How bullying affects students inside and outside of the classroom.
Bullying is a huge issue that provides challenges to students and schools all around the world. This issue causes many obstacles and leaves lasting effects on students every single day. Some of these types of bullying can be physical, socially, psychologically, and one that has become very common, cyberbullying. Bullying is very dangerous for students who are on both sides of it.
To begin, students who are bullied face many effects right away. They can become withdrawn in social situations and become unhappy at school. If students are starting to feel emotions of sadness when being at school, this becomes linked to lower academic achievement (Kennedy). Lower academic achievement can also stem from students having insomnia, therefore lack of sleep leaves them unengaged in school. Students who are bullied also experience feelings of depression and anxiety. These feelings can lead to suicidal thoughts later on (study.com). Bullying overall leaves kids feeling less confident and unsure about themselves. These feelings cause students to make decisions that they normally would not make. Students who carry disabilities and are a part of the LGBTIQ are at an increased risk of being bullied.
As much as the students who are being bullied are affected, the kids who are doing the bullying have many results of their actions happen to them as well. Many students who bully can be insecure about their social status, appearance, or their race. Students can bully out of feelings of jealousy and low self-esteem (study.com). In many cases, students who are experiencing issues outside of the classroom take that anger and aggression out in the classroom by targeting their peers. Those feelings of anger and despair fuel the students’ needs of being the center of attention. While some students are facing low self-esteem, many students bully because of their increased levels of confidence (Public Affairs).
Finally, cyberbullying is one of the most common forms of bullying that has taken place. This form of bullying is difficult for teachers to target, because in most cases they are not able to see it. However, in many cases, these situations of bullying are likely to carry over in the classroom. Kids are constantly behind screen whether it be a cell phone, laptop, tablet, and more. They find it easy to communicate bullying this way because of their ability to hide behind the screen (Public Affairs). Their reactions are instant and they do not take the time to think before they post. Cyberbullying can pose threats, outing, and argumentation between parties.
Overall, bullying is a series of small actions that turn into bug consequences. It is important to understand the harsh consequences it can leave on students. As teachers, it is crucial that we keep our eye out for warning signs on a day to day basis. It is also a good idea to take steps that will prevent bullying. You can do these kinds of things by showing students it is okay to express emotions so they can learn how to deal with them appropriately. Whatever you can do to stop bullying will result in fewer problems down the road for all parties involved.
Bibliography
Effects of Bullying: Implications into Adulthood. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.overcomebullying.org/effects-of-bullying-into-adulthood.html
Public Affairs. (2019, December 4). Effects of Bullying. Retrieved from https://www.stopbullying.gov/bullying/effects
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://study.com/teach/bullying-in-schools.html
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