Bullying, Suicide, and Bullicide

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Bullying is a major problem in our society today, especially among teens. Bullying can be found in many forms, such as, direct bullying, which is considered kicking, hitting, making cruel comments, or threats. On the other hand, indirect bullying is spreading rumors, or excluding someone from a group; most of the time indirect bullying is done by females. Another form of bullying is cyber-bullying, which is done on the internet, social networking sites, email, or texting. This has become a very popular form of bullying over the past few years. Also, hazing is considered bullying. The term hazing can vary from singing an embarrassing song to extreme physical torture (Rees 24). Hazing is mostly done in sports and in social groups. The term “bullying” is considered a verbal or physical action that causes physical or psychological harm, is repeated over time, and occurs in a relationship of unequal power (Waters 7). Some people think that bullying does not lead to suicide, and that bullying is just a natural part of life. However, bullying, in many cases, is leading to suicide. Bullicide is a new word in the Bullying and Suicide Prevention literature. Bullicide means that a victim of repeated bullying became depressed then died by suicide. Bullying is a major problem in the world today; many teenagers are taking their lives because of it. Suicide is an action related to a difficult set of variables, such as, a biologically based mental illness, substance abuse, and environment factors (Poland). Many teens in high schools are taking their lives because of bullying. Schools need to focus on the problem at hand, which is bullying. Bullying is a major problem in schools, and is not being taken as seriously as it should be. Na... ... middle of paper ... ...Specific Vulnerabilities of Victims.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 49.8 (2008): 867-76. Print. Neimen, Samantha, Brandon Robers, and Simon Robers. “Bullying: A State of Affairs.” Journal of Law & Education (n.d.):n. pag. Print. Olson, Jeremy. "Teen Suicide Is Not on the Rise." Mental Illness. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "No Surge in Teen Suicides, but Many Myths." StarTribune.com. 2010. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. Poland, Scott. "The Phenomenon Known as Bullicide." Crisis Response May 2011: n. pag. Web. Oct. 2013. Rees, Roger C. “Bullying and Hazing/initiation in Schools: How Sports and Physical Education Can Be Part of the Solution.” Journal of Physical Education New Zealand (2010): 24-27. Print. Waters, Karen. "Teenage Bullies: Might Not Right." (2011): 7-9. Web. Oct. 2013.

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