In recent news, bullying has become a popular topic. Bullying is a serious public health issue that affects the well being of a person and everyone around them. According to Chen & Schwartz (2012) bullying and victimization affect students’ quality of life at school. Social, emotional, and academic developments are crucial predictors (Chen & Schwartz, 2012).
Seventh graders (middle school students) have typically entered what may be the
most disorienting time of life. During this disorienting time in their lives,
middle school students can be more sensitive to bullying and stress. A student’s mental status can greatly affect their actions including the
ones that may be erratic during times of despair. The types of bullying include cyber-bullying, verbal abuse, physical abuse, and bullying via phone or text.
As previously stated, bullying has
been recognized as a major health issue (Klomeck, Sourander, & Gould,
2011). Studies show that bullying is associated with suicide depression,
suicide attempts and ideations (Klomeck, Sourander, & Gould, 2011). Suicide
is the third leading cause of death for youths, ages 10 and 24 (Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Recent number of
suicides in youths have been linked to Cyberbullying (Klomeck, Sourander, &
Gould, 2011). Adult bullying is considered a serious problem that may need
legal action (Bullying Statistics, 2009).
References:
Bullying Statistics. (2009a). Adult Bullying. Retrieved from
http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/adult-bullying.html
Bullying Statistics. (2009b). Workplace
Bullying. Retrieved from http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/workplace-bullying.html
Chen, P. & Schwartz, S. (2012) Bullying and Victimization
Experiences of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Elementary School.
A Journal of the Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 27(4). pp. 200-212.
Klomeck, A., Sourander, A., & Gould, M. (2011). Bullying and
Suicide. Psychiatric Times. 28(2).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Suicide Briefs. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc/gov/features/suicidebriefs/index
Loan,
ReplyDeleteThere are 160,000 children miss school every day because they fear being bullied (Bullying Statistics, 2009). There is a strong link between bullying and suicide, and it is astonishing that one of the leading causes of death among children ages 14 and younger is suicide (Bullying Statistics, 2009). I knew that bullying was an issue, but I believe I was almost blind to how big of an issue bullying really is for both children and adults. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
References
Bullying Statistics. (2009). Bullying Statistics 2010. Retrieved from http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-statistics-2010.html
Hi Loan,
ReplyDeleteI agree that bullying is a huge concern for today's youth. It seems to me that cyber bullying is the most common and also most detrimental form of bullying. I think it is mainly because cyber bullying gives the perpetrator a false sense of confidence-- they can say or do anything from behind a computer screen.
I'm curious to know why 7th grade may be the hardest year-- is it the hormones, changes in body shape and image, or some other reason? I personally remember 7th grade being the worst time for being made fun of, or feeling left out of certain "groups" at school.
Interesting stuff!
-Katie
Hi Loan,
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting (and incredibly relevant) topic to explore. One of your first sentences really resonated with me: "Bullying is a serious public health issue that affects the well being of a person and everyone around them." This is a issue that truly does create a ripple effect within communities. At the heart of it, this is an incredibly systemic health concern, and I think that this provides such a powerful reminder to us as health educators to explore the system as a whole in order to address bullying in an effective way.
Thank you so much for your post!
Emily
Hi Loan,
ReplyDeleteI hope the recent attention bullying has received continues. Bullying can have a serious emotional and mental impact. Often, people do not see bullying as a health issue, but if they stop to consider the side-effects of bullying, it is easy to see how it can affect someone's health.
-VL