Bullying II--Let's Call it What is Is...

Before we go much further, I think it's important that we define bullying and outline some of the consequences.  This post is a tad longer than most, but this is a broad topic on which we must be clear from the outset.

So, what is “bullying?”  Dr. Ken Rigby (2003) laments the fact that the term “bullying” has become something of a catch-all.  He suggests the necessity of standardizing the definition, which can then be used to more reliably measure the nature and severity of victimization (Rigby, 2003).  Dr. Rigby expresses a reasonable concern.  What one parent might consider “boys being boys,” may be considered bullying by another. One teacher may see aggressive play on a soccer field as simply a byproduct of competition, whereas another might consider some acts as barbarous. 

 To that end, Dr. Cricket Meehan offers a reasonable definition in her 2011, The Right to be Safe:  Putting an End to Bullying Behavior:  “A person is bullied when he or she is exposed repeatedly and over time to negative actions on the part of one or more persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself” (Meehan, p. 6).  Further, Meehan points out that the definition of bullying has modified over time. She states that while the term bullying used to be utilized to describe physical or group violence against an individual, it now also encompasses verbal and indirect aggression.

Meehan describes three components of bullying:

·         Hurtful and purposeful aggressive behavior

·         Behavior that typically occurs repeatedly over a period of time

·         Behavior in which there is an imbalance of power and control between the parties involved (Meehan, 2011, p. 6)

Mass shootings in this country have not occurred in a prototypical urban gang violence environment (Fuentes, 2001). Instead, the profile of a school shooter is almost exclusively that of white males in suburban or rural areas who have endured long periods of growing rage. Much of this rage has stemmed from resentment, fear, and isolation related to bullying. Shooters of this class often spend months or even years planning their assault, all while compiling an arsenal of weapons (Fuentes, 2001).

Meehan (2011) takes issue with the old adage “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” While she acknowledges that physical assault on another person has never been acceptable in our society, she is adamant that words can and do hurt children. She points out the short and long-term consequences of being bullied include impaired concentration, sleeping problems and nightmares, poor self-esteem, high rates of referral to psychological services, and suicide. Further, the effects of being bullied can include the inability to focus on schoolwork, lack of confidence, poor grades, and dropping out of school (Meehan, 2011).

While we have typically considered bullying to be of the physical-assault variety, bullying can take place via other channels including text messages, social media, and emails (Meehan, 2011).  Someone intent on hurting another is just as likely, if not more likely, to perpetrate that animosity through the internet as they are to personally confront their victim on the playground (Meehan, 2011). Therefore, for the purposes of this chapter, no distinction is made between physical bullying and cyberbullying.  It becomes clear from the literature that children and adolescents can be equally as marred by physical acts that occur on a playground as from the cruel postings and photo-shopped barbs delivered through the cyber world (Meehan, 2011). 

Rigby (2003) also speaks to the short and long-term consequences for those engaged in bullying behavior—the bullies themselves. These include anxiety, lack of empathy, and depression. Children perpetrating bullying behavior are more likely to display antisocial behavior, delinquency, carry weapons, use drugs and alcohol, engage in criminal activity, and grow up to be more likely to abuse their spouse.  A consistent message from studies on this subject is that bullying is often an act founded in pain that has been inflicted previously on the bully him/herself.  This results in a perpetuation of cruelty carrying from one victim to the next (Rigby, 2003).  A child or teenager acting aggressively toward others may have been bullied previously, either at school or at home, and now is acting out that pain on others.  This, of course, is counterproductive and destructive.  Where does it end?

What is equally clear from the literature is that bullying is not limited to mental anguish.  Clear correlations between bullying and physical health problems are consistently documented within the literature.  Illnesses such as asthma, obesity, gastrointestinal problems, and general malaise can be brought on by bullying, alongside or as manifestations of depression and other mental illnesses (Rigby, 2004, p. 588). 

What, then, of academic performance and socialization skills, the very cornerstone of public education?  Violence creates an atmosphere in which students cannot learn effectively.  Students being bullied are more excitable, less attentive, and less able to foster positive relationships. Bullies often develop deviant friendships (i.e.., dyads, a term we’ll discuss in detail), underachieve, or drop out of school.  Further, children exposed to social rejection (either as victims or perpetrators) are at a greater risk for future adjustment problems than children who are popular or average (Sexton-Radek, 2005, p. 95).  In other words, a whole host of other issues deserve exploration as it comes to the many facets and consequences of bullying including childhood disease, chemical depression and anxiety, poor academic performance, failed socialization, and more.  

That's it for this week.  Thanks for hanging in on a longer-than-usual post.  Next time we'll focus on detecting bullying behavior so that it can be stopped.  
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