MichellArender,BrandonDickson,AmandaJohnson,MariyaMalik,BellaMelendez,

GabbiNegrillo
JoelPowell
PoliticalScience001
10November2014
Bullying
Morethan3.2millionstudentsarevictimsofbullyingeveryyear(11FactsAbout
Bullying).While49stateshaveantibullyinglegislation,bullyingstilloccurseverydayin
homes,schools,andcommunities.Itisimperativethatbullyingisrecognizedasamore
seriousoffensetopreventfurtherdamagingeffectsthatareassociatedwithbullying.
Thefederalgovernmentshouldhaveagreaterroleinregulatingandadministering
punishmentinsteadoflocalinstitutions.
Bullyingisanimbalanceofpower.Itistheactionofonepersonusingthatpower
toharm,orcontrolothers.Itisrepetitiveaggressivebehaviorbetween,typically,
schoolagedchildrenorteens.Itcanrangefromverbaltophysical,andtoeven
psychologicalbullying.Therearemanytypesofbullying,butthebroadcategoriesof
bullyingincludeverbal,physical,cyber,andrelational/socialbullying.Verbalbullying
consistsofnamecallingandthreatening.Physicalbullyingisanyformofbullying
includingphysicaltouch.Italsoincludesinappropriatehandgesturestowardsanother
individual.Relational/Socialbullyingisanytypeofbullyingwhereoneindividuals
action'sarewithintentionstoharmanotherindividualsreputationorrelationshipswith
people.Anexampleofthisisafriendstartingandspreadingrumorsabouthisorher

friend(s)tocauseharmtothem.Lastly,thealltopopularlyknown,cyberbullying.Cyber
bullyingisanyformofbullyingthattakesplaceonsocialmedia,phones,theinternet,or
ontechnologyingeneral.Bullyingissooverlookedthatmanypeopledonotrealizethat
therearepeopleallaroundthemthathavebeenaffectedbybullyingatonetimeor
another.
Bullyingcantakeactioninmanydifferentformssuchasmakingthreats,
spreadingrumors,attackingsomeonephysicallyorverballyorexcludingsomeonefrom
agrouponpurpose.Thesethingshappenontheschoolgrounds,onthewayhomeand
evenontheplayground.Mostofthetime,bullyingisntwitnessedatthescene.Children
normallybullyothersundertheradar.Sometimeswhenchildrenareactingoutitis
becausetheyarebeingbulliedinsomeway.

Somesignsofachildbeingbulliedisiftheyareactingoutathomeor

haveasuddenchangeofbehavior.Achildmayevenrefusetogotoschoolormakeup
astoryfornotwantingtogo.Sometimeschildrenarenotonlybulliedbuttheycanbe
doingbullyingtoo.

Bullyingandcyberbullyingarebecomingahugeproblemtodayinsociety.

Manychildrenarebulliedeverydayandsometimesevenmorethantwiceaday.
th
th
AccordingtoSchoolCrimeSupplement,in200820096%ofstudentsfrom6
to12

gradeexperiencedcyberbullying.Youthriskbehaviorsurveillancesurveyindicatedthat
th
th
in2011,16%ofhighschoolstudentsin9
gradeto12
gradewerecyberbulliedinthe

pastyear.Todaymoststudentshaveexperiencedbullyinginsomeform.Theyhave
eitherbeenavictim,hadwitnessedbullyingtakeactiontosomeonetheymayknow,or

theyaretheonesdoingthebullying.Nomatterwhatplaceachildtakesinbullying,
thereneedstobeastoptoallformsofbullying.Buthowcanwegetridofbullying?

