Bullying in schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Bullying in schools - Essay Example Before anything can be proactively done about bullying in the schools, the problem must first be fully recognized, its magnitude must be realized, its process of development must be identified and adults in key positions must be aware of potential effective strategies to reduce or eliminate bullying behavior in the schools. The word ‘bullying’ as it is used in this context describes a specific behavior pattern of intimidation and varying, sometimes escalating, use of violence. The objective is often nothing more substantial than the feeling of mastery over another individual making the behavior traditionally associated more with boys than with girls. â€Å"Bullying is characterized by bigger and stronger youngsters’ ‘victimizing’ their peers through the repeated use of negative actions, such as physical, verbal or relational aggression† (Pellegrini & Bartini, 2000: 700). While there remains a marked difference between the number of male versus female bullies, this is changing with the increased number of women expected to enter into the competitive social sphere. According to Maccoby (1998), the traditional gender difference was determined to have been largely the result of a culturally stronger male association with physical aggression as an appropriate means of establishing and maintaining peer status or dominance. Whether victim or bully, though, the patterns for an individual’s later social treatment and behavior in school are typically first established in the home. A study conducted by Schwartz, Dodge, Pettit and Bates (1997) discovered children who grew up to be aggressive victims in elementary school had usually experienced punitive, hostile and abusive family relationships during their preschool years. Children who become involved in aggressive acts have usually witnessed greater incidences of adult aggression at home and act out what they’ve seen as they