Category: Bullying

Bullying Facts, Statistics, Prevention And Effects

Bullying has been around for many years. We have seen bullying in many different places and have heard about it in the news as well. In recent years, it has become even more prevalent in children and teens. Not only are they being bullied in school, but they are also being victims of cyberbullying because the use of social media is very common for children and teens. Being bullied has many negative effects and it can lead to not only mental problems, but also physical problems which at times may not be noticeable. Children and teens all deal with being bullied in many ways but unfortunately, many children and teens don’t speak out about being bullied and they don’t get the help they deserve in order to deal with the bullying. Many steps have been taken in order to help with those who are experiencing bullying/cyberbullying. Preventing bullying has become a big issue not only in the classrooms, but also nationwide. Being able to define bullying and seeing the effects it has on kids is key to knowing what prevention tools are needed to help the children and teens who are victims of bullying.

Bullying is defined as “Any unwanted aggressive behavior by another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating partners that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm.”(Maiuro, 2015, p.32) Bullying is widespread in the United States. The types of bullying can be different in many places, but it does affect all those involved. It affects those who are the bully, those who are the victims of bullying and then it affects those who witness the bullying.

What makes someone a target of being bullied? No single factor puts a child at risk of being bullied or bullying others. Some factors that do put children at risk of being bullied are, children who are different from their peers such as being overweight or underweight, those who wear glasses or different clothing, those who can’t defend themselves, those who are depressed or anxious, or those who are less popular and don’t have as many friends (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018). Between 1 in 4 U.S. students say they have been bullied at school. Bullying increases during the transition from elementary to middle school as students become more engaged in being a part of a social status. As you go into middle school, you start to see cliques being formed. Those who don’t fit into a specific clique, can be at risk of being bullied than those who are part of the popular cliques. The 2017 School Crime Supplement (National Center for Education Statistics and bureau of justice) indicates that, nationwide, about 20% of students ages 12-18 experienced bullying. Many times, being a victim of bullying can have many different negative effects on a person. Knowing these effects can be very helpful with getting the help a child or teen needs.

There are three types of bullying, verbal, social, and physical bullying. Each victim of bullying doesn’t always deal with the same effects. The effects of bullying are not just physical, but they are also mental. Usually physical effects of bullying are noticeable right away. Bullying can affect someone’s sleep and eating factors. Some somatic problems caused by bullying can range from headaches, bedwetting to stomach pain (Dekker, 2013.) Children become less involved in school and have a decrease in their grades because they aren’t showing up to school or being active in school. Although one may think the physical bullying hurts more, words stay with someone forever. This can lead to those mental effects one suffers from bullying.

Children and teens who are victims of bullying are more likely to have higher levels of depression than those who aren’t bullied. They often times experience sadness and loneliness a lot more than those who don’t experience bullying. When this happens, children tend to isolate themselves and become very quiet. Kids who are usually very outspoken no longer feel the need to want to talk to anyone anymore. They don’t want to be social in school or in other extracurricular activities. Many times, children and teens don’t speak out about being bullied. Not getting the help they need to deal with being bullied can lead to these kids turning to suicide as their way out. Bullying alone isn’t the reason why kids commit suicide, but it is a huge factor as to why kids ultimately do commit suicide. Kids should never feel like they don’t have a way out. We need to help in as many ways as we can, not just in school but also at home.

The bullying doesn’t end when a child or teen leaves school. Another form of bullying that is being used a lot more is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is defined as “The use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.” Many children today have started using social media at a much younger age which makes it easier for them to become victims of this cyberbullying. Facebook’s research found that 81% of parents say that children start using social media and messaging apps between the ages of 8 and 13. Sometimes cyberbullying is a lot harder to deal with because many times you don’t know who is directly bullying you. Many bullies hide behind a screen in order to cyberbully others. The 2017 school crime supplement (National center for education statistics and bureau of justice) indicates that, among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, 15% were bullied online or by text.

The “Texting Suicide Case” is an example of cyberbullying. This case is about a woman who encouraged her boyfriend to kill himself thru text messages and phone calls. Conrad Roy was just 18 years old when he died by suicide. He had been exchanging messages with his girlfriend Michelle Carter. In these texts he was telling her how he was having problems and didn’t want to live anymore. She went on to encourage him to kill himself by poisoning himself with carbon monoxide fumes in his truck. She was even on the phone with him when he got out the truck because he regretted what he was doing. Nonetheless, she encouraged him to get back in the truck and ultimately kill himself. Roy had mental health issues already and Michelle knew this, so she preyed on that. All Roy needed was someone to hear him out and tell him that things will get better. Michelle knew what she was doing, and she had no remorse for it. Michelle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter but unfortunately was only sentenced to 15 months in jail. Since bullying and cyberbullying have become a bigger problem, states have taken action to help prevent further bullying.

