By Debbie Merkel, Lincoln Health Care Center

 It’s that time of year again:  new shoes and the latest fashions, crisp new notebooks and glossy folders, the excitement of seeing old friends, and the anticipation of starting a new grade.  Unfortunately for approximately 25% of our youth, this is also the time of year when danger often lurks behind school doors and the next corridor.  The time of year when bullying becomes widespread on school campuses everywhere.

          Think about this: 

an estimated 160,000 children miss school everyday out of fear of attack or intimidation by other students  (Nat’l Education Association)
One out of every ten students who drop out of school does so because of repeated bullying (Oklahoma Health Department)
43% of our children fear harassment in the bathroom at school (Nat’l Institute of Health)

Six out of ten American teens witness bullying at least once a day (Nat’l Crime Prevention Council)

100,000 students carry a gun to school (Nat’l Institute of Health)
Harassment and bullying have been linked to 75 percent of school-shooting incidents (US Secret Service Report) 

          Bullying includes a wide variety of behaviors intended to harm the victim.  Bullying may be verbal: calling names, malicious teasing or threats, sexual remarks; physical: hitting or attacking another person; or psychological: excluding and / or mistreating someone or spreading rumors.  In recent years a new form of bullying has arisen called cyber-bullying.  Cyber-bullying involves the use of the Internet.  The victim is slandered and embarrassed through text messages, e-mails and social websites, such as “MySpace” or “Facebook”.

          Bullying occurs more often in boys than in girls.  Unfortunately, many people still accept this with the “boys will be boys” mentality or dismiss it as a normal part of growing up.  Make no mistake about it; bullying is an act of violence.  According to the National Institute of Health, “it’s a public health problem that merits attention”.

          The effects of bullying can be devastating.  Children who are being bullied are more likely than their peers to be depressed, lonely, and anxious.  They often have lower self-esteem, are sick more often and think about suicide (Journal of the American Medical Association, 2007).  Studies also indicate bystanders of bullying are also negatively affected.  Bullying gets in the way of a student’s learning and participation in school and extra-curricular activities.

          So how do we stop this violence in our schools?

1.    Adopt a No-tolerance policy.

2.    Develop and implement school-based programs and interventions.

3.    Education for the school, families, and community.

4.    Commitment on the part of youth, school personnel, and families.

 

For more information on bullying, check out www.StopBullyingNow.hrsa.gov. 

You can also make a difference by volunteering at your child’s school.  Also check out www.studentpledge.org.  It’s time to put an end to bullying and violence in our schools!