According to Weddle, “Bullying causes real and long lasting harm to children, but most school administrators fail to address the problem until it is too late.” It is crucial for faculty and the child’s parents to be involved in their lives and to know what is going on around them. A zero tolerance policy for anti-bullying should be in effect for every school nationwide. There are many children who take their lives because of this issue. According to Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Director Bernard Melekian states, "Bullying was once viewed by some as a relatively harmless behavior that was an expected part of adolescent interaction." Recent statistics show that 160,000 children stay at home due to bullying. In addition, studies also show that at least half of suicides committed by adolescents are linked to bullying.
A study was done by the University of Virginia, which demonstrated the discipline violations between the years 2008 and 2009 (depicted in graph below). A total of 1,906 public schools and over 1.2 million students were studied. The study showed that bullying was one of the main reasons for discipline. It was found that 6,595 students were disciplined for bullying other students when reported to the school faculty.
The largest perception which demonstrates that schools are dangerous or violent is presented by a series of high profile cases which have captured the attention of many news headlines. Out of approximately 1.2 million students, only 6,595 of them were found of bullying which is about equivalent to approximately 1.8 percent of the total population of the 1,906 schools.
In researching this topic, bullying is an epidemic that is not taken seriously enough by schools (faculty), students and parents. At least once a week there is a news story or article in the paper in relation to violence in schools. This is a form of mental and physical abuse amongst the adolescents and something must be done to prevent permanent damage. Violence in schools “bullying” is a harsh reality that should not be overlooked in our society. The statistics show that a good percentage of adolescents who are bullied do not feel safe at school.
Anonymous, . Bullying in Schools. (2010, June). FBI Law Enforcement
Bulletin, 79(6), 16. Retrieved February 10, 2011, from Criminal Justice Periodicals.
(Document ID: 2059670671).
Daniel B Weddle. (2003, October). When will schools take bullying seriously? Trial, 39(10), 18-20,22-25. Retrieved February 10, 2011, from Criminal Justice Periodicals. (Document ID: 459490701).