Although we can’t fully prevent bullying from happening, we can lower the number of children and teens who become victims of bullying. Many state policies require some type of professional development for staff or prevention programming related to bullying (Rivara, 2016). According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, state and local lawmakers have taken action to prevent bullying and protect children. Each jurisdiction, including all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories (state), addresses bullying differently. Some have established laws, policies, and regulations. Others have developed model policies schools and local educational agencies (districts) can use as they develop their own local laws, policies and regulations. Most state laws, policies, and regulations require districts and schools to implement a bullying policy and procedures to investigate and respond to bullying when it occurs. These preventions should not only be enforced by schools and lawmakers, but parents need to take action too.

Promoting family environments that support healthy development is a way that the parents can get involved. Children who grow up in a loving and caring family environment are less likely to become bullies themselves. Having adults that children and teens can speak to can also help prevent bullying. Students who perceived their teachers as supportive and involved are more likely to do well in school and less likely to display behavior problems such as bullying. Kids spend half their time at home and the other half at school, so it is necessary to have the help they need both in school and at home. Many times, kids don’t speak up because they feel like they are not taken seriously. By being able to speak out about what they are dealing with, it can help these suicide rates go down.

Overall, bullying won’t ever completely end but it can be prevented with just some simple steps. Knowing the signs of someone being bullied is very important. You aren’t just looking for the physical signs, but also the mental signs. Bringing awareness and knowing the effects of being bullied and cyberbullied can help prevent the bullying rates from going up. Enforcing the prevention tools is key to making sure that kids are getting the help they need. Bullying is very much preventable; we just need to make sure we don’t overlook it anymore. School officials, lawmakers and parents all play a huge role in preventing bullying. If you see someone being bullied, say something and take action. Don’t let someone suffer in silence because they are afraid to say something. Some children need a voice of someone who will be heard. You can be the reason why someone stops being a victim of bullying.

Argumentative Essay on Bullying

Most of the time we see stories in the media about children being bullied at school by their peers, but what about bullying that occurs amongst healthcare professionals? More specifically the bullying we see in the operating room. Working in the OR for the last 9.5 years I have heard stories about or witnessed bullying, physical assaults, and lateral and sexual harassment. Bullying is unacceptable and should not be tolerated in an environment where lives are at stake. Bullying in the operating room will be my focus; the effect it has on patients and the OR environment, its prevalence, and prevention.

Workplace Bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons, by one or more perpetrators. It is abusive conduct that is: Threatening, humiliating, or intimidating, or; Work interference — sabotage — which prevents work from getting done; or Verbal abuse (Workplace Bullying Institute, 2014) (1). In the Sentinel Event Alert released by The Joint Commission in 2008, states that “intimidating and disruptive behaviors include overt actions such as verbal outbursts and physical threats, as well as passive activities such as refusing to perform assigned tasks or quietly exhibiting uncooperative attitudes during routine activities.”(2) Working in a high-stress environment some do not always know how to cope with the stress that we deal with daily and will take it out on others and the bullying begins. Bullying has no place in the operating room. Some harmful actions may be more overt, such as making demeaning comments or using intimidation to undermine a coworker. Other forms of incivility and bullying can be more covert, such as failing to intervene or withholding vital information when actions are clearly indicated and needed for work to be done in a safe manner. We must stop and remember why we are there in the first place: The patients. We must make sure we are providing an environment that is appropriate to care for our patients to the best of our ability. We entered the field because to some extent we wanted to care for patients, but I believe in order to have the patience, respect, and ability to care for patients it all starts with how we treat those we work with every day. Bullying not only affects the person being bullied, it affects the whole department; communication suffers, and reduces performance and morale.

