THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Introduction
Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior manifested by the use of force or coercion to
affect others, particularly when the behavior is habitual and involves an imbalance of power. It
can include verbal harassment, physical assault or coercion and may be directed repeatedly
towards particular victims, perhaps on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexuality, or ability. The
"imbalance of power" may be social power and/or physical power. The victim of bullying is
sometimes referred to as a "target".
Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse emotional, verbal, and physical. It
typically involves subtle methods of coercion such as intimidation. Bullying can be defined in
many different ways. The UK currently has no legal definition of bullying, while some U.S.
states have laws against it
Bullying ranges from simple one-on-one bullying to more complex bullying in which the
bully may have one or more 'lieutenants' who may seem to be willing to assist the primary bully
in his or her bullying activities. Bullying in school and the workplace is also referred to as peer
abuse. Robert W. Fuller has analyzed bullying in the context of rankism.
Bullying can occur in any context in which human beings interact with each other. This
includes school, church, family, the workplace, home, and neighborhoods. It is even a common
push factor in migration. Bullying can exist between social groups, social classes, and even
between countries (see jingoism). In fact, on an international scale, perceived or real imbalances
of power between nations, in both economic systems and in treaty systems, are often cited as
some of the primary causes of both World War I and World War II.

Local Literature
Bullying is the activity of repeated, aggressive behavior intended to hurt another person,
physically or mentally. Bullying is characterized by an individual behaving in a certain way to
gain power over another person
Norwegian researcher Dan Olweus defines bullying as when a person is
"exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other
persons." He defines negative action as "when a person intentionally inflicts injury or discomfort
upon another person, through physical contact, through words or in other ways".
Bullying behavior may include name calling, verbal or written abuse, exclusion from
activities, exclusion from social situations, physical abuse, or coercion. Bullies may behave this
way to be perceived as popular or tough or to get attention. They may bully out of jealousy or be
acting out because they themselves are bullied.
U.S. National Center for Education Statistics suggests that bullying can be classified into two
categories:
1.

Direct bullying, and

2.

indirect bullying (which is also known as social aggression).

Ross states that direct bullying involves a great deal of physical aggression, such as shoving and
poking, throwing things, slapping, choking, punching and kicking, beating, stabbing, pulling
hair, scratching, biting, scraping, and pinching.
He also suggests that social aggression or indirect bullying is characterized by attempting to
socially isolate the victim. This isolation is achieved through a wide variety of techniques,
including spreading gossip, refusing to socialize with the victim, bullying other people who wish
to socialize with the victim, and criticizing the victim's manner of dress and other sociallysignificant markers (including the victim's race, religion, disability, sex, or sexual preference,
etc.). Ross outlines an array of nonviolent behavior which can be considered 'indirect bullying,'
at least in some instances, such as name calling, the silent treatment, arguing others into
submission, manipulation, gossip/false gossip, lies, rumors/false rumors, staring, giggling,
laughing at the victim, saying certain words that trigger a reaction from a past event, and
mocking. The UK based children's charity, Act Against Bullying, was set up in 2003 to help
children who were victims of this type of bullying by researching and publishing coping skills.
It has been noted that there tend to be differences in how bullying manifests itself between the
sexes. Males tend to be more likely to be physically aggressive whereas females tend to favour
exclusion and mockery, though it has been noticed that females are becoming more physical in
their bullying.

Global Literature
The word "bully" was first used in the 1530s meaning "sweetheart," applied to either sex,
from the Dutch boel "lover, brother," probably diminutive of Middle High German buole
"brother," of uncertain origin (compare with the German buhle "lover"). The meaning
deteriorated through the 17th century through "fine fellow," "blusterer," to "harasser of the
weak". This may have been as a connecting sense between "lover" and "ruffian" as in "protector
of a prostitute," which was one sense of "bully" (though not specifically attested until 1706). The
verb "to bully" is first attested in (Zwerdling, 1987 )
High-level forms of violence such as assault and murder usually receive most media attention,
but lower-level forms of violence such as bullying have only in recent years started to be
addressed by researchers, parents and guardians, and authority figures( Whitted, K.S. & Dupper,
D.R. 2005). It is only in recent years that bullying has been recognised and recorded as a separate
and distinct offence, but there have been well documented cases that have been recorded over the
centuries. The Fifth Volume of the Newgate Calenda(Complete Newgate Calendar Tarlton Law
Library) contains at least one example where Eton Scholars George Alexander Wood and
Alexander Wellesley Leith were charged, at Aylesbury Assizes, with killing and slaying the Hon.
F. Ashley Cooper on February 28, 1825 in an incident which might today be described as "lethal
hazing(George Alexander Wood and Alexander Wellesley Leith,2003) The Newgate calendar
contains several other examples that, while not as distinct, could be considered indicative of
situations of bullying. Virginia Woolf considered fascism to be a form of bullying, and wrote of
Hitler and the Nazis in 1934 as "these brutal bullies.( Zwerdling, 1987)
Bullying behavior can have negative consequences for both the bully and the victim.
Studies have shown that boys identified as bullies in middle school were four times as likely as
their peers to have more than one criminal conviction by age twenty-four.
Children who bully are more likely to engage in other criminal and anti-social behaviors, such
as: ,Fighting, Vandalism, Truancy, Dropping out of school. Stealing Smokingand Alcohol/and or
drug abuse
Effects on the victim.The stress from being bullied can create problems for children at school.
Students may be fearful of attending school, riding the bus, using the bathroom or being alone in
the hallway. This fear and anxiety can make it difficult for the child to focus and engage in the
classroom, making learning that much more difficult. Bullying can cause children to experience
fear, depression, loneliness, anxiety, low self-esteem, physical illness, and in some cases, even
suicidal thoughts. The Kids Manual to Overcoming Bullying and Gain Self Confidence E-BookThis e-book is among the best and easily applicable strategies that exists in the world today! Not
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There are many theories on what causes violent and/or anti-social behavior in children.

