The Problem of Bullying and Possible Solutions Essay

1.1 Definition of Bullying

Bullying is a very serious and widespread issue in our society. It is a social phenomenon in which the bystanders and the various authorities need to take into consideration the standard ways to establish a peaceful environment. With this standard, the present interventions and solutions can be incorporated into our daily life and offered to young children and teenagers who are under 19 years old, who are still in a vulnerable stage of physical and psychological development. Bullying usually involves events that have long been existing and imminent in our society. It is important to recognize all the problems and the serious effects stemming from this social malignant on the victim, the bully, and the bystander. In order to know how important the interventions are and how it affects our society, it is necessary to have a full understanding of what bullying is. Bullying is a variety of actions that usually involves verbal, physical, or non-verbal conduct with the intent to intimidate, threaten, or harass someone. It is a repeated negative behavior that may cause a harmful impact on the victim to affect psychological and physical development. Also, there will be a serious problem to establish a long-lasting relationship with others which, in a way of affecting social development. In addition, the severity and harmful publish action will be various in different cases. There might have three main types of it including individual bullying, institutional bullying, and cyberbullying. In recent years, vast scholars in psychology and behavior have studied the trend of bullying and its social harm in the given population or geographic area. From their research, boys tend to take on more physical bullying while girls are more prone to verbal bullying. With the effect of tackling and interventions, it is a general consensus that the negative impacts from this social issue can be lessened but there is much more space and work to do in this field.

1.2 Impact of Bullying on Individuals and Society

The impact of bullying reaches far beyond the immediate situation. For many young people, bullying can cause significant emotional harm. In extreme cases, it can even lead to self-harm and suicidal ideation. Many people who are bullied carry the scars of the experience into adulthood, in the form of low self-esteem, depression, and other mental health problems. Furthermore, the impact of bullying is not limited to those who are bullied. Many of those who witness bullying may feel guilty for not speaking out or not being able to help the victim. Conversely, those who bully others may go on to engage in more serious antisocial behaviors. The impact of bullying in society reaches far beyond the individual. A cohesive, supportive community can be destroyed when bullying behavior is accepted as a norm. On a larger scale, when young people are negatively affected by not feeling safe in their schools and neighborhoods, it takes a toll on society as a whole. As bullying becomes more 'accepted' and prevalent as an ongoing problem, the resources that our society has worked to provide such as shelters for abuse victims and mental health hotlines can become stretched to their limits dealing with the vast amounts of cases being reported. As such, the monetary impact of widespread bullying is vast. Finally, bullying can have a lifelong impact on both the victims of bullying and the perpetrators of bullying. For the victims, studies have shown that the emotional and psychological damage caused by bullying can continue into adulthood and have long-term repercussions. For example, research has shown an increased probability of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety in those who were victims of bullying in childhood. This suggests a lifelong vulnerability to low mood and generalized fear that can have a significant impact on quality of life. In some cases, the psychological and emotional damage caused by being bullied can be irreparable, leading to tragic consequences. It is essential therefore to address the issue comprehensively and protect young people from all types of bullying. On the other hand, those who bully others are more likely to engage in risky behavior, suffer from mental health issues, and may continue to perpetuate antisocial behaviors. Therefore, the long-term solution to bullying is to offer learning and developmental initiatives that address both the individuals who engage in bullying behavior and the wider community in their attitudes toward difference and 'otherness'.

2. Causes of Bullying

Another cause of bullying, as researched by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, is that children who are bullies have a lack of connection to their school. Some kids feel better about themselves by picking on others. In addition, some cities and towns could have much higher rates of school violence where