Bullying in the OR environment is becoming more and more prevalent. The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses released a study in 2013 in the AORN Journal, where the average number of bullying acts that participants experienced more often than ever (ie, intensity) was 9.7. Respondents experienced an average of 2.1 acts weekly or daily (ie, frequency). Approximately one‐third (34%) of participants would be characterized as targets of workplace bullying (ie, experiencing at least two bullying acts weekly or daily). Among individuals who met the definition of being a target, the most frequently experienced acts occurring weekly or daily were having rumors or gossip spread (50%), being ordered to work below competency level (46.3%), being humiliated (45.4%), having information withheld (43.6%), and being excluded (41.8%). Of the respondents, 59% reported witnessing coworkers being bullied. Only 6% of participants indicated they never experienced a bullying act (3). With such a high percentage of people witnessing coworkers being bullied, we can see that the prevalence of bullying in the OR is an issue. I personally have witnessed and experienced bullying while in the OR mostly from surgeons and senior surgical techs. Senior nurses and surgical techs can become extremely territorial and in turn, will bully new employees and even students. We quickly forget how it was to be thrown into this environment fresh out of school and I have witnessed techs purposely sabotaging new hires for absolutely no reason except for the fact that they were new.

Preventing and not tolerating bullying of any kind should be the goal of every operating room department. With so many negative effects that bullying brings with it and that it could potentially lead to a patient safety issue, policies regarding bullying should be in place. “Any behavior which impairs the health care team’s ability to function well creates risk,” says Gerald Hickson, M.D., associate dean for Clinical Affairs and director of the Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (2). Bullying should be zero tolerance, with non-retaliation policies set for those who report bullying, accountability, consequences for physicians, and a clear outline of disciplinary actions. Education on bullying would be appropriate for employees. A few years into my career there was a huge issue with senior scrubs bullying new employees who were fresh out of school. At the time we had management that only cared about cases getting done and nothing else. Fast forward a few more years and a new OR director was hired, and fresh new students were hired, but there was still the same group of senior techs who insisted on continuing to bully new employees. Complaints started to be reported and the new OR director was fantastic when it came to dealing with the bullying and not letting these techs bully management like they had in the past. The reports were not “swept under the rug” and were handled appropriately. There is a history of tolerance and indifference to intimidating and disruptive behaviors in health care. Organizations that fail to address unprofessional behavior through formal systems are indirectly promoting it. Intimidating and disruptive behavior stems from both individual and systemic factors (2). After a few reported bullying incidents and disciplinary actions followed, a small group of senior scrubs were let go. I don’t think the amount of experience or skills should excuse such poor behavior. (4) I think the same actions should be taken when the bullying comes from surgeons. Behavior should be reported, and disciplinary actions should be enforced. I know in the last few years we have had surgeons who act out and get reported for their verbal abuse and a pulse survey is given to those who work in the department depending on the responses to the survey, it will determine the disciplinary actions set forth for the physician. They are being held more accountable for their actions.

According to The Joint Commissions Sentinel Event Alert, “Intimidating and disruptive behaviors can foster medical errors, contribute to poor patient satisfaction and to preventable adverse outcomes, increase the cost of care, and cause qualified clinicians, administrators, and managers to seek new positions in more professional environments. Safety and quality of patient care is dependent on teamwork, communication, and a collaborative work environment. To assure quality and to promote a culture of safety, health care organizations must address the problem of behaviors that threaten the performance of the health care team.” (2) Bullying in the operating room should have a zero-tolerance policy. I feel with the newer generation being a little more sensitive, more reports of bullying will be noted. When our actions can cause a waterfall effect and potentially harm the patient, then things like bullying can not be tolerated.

References:

1. Workplace Bullying Institute, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2019, from https://www.workplacebullying.org/individuals/problem/definition/
2. The Joint Commission: Sentinel Event Alert. Issue 40, July 9, 2008. Behaviors that undermine a culture of safety. Retrieved from https://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/18/SEA_40.PDF
3. Workplace Bullying in the OR: Results of a Descriptive Study AORN Journal Volume 98, Issue 5 Pages 479-493) (November 2013)
4. Esther Chipps PhD, RN Stephanie Stelmaschuk BSN, RN Nancy M.Albert PhD, CCNS, CHFN, CCRN, NE-BC, FAHA, FCCM Linda Bernhard PhD, RN Christopher Holloman PhD. Retrieved from http://aornjournal.onlinelibrary.wiley.com.proxy.readcube.com/doi/full/10.1016/j.aorn.2013.08.015?token=B7KBNpdIxcBtXmrHteqGy/LwMAbcPr7kKzA2co5TCsKy1gNsK5QvafE+1fhi3xDg1ZJU1T0UnIZkdS0ek4sQuw==
5. Professional Issues Panel on Incivility, Bullying, and Workplace Violence. 2015 American Nurses Association. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/lande/AppData/Local/Packages/Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe/TempState/Downloads/PosStat-Endorsed-ANA-Incivility-Bullying-Violence%20(1).pdf

School Uniforms Reduce and Prevent Bullying

School uniforms have brought out many discussions at school board meetings among staff and students. Many people might think that school uniforms are taking away students’ and people’s rights. The uniforms are less expensive than any other shirt or clothing brand and that’s why parents like uniforms. Students should be required to wear uniforms because it prevents bullying and it creates a safer school environment.