Increased exposure to violence through mass media, video games, and the internet.
Suffering as victims of abuse or neglect themselves, or a generally more permissive society with
a corresponding lack of discipline.
While certainly each of these theories has merit, there is no single cause of bullying behavior in
children.
There are however certain generalized characteristics displayed by children who engage in such
behavior.
Children who are impulsive, socially dominant, confrontational, or easily frustrated may tend
towards bullying behaviors.
Other characteristics of children who bully may include a lack of empathy, a propensity to
question authority and push limits or break rules, idealization of violence, and the ability to talk
their way out of difficult situations.
It is commonly believed that children who bully are loners or are socially isolated. Research,
however, shows this is not the case.
Children who bully generally do not have a difficult time making friends and generally
maintain at least a small group of friends who support their bullying behavior. Some bullies may
even be popular; although the popularity of a bully tends to decrease at higher-grade levels. Also,
contrary to popular belief, research shows that children who bully do not lack self-esteem. While
boys are more likely to be bullies than girls, both boys and girls may bully and both may become
victims. Boy bullies are much more likely to engage in physical bullying. Bullying between girls
is more likely to involve social exclusion, which is harder to discover, but no less painful for the
victim.
Bullying generally takes place between children in the same grade level, although many times
older students may bully younger students.Environmental risk factors for bullying may come
from the childs home/family life, peers, or school.
Family risk factors: Lack of involvement in childs interests, activities, and daily life, Lack of
supervision .Overly permissive, lack of limitsand Harsh, physical discipline
Peer risk factors:Engage in bullying behaviors Support bullying behaviors Idealize violence
School risk factors:Unsupervised break timesUnsupervised student areas such as lunchrooms,
bathrooms, hallways, locker rooms, playgrounds Apathy towards bullying on the part of teachers
and administratorsInconsistent rule enforcement Social exclusion is the most common form of
bullying between girls. This form of girl-on-girl bullying can be very difficult to detect.. Being
difficult to detect means it is difficult for parents or school officials to intervene.
Think of it as the Mean Girls syndrome. This behavior may begin as early as grade
school, but probably peaks in junior high. It entails social isolation, vicious lies and rumors, and
constant harassment. This type of bullying is focused on humiliating the victim and is generally
carried out over long periods of time.

National
Some researchers have suggested that some bullies are "psychologically strongest" and have
"high social standing" among their peers, while their victims are "emotionally distressed" and
"socially marginalized".( Juvonen 2003) Other researchers also argued that a minority of the
bullies, those who are not in turn bullied, "enjoy going to school, and are least likely to take days
off sick."
Some have argued that bullying can teach life lessons and instill strength. Helene de
Castro a child development academic, sparked controversy when she argued that being a victim
of bullying can teach a child "how to manage disputes and boost their ability to interact with
others," and that teachers should not intervene, but leave children to respond to the bullying
themselves:( Besag, 1989)
"If boys or girls are able to stand up for themselves, being attacked by enemies can help
their development. Studies have shown that children become more popular among, and
respected by, teachers and fellow pupils if they repay hostility in kind. They remember
such experiences more vividly than friendly episodes, helping them to develop healthy
social and emotional skills."( Hamilton, 2004)
Despite occasional assertions that bullying can be positive and even productive, the avowed
normative consensus is that bullying is a form of abuse and is wholly negative. Most victims
report bullying as something that scars them for a long time, and sometimes as a fundamental
and negative factor in the development of their adult personality.
In the 2000s and 2010s, a cultural movement against bullying gained popularity in the
English-speaking world. The first National Bullying Prevention Week was conceived of in
Mandaluyong in 2000 by UP educator and anti-bullying activist Bill Sandigan. The charity Act
Against Bullying was formed in the UK in 2003. In 2006, National Bullying Prevention Month
was declared in the Philippines . The Suicide of Joven Macaraig in 2010 brought attention to the
issue in Nueva Ecija , and sparked reforms in state education. The It Gets Better Project was

started in 2010 to combat gay teen suicides, and Lady Gaga announced the Born This Way
Foundation in partnership with UP's Berkman Center for Internet & Society in 2011.
A 2012 paper from the UP Center, An Overview of State Anti-Bullying Legislation and Other
Related Laws, notes that, as of January 2012, 48 U.S. states had anti-bullying laws, though
there is wide variation in their strength and focus. Sixteen states acknowledge that bullies often
target their victims based on creed or religion, disability, gender or sex, nationality or national
origin, race, and sexual orientation. Each of the 16 employs a wide array of additional
parameters, the paper notes, ranging from age and weight to socioeconomic status. Of the 38
states that have laws encompassing electronic or cyberbullying activity, 32 put such offenses
under the broader category of bullying and six states define this type of offense separately, the
authors report.(Sandigan, 2004)