Societyisnowmoreawareofbullyingandcyberbullying,andwehave

evencomeupwithwaystoavoidorstopbullyinginallitsforms.Parentsarenow
regulatinghowmuchchildrenspendontheinternet,oronsocialmedia.Schoolofficials
andteachersarealsoawareofbullyingandhavecomeupwithwaystopreventit.
Regulatingchildrenwhileatschoolandnotallowingtheuseofcellphonesduring
schoolhoursarejustonewayofpreventingbullying.Butnomatterhowhardwetryto
preventthisfromoccurring,itwillhappenanyways.Bullyingissomethingthathasbeen
aroundforaslongaswecanremember.Withtheuseoftechnology,bullyinghasnot
onlyincreaseddrastically,butithasbecomeeasierandsmarter.Insteadoftryingto
createwaystoavoidandpreventbullyingtooccur,weneedtocomeupwithwaysto
handleitandworkwithit.

Whenchildrenarebullied,anumberofthingscanoccur.Childrenfirst

starttoactdifferently,especiallyathome.Theymaybecomeangryorsad,making
themtalkbackorgiveattitudes.However,whenchildrenarebullied,theirentire
personalitychangesnegatively.Manychildrendonotknowhowtohandbeingbullied
becausetheynevergotoanyoneaboutit.Mostofthetime,whenchildrenarebullied
noonewillfindoutuntilitistoolate.Unfortunately,bullyingisoneofthemainreasons
whysuicidesintheUnitedStateshaveincreasedinthepastdecade.Bullyinguseto
onlyoccuratschoolorontheplaygrounds,butwiththeuseoftechnologybullying
occursathomeaswell.Cyberbullyinghasbecomethenewandeffectivewayin

attackingorbullyingsomeone.Childrenusetobeabletogetawayandavoiditwhen
theywereathome,butnotanymore.Bullyingisnolongerasignofathreat,ithas
becomedeadly.

Nowthebigquestioncomestomindshouldthegovernmentregulate

bullyingofanytype?Andhowshouldtheyregulateit?Cyberbullyingoccursalmostall
thetime,evenwhenweleastexpectit.Butwhatifthegovernmentwasabletocontrol
bullyingoratleastcyberbullying.
Formanyyears,bullyinghasbecomeanormalcyamongstpeople.Itisseen
everywhere,inperson,inmoviesandontelevision,onadailybasis.Theproblemisthat
ithasbecomesonormalthatpeoplerarelydoanythingaboutitwhenandiftheyseeit
happen.Itisnowaproblemofrecognizingbullyingandthedifferenttypesofbullying.If
peopleareinformedonbullying,theeffectsithasonpeople,andhowitcanbestopped,
thenmaybetheproblemwillbehelped.
Currently,thereisnofederallawthataddressestheissueofbullying.Although
49stateshaveantibullyinglawsinplace,bullyingisnotillegal.Unfortunately,state
lawsarenotconsistentacrossthecountryandvarysignificantlyinhowbullyingshould
beaddressed.TheauthorsofTheTimeisNowforaFederalAntiBullyingLaw,write
A2011reportbytheU.S.DepartmentofEducationshowedthatonlysomeofthe
statesfollowbestpracticesshowntobeeffectiveinreducingbullyingsuchasincluding
butnotlimitedtoenumeratedgroups,includingrelationallyorsociallyaggressive
actslikesocialostracism,andincludingmentalhealthsupportfornotonlythose
targetedbybullyingbutalsothosewhoperpetrate(
Kennedy,Kerry,andTemkin).

Additionally,onlywhenbullyingoverlapswithdiscriminatoryharassmentsuchasrace,
nationalorigin,color,sex,age,religion,ordisabilityarefederallyfundedschoolseven
requiredtoprovidearesolution.

