A Sample Research Paper About Bullying At Schools

One of the largest problems that students face today is bullying. This bullying can come in many forms, always having a negative outward ripple of consequences. Some schools just tell students to toughen up, while others confront the bullies with good intentions and make it even worse. Something must be done to stop this harmful cycle, but what? Before deciding on an effective measure, it is important to understand all the aspects of bullying so a multi-sided approach can be used as a means of prevention.

The first thing that needs to be understood to target bullying is what exactly it is. Bullying describes any number of activities, either direct (to the other student's face) or indirect (like spreading rumors), that target another student. Bullying can include aggression (physical bullying), verbal bullying, damage to property, and damage to a student's relationships (relational bullying). Cyber bullying is another serious issues, especially since students may take steps to remain anonymous while bullying online. Identifying bullying is the essential first step to schools knowing what exactly they are dealing with.

The second thing that must be understood is the bullies themselves. Students who make the decision to bully other children often have a less-than-desirable home life. They may look up to someone who is violent or aggressive (like a parent). In other situations, bullies harm other students in a way to act out and receive attention. These types of bullies may have neglectful parents, who are absent, abusive, or frequently under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Divorce is another common cause of bullying. If a student is having problems at home, schools should do their best to address this at the root. Otherwise, the bully may lash out worse when confronted or decide to bully another student.

Finally, before coming up with a solution to bullying, it is important to know all the effects that happen as a result. According to the CDC, about 4,400 young people die every year because of suicide. Bullying effects this because students who are bullies are more likely to commit suicide than those who are not bullied. Bullying at school also causes the bullied student to have lessened mental health and self-esteem. This ripples outward, effecting their home life and even devastating parents who feel helpless when it comes to stopping their child from being bullied. Additionally, bullying affects a child's education. Not only does it make it harder to focus, a study by ABC News showed that nearly 160,000 students stay home from school each day because they do not want to face their bully.

With all things considered, the best approach to bullying is a multi-faceted one. Schools should work to identify problem students and when issues with bullying arise, they should try to pinpoint the root of the problem instead of punishing them. Additionally, schools must come up with a way to handle students who are bullied, to preserve the student's mental health and give them the quality of education that they have a right to. By taking these steps, schools can start to effectively handle this epidemic.