History of Bullying in Canada

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Bullying has been around in Canadian history for over centuries. It has affected the development of many young teens and the growth patterns in forming young adults. It has also resulted in many unnecessary deaths. Bullying has not only caused physical damage but it also causes a lot of mental distress along with psychological problems. It can hinder the growing process of a child and potentially lead to life long permanent damage. In an effort to better protect those who are bullied, harsher punishments should be considered especially in cases causing death and for those who are young, more preventative programs should be instilled in schools.

According to a study conducted by the American Medical Association, “ over 15,000 6th-10th graders, approximately 3.7 million youths engage in and more than 3.2 million are victims of moderate or serious bullying each year” (Cohn, A, & Canter, A, 2003). Bullying not only takes place in person but can presented in many different forms and manners. Some including online or more formally known as cyberbullying, where a person is threatened by the means of online communication or social networking. According to Statistics Canada (2009), “1 in 10 adults living in a household with children reported a child victim of cyberbullying” (StatsCan, 2009). Other types of bullying include physical bullying, where a person is at a risk of physical threats. Verbal bullying, where a person deals with a the use of words to verbally upset the victim (Cohn, A & Canter A, 2003). Also emotional bullying which can include things such as spreading rumours with the intent on hurting the victims feelings.

A well known incident that occurred in British Columbia, was the suicide death of Dawn-Marie Wesley (Wikip...

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... is brought about. For school faculty, whether it be the teacher, custodians, etc, bringing it to the principle to come up with a resolution such as detention, counselling or getting the child more involved in extra curricular activities should be considered. For instance, if the child bullied more than once to the same or different kids, perhaps more time in detention, bringing it to the attention of the principle and participating in extra curricular activities like cleaning up the trash from the school grounds,etc to keep that child busy. If it gets to the point of being out of control, perhaps suspending or expelling the child. Even If the child is a first time offender, letting the parent know as soon as possible to correct the issue as well as detention to keep a close watch on the child. The moment they act out again, the more strict the punishment should be.

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