Bullying is a two-edged sword. Dismissing it as mere school drama is wrong because it is a "serious public health concern" that causes long-term, damaging effects for your kids on school.
According to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, bullying is a health problem among 12- to 18-year-old students. Zero-based tolerance imposed on most schools are not helpful to combat its harmful effects to the bullies and the bullied.
Before mulling over the effects, what exactly is bullying? When is a particular behavior considered bullying?
Bullying Is Aggressive, Repetitive, And Harmful
The committee who made the report referred to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's definition of bullying. A behavior is classified as bullying when it is a.) unwanted and aggressive; b.) done by young people who are not related to your kid by blood nor a friend or a dating partner; c.) divisive according to dominance and absence of power; d.) repetitive and; e.) physically, psychologically, educationally and socially harmful to the bullied.
Cyberbullying is also included because though it doesn't happen repetitively, a certain social media post can be shared multiple times. It also involves the same characters: the young bully and the bullied. However, as per the report, because cyberbullying relatively new form, a lot of research has to be dedicated on this area before possible solutions are drawn (via CNN).
What Are The Effects Of Bullying?
There are short and long-term consequences for victims and perpetrators of bullying. Your kid's grades would surely be affected as they fight with anxiety and depression, according to the study.
They would experience sleep problems, headaches, stomach pain, and may entertain suicidal thoughts. The bullies are more likely to resort to crimes when they grow older (via CNN).
According to Violence Prevention Works, observers and schools with bullying incidents also suffer from negative impacts. Those who observed become fearful of bullying and will either be guilty for not helping the bullied or would be tempted to join. For the school, the overall development of students would be slow because they would hate school and feel that the staff doesn't care much about them.
How Can Bullying Be Stopped?
Zero-based tolerance is not an effective solution to end bullying. The report says that the policy may have an opposite effect and may lead to underreporting of bullying incidents (via The Associated Press).
"While there is not a quick fix or one-size-fits-all solution, the evidence clearly supports preventive and interventional policy and practice," the committee's chairman, Frederick Rivara said as reported by CNN.
The committee suggests to Postive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) replacing zero-based tolerance policies. According to Pbis.org, this system is focused on training personnel to create a school environment for students that provides corrective feedback, maximizes academic success and acknowledges prosocial skills. If a student still does not respond positively, the root of the problem must be identified and solutions must be promptly adjusted.
The bullying problems extend outside school. Parents should empower their children to speak up about their bullying problems and the government must constantly amend laws to adjust recommended responses to the different arising forms of bullying (via The Associated Press).
As per U.S. News and World Report last year, bullying percentages continue to fall. In 2015, reports of bullying incidents concerning 12 to 18-year old students declined to 21.5 percent from 27.8 percent in 2011 and 31.7 percent in 2007.
