) Informing students and parents through awareness programs, which can help them in understanding themconsequences of bullying in a better way. Teachers should also be trained and they should keep reminding the students the punishments for bullying (Banks, Ron 1997). Bullying is a major problem which affects the ability of students to progress. If neglected it can cause serious damage to some students who are bullied. Thus, bullying should be strictly prohibited in schools (Banks, Ron 1997).

REFERENCESPublic safety in Canada (2011). Bullying prevention: Nature and extend of bullying In Canada. Retrieved from http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/res/cp/res/2008-bp -01-eng.aspx Dr Rigby K. (august, 2011). Bullying in schools and what to do about it. Retrieved From http://www.kenrigby.net/