Bullying in Today's Youth

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Bullying is a devastating issue that threatens the well-being of today’s youth. Those who are most likely at risk are those who; have a learning or physical disability i.g., autism or ADHD, are underweight or overweight, are gay/lesbian/transgendered, or speak a different language. Of course, there are no specific guidelines of who will become victims of bullying. Children who are bullied experience lower self-esteem, greater loneliness, greater anxiety, and more depression in addition to the already stressful adolescent years. The longer the bullying occurs the more profound the symptoms can become. As a low-level, subtle form of violence, bullying creates an unsafe school environment and can lead to more serious types of violence among students (Whitted & Dupper, 2005).
Bullying can be described in three components. First, bullying is aggressive behavior that involves unwanted, negative actions. Second, bullying involves a pattern of behavior repeated over time. Third, bullying involves an imbalance of power or strength. The text states that practically every ethnic group has a strong feeling of ethnocentrism, “an orientation or set beliefs that holds one’s own culture, ethnic or racial group is superior to others” (Barker, 2003, p. 148).
There are many types of bullying behavior. Here are just a few:
1. Verbal bullying including derogatory comments and name calling
2. Social exclusion or isolation from groups or others
3. Physical bullying to include hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting, or any type of unwanted physical contact
4. Gossip with lies and false rumors
5. Taking money or other things or damaging property of victims
6. Threats, coercion, or being forced to do things by students who bully
7. Racial bullying...

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...here. Retrieved May 25, 2014, from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2011/ind_11.asp
Bullying Fact Sheet 2012. (2012, January 1). Retrieved May 25, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/bullyingfactsheet2012-a.pdf
Scarpaci, R. (2006). Bullying: Effective strategies for its prevention. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 42(4), 170-174. Retrieved April 8, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=21102965&site=ehost-live
Whitted, K., & Dupper, D. (2005). Best practices for preventing or reducing bullying in schools. Children & Schools, 27(3), 167-175. Retrieved April 8, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Premier.http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=17538038&site=ehost-live

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