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=__**Bullying in Schools and on the Playground**__ =

Anyone who has ever been to an elementary school has probably seen or heard of bullying. Bullying has been a major problem in American schools for many years. Bullying is a form of abuse. The person who is being bullied is sometimes called the target. One definition of bullying is that it is an act of repeated aggressive behavior in order to intentionally hurt another person, physically or mentally. Bullying is an act of repeated aggressive behavior in order to intentionally hurt another person, physically or mentally. Studies show most bullying happens at school or on the way to and from school. Some students refuse to go to school because they are afraid. Two of the main reasons people are bullied are because of appearance and social status. Bullies pick on the people they think don't fit in, maybe because of how they look, how they act (for example, kids who are shy and withdrawn), their race or religion, or because the bullies think their target may be gay or lesbian. The issue of bullying has received a great deal of media attention since the 1999 school shooting at Columbine. Bullying has long been considered part of growing up, but has emerged as an important issue that youth, parents, schools and communities have begun joining together to address. Research shows that bullying is common among children. It is often vicious and cruel and should be looked at as an early form of aggressive, violent behavior. By the age of twenty-four, 60 percent of bullies have criminal records as well as more arrests for drunken driving, domestic violence and child abuse. Bullies try to control other children by using words or physical means. Bullying usually involves an imbalance of power or strength. Bullies can also be boys or girls. Bullying behavior may include name calling, verbal or written abuse, exclusion from activities, exclusion from social situations, abuse, or coercion. Bullies may behave this way to be perceived as popular or tough or to get attention. They may bully out of jealousy or be acting out because they themselves are bullied. Adults, including parents and teachers, may not understand the complexity and serousness of bullying, because they don't see it.


 * __ Effects of bullying: [[image:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1qdx3wwxuaA/SZ3krBAVlCI/AAAAAAAAAwA/0ma83QUVHUY/s400/B3.jpg width="268" height="211" align="right"]]__**

There are amny consequences of bullying that affect both the bully and the victim, as well as everyone around them. These effects can even be fatal. Anyone, regardless of their age, who is subjected to abusive behavior are at risk of stress related illness which can sometimes lead to suicide. This tells us it is important to intervene as soon as possible when we find out about bullying. Victims of bullying can suffer from long term emotional and behavioral problems. Bullying can cause [|loneliness], [|depression], [|anxiety], lead to low [|self-esteem] and increased susceptibility to illness. Studies have also shown that boys identified as bullies in middle school were four times as likely as their peers to have more than one criminal conviction by age twenty-four.

**__Anti-bullying Campaign:__**

Schools should adopt a routine for dealing with school and playground bullies. There should be guidelines and consequences for bullies. The program needs to be campus wide and teach students to accept each othe rand their differences. Teachers and parents need to listen to what students say and feel. If a student has bullying tendencies or seems to be a victim, they need to take the situation serously. The school needs to include building relationships among students and teaching them emotional and social intelligences. Teachers and adults need to reinforce the idea that students can come and talk to them. They need to be open for students to tell them anything, including about bullying and their fears. Then, the teacher needs to do something about; they can't just look the other way, or they are giving in to the bully also. To begin a program, schools need to get an accurate assessment of the problem. An anonymous survey is a very effective way to learn about the true nature of a problem at a particular school. Adults, teachers procors, etc., need to be more visible in the schools. Most bullying occurs when adults are not present. So, if adults are there to supervise, it may prevent some bullying behavior, or, the adult will be there to intervene. The school should have clear rules and consequences, and follow through with them. Children and adults should be given training and have discussions about bullying.



The following videos are a great resource for information on bullying and how to deal with it. [] []

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