Myths and Facts about Bullying

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the issue of bullying and points out that, although the increase is not drastic, bullying is a form of youth violence that is highly prevalent in all schools in North America and abroad. The writer then explains that, although bullying is a major problem within the school system, the topic is not fully understood and there are many circulated myths related to the subject. This paper attempts to highlight some of these myths and clarify the actual facts that do exist within the documented literature. The writer concludes that bullies should be dealt with harshly in a manner that informs them that their behaviour is unacceptable, yet at the same time it should not be ignored that bullies themselves are often victims of lowered self- esteem or may be victims of violence in another part of their lives.

From the Paper:

"A topic of great concern among American society, and parents in particular, is that of youth violence. The media often makes the situation appear as though youth violence is on the increase in the United States. However, scientific research shows that youth violence is not truly increasing, but that certain environmental factors make the statistics read as though the violence is increasing. Statistics can be influenced by a number of factors besides actual increases in violence, such as the introduction of 'zero tolerance' policies in schools or the reduction of police discretion on police forces. These environmental factors lead to more incidents of youth violence being detected by those who measure youth violence, but dose not actually represent an actual concrete increase in the violence."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Batsche, G.M & Knoff, H.M. (1994). Bullies and their victims: Understanding a pervasive problem in the schools. School Psychology Review, 23,165-174.
• Byrne, B.J. (1994). Bullies and victims in a school setting with reference to some Dublin schools. The Irish Journal of Psychology, 15, 574-586.
• Craig, W.M. (1998). The relationship among bullying, victimization, depression, anxiety and aggression in elementary school children. Personality and Individual Differences, 24,123-130.
• Hoover, J.H., Oliver, R. & Hazler, R.J. (1992). Bullying: Perceptions of adolescent victims in the Midwestern U.S.A. School Psychology International, 13, 5-16.
• Olweus, D. (1997). Bully/Victim problems at school: Knowledge base and an effective intervention program. The Irish Journal of Psychology, 18, 170-190.

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