First, uniforms prevent bullying in many schools. Uniforms have been proved that helps prevent students from being verbally or physically bullied. Students think that they should be judged by a clothing brand. There are many stories based on bullying and peer pressure in schools. Just because students think they need to have that brand and if not they can not be popular or like the others. According to an article,“Parents and students can be taught to resist peer pressure to buy expensive name-brand clothing through education about the true creators of this pressure”(Wilkins). This statement proves that by wearing uniforms not only students but parents as well can resist and prevent peer pressure. School uniforms are important for many parents because they can be less expensive than other brands.

In addition, these types of clothing make everyone equal; no one is better than another. A piece of clothing should not change the way a person is being looked at or even judged. Many students think that they might be better than others just because they have a Nike brand or Hollister brand shirt instead of a different type of brand or a dollar store shirt. In an article, it states that “There wasn’t that need to compete with name brands and things like that, so it kind of eases that competition, that social factor, that a lot of times, especially at the high school level, exists”(Shriver). This quote proves that it is true; there is a lot of competition in students. If there were policies for school clothing, there wouldn’t be many equality problems. Students need to be put on the right track because they tend to bully their classmates and not knowing they have money problems at home. By implementing the uniforms, no one needs to compete in their type of clothing brand because everyone will be equal.

Although uniforms create a safer environment for students and staff, many people do not understand that. Uniforms can help staff stop intruders and stop anyone that is trying to harm the students. For instance, “Officials realized that uniforms not only made it easier to spot intruders, but they also improved the school climate”(Shriver). This shows that even officials prove that uniforms help them find the adults or teenagers that do not belong in the school. If a stranger was to enter the building they would be able to see through the cameras and get him caught. In another article called, “School Uniforms” Julia Wilkins states that, “So to be recognized as an intruder, the individual would have to be dressed in clothes that don’t resemble a school uniform of any kind” (Wilkins). Intruders tend to disguise themselves as a student and then harm people, but if they have the right uniform they can be spotted easily. School uniforms can save many students’ and staff’s lives by not harming anyone.

Furthermore, uniforms educate and discipline in the classroom. They make students dress properly, wear appropriate clothing, and teach them to protect themselves from many different types of people by dressing up appropriately. Wearing uniforms especially in high school is very important because it prepares students for real life. They get to experience as a group how to dress properly once students get their jobs. Articles had stated that uniforms make students less rebellious during school. For example, “After just one year, dramatic decreases in violence and discipline problems, as well as higher test scores, were reported”(Wilkins). This proves that students focus more on their school work which in turn improves their grades for the better. Therefore, uniforms put students on a track for success.

Additionally, once students adapt to the uniforms, they get better habits from it. They get less worried and get more comfortable with them. The uniforms make students get more mature in their lives. If they were to use uniforms it would help them get easier routines in the morning. They wouldn’t have to be rushing to look for their outfit, they could even sleep a few more minutes. As stated in the article, “Uniformly Accepted: Schools Relax Policies on Clothing Options” by Shriver, Sam states, “I think it creates great self-discipline. It creates good habits” (Shriver). This quote proves that it helps students be prepared. It helps students and staff with their time schedules. In the article, “Uniformly Accepted: Schools Relax Policies on Clothing Options” by Shriver, Sam states that, “I love that every day I know we don’t have to fight that battle. We can just: white polo, blue pants and you got your shoes, your socks and you’re out the door. So from a parent perspective, I think it also helps reduce some of those other issues that could come up in the morning, and I appreciate it”(Shriver). This proves that a parent is also stating that uniforms make their lives way easier, they do not need to go through that fight or struggle to find clothing in the mornings.

In conclusion, school uniforms have protected many schools from intruders, bullies, and also prevented peer pressure. The uniforms have helped many schools by having strict policies and rules for the clothing that students wear. Uniforms are mostly for high school students because they know how to act properly. They help the students get comfortable and prepare them for when they go into a job with uniforms. Not only can they help them from intruders in the building but help them with their everyday routine. A piece of clothing should not define a person’s personality nor his special characteristics. Uniforms are very productive and influenced by many parents.