Research paper stage II first draft

Eliminating Bullying from our schools

Introduction:

Our society is constantly changing, and its evolution seems to be affecting people’s values and moral at every age. Today it is not uncommon to turn on the TV in the middle of the day and see scenes of violence or sexual content that should be reserved to adult viewers. In addition, some types of music such as for example rap, and video-games, also add to the problem by promoting use of violence or sexist behaviour that in the long run desensitize us. All of them, at various levels, contribute to the decline of moral values in modern society. In fact, they are valid examples of the lack of respect we show for our youth’s normal psychological development, or for the dignity of those we call minorities because of their gender, race, or sexual orientation.

Mobbing, bullying and cyber-bullying express the uneasiness of our society, and somehow they represent the negative side of our evolution in that they victimize the most vulnerable ones in extremely cruel ways. Nowadays, examples of these nasty behaviours begin during childhood, and it is becoming more and more difficult to contain and to prevent them. In fact, although school administrators, teachers and parents have tried to maximize their efforts to protect youth from physical and emotional violence, inside and outside school settings, episodes of mobbing, bullying and cyber-bullying are continuously increasing among students at all levels and gender. That is why, as a future teacher, I believe that it is of primary importance to find new ways of fighting this plague which is affecting societies worldwide.

In this paper I will analyze these phenomena by explaining their characteristics, their causes and possible solutions, as advocated by specialists who generally agree on the fact that the psychological effects of these actions can be truly devastating for those who have the misfortune to experience them.

The first most popular way of damaging the psychological stability of a person is by using mobbing. In fact, this form of harassment can have devastating effects on people’s lives, and it is very commonly experienced at every age during childhood and adolescence in school, and in working environment in adulthood. Mobbing affects the person as a whole and seriously undermines his/her dignity and capabilities.  According to Elliot, (2003) “Mobbing is ganging up on someone and making cruel jokes, spreading rumours, isolating and excluding, intimidating, threatening, treating a person like an object, harassment and cruelty [and] emotional abuse” (p.7).

Due to the fact that it interferes with many spheres of someone’s life, mobbing is often referred to as a syndrome, which is a combination of factors that occur at the same time (wordreference.com).  The victim is continuously under pressure and he/she is the target of pecking, a constant which is harassment of a person by a number of different people that is usually not perceived by those who perpetuate it as dangerous. In fact, often it is not the type of harassment, but the quantity that causes most of the problems. (Elliot, 2003, p. 13)

Usually there is no particular reason why a person is mobbed. Anything can start the harassment and people even forget what causes it in the first place, because the motives were not relevant. However, the effects of mobbing on someone’s life are real and include “feelings of confusion and anxiety, physical sicknesses, depression, lack of trust in others, and isolation” (Elliot, p.14).  In very serious cases, victims can also develop “feelings of persecution or paranoia, inappropriate behaviour, destructive behaviour versus self or others, acute anxiety or post traumatic disorder, and permanent physical or emotional damage” (p.14).

Mobbing can be defeated if people become aware of it. That is, people need to understand that some words or behaviours even if apparently innocent, when continuously perpetuated on the same person become harassment. Young people are those who are more easily influenced to join the group of harassers because they do not want to be marginalized, they want to be friends of those who are “cool” and have power and definitely do not want to be those in the inferior position. Consequently, adults can intervene by asking children questions on their motives, how they would react in similar situations, the effect that their attitude has on others, etc. (Elliot, 2003 p.12, p.39). In school, teachers can do a lot to prevent mobbing, particularly by modeling acceptable behaviour and by pretending respect for all. However, Elliot also suggests intervention strategies that involve addressing the behaviour instead of the person, promoting honesty in order to incite witnesses of mobbing to protect victims, and “have consequences that fit the offenses” (p.68-69).

A more cruel way of diminishing people as human beings, by causing them mental and physical pain, and which has taken the proportion of an epidemic in western societies is bullying.

As cited in Henkin (2005), the Journal of the American Medical Association defines bullying as “a specific type of aggression in which (1) the behaviour is intended to harm or disturb, (2) the behaviour occurs repeatedly over time, and (3) there is an imbalance of power, with a more powerful person or group attacking a less powerful one.” (p.1)

Annotated Bibliography

CEST-Jeunesse 2009.(2009).  Cyber intimidation : un regard éthique proposé par des jeunes: Avis.Commission de l’éthique de la science et de la technologie, Québec, QC, CAN

• High quality
• The report deals with cyber-intimidation into context,  promotion of ethics, use of technologies

Elliott, G. P. (2003). School mobbing and emotional abuse :See it, stop it, prevent it, with dignity and respect. New York: Brunner- Routledge.

• High quality
• This book analyzes reasons why children participate in mobbing and possible solutions

Henkin, R. (2005). Confronting bullying :Literacy as a tool for character education. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

• High quality
• This book deals with bullying prevention through the use of literacy and offers specific examples lessons to help teachers prepare their own

O’Moore, M., & Minton, S. J. (2004). Dealing with bullying in schools :A training manual for teachers, parents and other professionals. London: Paul Chapman.

• High quality
• This book is a training manual that helps teachers, parents and other professional to deal with bullying situations.

Orpinas, P., & Horne, A. M. (2006). Bullying prevention :Creating a positive school climate and developing social competence (1st ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

• High quality
• This book helps teachers understand and deal with children who behavioral problems, and therefore to prevent bullying from start. It uses a holistic approach

Powell, Melissa D. and Ladd, Linda D. (2010). “Bullying: a review of the Literature and Implications for Family Therapists”. American Journal of Family Therapy, Vol,38, no.3,189-206.

• High quality
• Review of new findings about bullying, and investigates result of family therapy

Rivers, I., Duncan, N., & Besag, V. E. (2007). Bullying :A handbook for educators and parents. Westport, Conn.: Praeger.

• High quality
• This book deals with bullying in public schools and analyzes researches conducted in Europe as well as in the U.S. and Canada

Roberts, W. B. (2006). Bullying from both sides :Strategic interventions for working with bullies & victims. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press.

• High quality
• This book helps teacher recognize students at risk in order to protect them, and also deal with female bullying

Shariff, S. (2008). Cyber-bullying :Issues and solutions for the school, the classroom and the home. London; New York: Routledge.

• High quality
• This book provides ways to address cyber-bullying in a new way, and gives guidelines for teachers and school administrators

Shariff, S. (2009). Confronting cyber-bullying :What schools need to know to control misconduct and avoid legal consequences. Cambridge England; New York: Cambridge University Press.

• High quality
• This book deals with how schools can control cyber-bullying to avoid legal issues

~ by ladyindaco on November 25, 2010.