Hi, everyone! My name is Hong Shen and I am going to talk about Bullying which is a complex phenomenon that we seen in our society today. The main purpose of my talk today is to discuss about different forms of bullying and demonstrate that bullying has an impact on both victims and bystanders.
A recent statistic that is shown by America SPCC states that 1/3 students have been bullied at least once in their life and more than 7% of students have admitted to skipping school due to personal safety concerns. This means that as many as 160,000 children per day do not go to school because they are afraid of being bullied. ( ASPCC, 2017) Bullying is commonly defined as any form of aggressive behavior in which a perpetrator repeatedly acts in such a way to cause harm or discomfort to someone else. Victims of bullying typically have trouble defending themselves and do nothing to provoke perpetrators according to Wolke, Laraya in 2015. (Wolke, Leraya, 2015)
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Based on what I have witnessed with my own eyes, children who are not perceived as cool and normal are highly likely to be victimized both online and offline, and bystanders are reluctant to intervene for fear of being bullied. Despite health organizations’ efforts to sensitize the public to the devastating consequences of bullying, many children, adolescents and adults still see bullying as a perfectly normal rite of passage. However, numerous studies which have demonstrated that bullying can lead to various health problems, including depression, anxiety, frequent headaches, stomachaches, sleeping problems, suicidal thoughts and even suicidal tendencies in students from the middle school age to the college age. While non-intervention is a perfectly understandable coping strategy, available data indicates that bullying may have a profoundly negative impact on bystanders’ mental and physical health. It is only by gaining a deeper understanding of how bullying affects both victims and bystanders that we can motivate parents, educators and students to take active steps to tackle this widespread phenomenon.
Bullying is a complex phenomenon whose effects on both victims and bystanders are still being explored. Today, I am going to talk about four main types of bullying, Bullying has been found to have longterm mental and physical consequences, usually occurs when an individual is perceived as different. It is not uncommon for perpetrators to target racial minorities, homosexuals and disabled individuals. With available data clearly indicating that most bullying incidents go unreported (approximately 64%), it is evident that very little is being done to address this issue according to Pacer, 2017. (Pacer, 2017) Therefore, Bystanders’ intervention has been found to play a key role in discouraging perpetrators from harming others, which is why we should do more to prompt bystanders to deter bullying. Now, Let me start by defining bullying and exploring different types of bullying.
There exists four main types of bullying. First, is Physical bullying, such as hitting, pushing, kicking, stealing or damaging someone else’s property, tripping, slapping, pinching. Next, is Verbal bullying such as name calling, intimidation, verbal abuse, negative remarks about one’s racial or ethnic background, homophobic remarks, insults. Social bullying is another type of bullying. Some examples are like contemptuous looks, lying about someone else, spreading rumors about someone else, mimicking, mocking through physical gestures, encouraging social exclusion, damaging someone else’s social reputation. Lastly, is Cyberbullying. Some good examples are insulting, spreading rumors and / or damaging someone else’s social reputation via text messages, e-mail or online. Excluding others online, stealing someone else’s login credentials or pretending to be someone else online.
Now let’s examine the effects of bullying on victims’ mental and physical health in greater depth. Bullying has been found to have long-term mental and physical consequences. Students who experience bullying may withdraw from school and family activities, spend a considerable amount of time alone, experience insomnia and feel exhausted. According to Sansone & Sansone, Other consequences include constant tiredness and shyness. Psychological symptoms include anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation and social difficulties. (Sansonse, Sansone, 2008)
Besides that, Bullying victims may experience poor appetite or engage in emotional eating. In addition to that, Bullying usually occurs when an individual is perceived as different. It is not uncommon for perpetrators to target racial minorities, homosexuals and disabled individuals. For instance, a study by Hwang et al. (2017) revealed that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder are more likely to be bullied than community children. Furthermore, targeting students because of their differences, such as disabilities or appearances, can be a common occurrence.
My last point is Bullying has also been found to have a detrimental impact on bystanders’ physical and mental health. With available data clearly indicating that most bullying incidents go unreported (approximately 64%), it is evident that very little is being done to address this issue by Pacer in 2017. (Pacer, 2017) After witnessing a bullying incident, bystanders may feel guilty, powerless and anxious. For example, Bystanders’ fear of being next can trigger various physical and psychological symptoms, including:Psychological discomfort, anxiety, depression and Physical stress such as increased heart rate and perspiration. Therefore, victims and bystanders are both subject to the psychological implications of bullying as a whole. (Padgett, Notar, 2013) In conclusion, there are various forms of bullying and bullying has an impact on both victims and bystanders. Bullying affects all those who are involved. Bullying can happen for a number of reasons, with racial differences, disabilities, and sexual orientation often being the cause of targeting by aggressors. It can have a serious impact on the victims and the bystanders of the incident, and in itself, can leave lasting psychological problems for those involved. Bullying can happen to anybody, and students are likely to be exposed to it in some form during their lives. Studies show that a vast majority of people who witness bullying often choose not to act in accordance with helping the victim, which can lead to further damage. There is all about my speech today, Thank you
- America SPCC (2017). Bullying Statistics and Information. Retrieved from http://americanspcc.org/
- Hwang, S., Kim, H.S., Koh, Y. & Leventhal, B. (2017). Autism Spectrum Disorder and School
Bullying: Who is the Victim? Who is the Perpetrator? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1-14. - Pacer (2017). Bullying Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.pacer.org/
- Padgett, S. & Notar, C. (2013). Bystanders are the Key to Stopping Bullying. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 1(2): 33-41.
- Sansone, R. A., & Sansone, L. A. (2008). Bully Victims: Psychological and Somatic Aftermaths. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 5(6), 62–64.
- Wolke, D., & Lereya, S. T. (2015). Long-term effects of bullying. Archives of Disease in Childhood