Thecase
Morrowv.Balaski
,2013,demonstratedhowschoolsandstate

lawsinadequatelyaddresstheissueofbullying.TheMarrowsisterswerecontinuously
bulliedandassaultedbyanotherstudent.Theperpetratorwasonlyorderedwithno
contactandsuspendedfromschool.Thebullyingcontinued,andtheprincipal,Balaski,
andtheBlackhawkSchoolDistrictmerelysuggestedtheMorrowsbeplacedina
differentschool,anddecidedagainstexpellingtheperpetrator.Boththeprincipaland
schooldistrictweresuedfornotprotectingtheMorrowsistersfromtheassaults.The
courtsruledagainsttheMorrowsbecausetherewasnospecialrelationshipbetween
thechildrenandtheschool.Furthermore,thecourtssuggestedtheparentslook
towardsstatelegislatureforaresolutiontotheirchildrensbullying.Inanarticle,How
LocoisinLocoParentis,theauthorwritesofthecourtsdecision.Thecourtsstated,
NeitherourholdingherenortheSupremeCourtsjurisprudenceforeclosesstatesfrom
providingpublicschoolstudentsandtheirparentswithenforceableremediesunder
statelaw(
Bosakowski).
Manyofthebullyingstatisticsarenotaccurateinthesensethattheworldisvery
largeanditishardtoaccuratelyrepresentinnumbershowbadthisproblemisandhow
muchoftheworlditaffects.Althoughitishardtocreateaccuratestatistics,thereare
manystatisticsthatcanaccuratelyrepresentnationwidehowlargethisproblemis.In
2013,the
YouthRiskBehaviorSurveillanceSystem
indicatedthatabout20%of

studentsingrades912,nationwide,haveexperiencedbullying.(BullyingDefinition
http://www.stopbullying.gov
)Oneintenteenagersstatedthatinschooltheywitness
bullyinghappenonceaday.About75%ofschoolshootingshavebeenlinkedtocases
ofbullying.Theolderthestudentsget,thelesslikelytheyaretoreportbeingbullied,
especiallyinschool.64%ofchildrenwhowerebullieddidnotreportitaccordingto
Nobullying.com.
Besidesthewaysthegovernmentisalreadyinvolvedinstoppingbullying,there
areotherthingsthegovernmentcanstilldotoaidinstoppingbullying.Provisions
shouldbesetinplacetoprotectpeoplewhoaregettingbullied.Requirementsshould
beputinplacetomakeschoolstotraintheirpersonnelinwaystostopbullyingand
remedybullyingsituations.Thegovernmentneedstotakecasesofbullyingmore
seriouslyandnotignorethem.Thefederalgovernmentshoulddecidewhatconstitutes
bullyingandmakeitintoatermthatcanbeusedinalegalsetting.Theyalsoneedto
differentiatethedifferenttypesofbullying,suchasphysicalbullying,relational/social
bullying,andcyberbullying.Bullyingcanhappenatschool,intheworkplace,or
anywhereatanytime.Thegovernmentshouldenforceinspectionsandsurveysof
schoolsandbusinesses,whetheritisthegovernmentwhophysicallygoesinand
inspectsandtakesthesurveys,orifthegovernmentrequiresbusinessestogoinand
doitthemselves.Lawsshouldbecreatedtomakebullyingacriminaloffense.Either
way,peopleshouldbeabletoappealtothecourtstogetadisputeresolved.The
federalgovernmentshouldmakeitillegaltobullysomeoneandhaveconsequencesfor
thosewhodobully.Also,bullyingshouldbeillegalwhetherornotitoverlapswith

discriminatoryharassment,suchasrace,religion,nationalorigin,age,color,sex,or
disability.Onceacaseofbullyinghasbeenfoundandifitisbecomingworseandnot
gettingresolved,peopleshouldbeabletotaketheissuetocourt.Thenifithasbeen
foundthattherewasbullyinghappening,thecourtsshouldbeabletopunishtheguilty
party.Thepunishmentwouldthendependuponwhattypeofbullyingitisandthe
severityofit.
Itisveryimportanttotakeactionsagainstbullyingbecauseoftheaftereffectsit
hasonthepersonbeingbullied.Bullyingmightstartfromasmalljokewhichcanleadto
ashorttermorlongtermeffect.Bullyingisaformofabuseinwhichtheotherpersonis
beinghurtphysically,mentally,oremotionally.Itverymuchaffectsachildastohow
theyareshapedinthefuturebecausethedamagecanlastalifetime.Manypeople
whobullydonottakeintoconsiderationtheaftereffectitmighthaveonthevictim.
Physicalwoundsmayhealbutemotionalattackscanstayforever.Itcangoasfarasa
victimcommittingsuicideorevendoingopenshootinginschoolstotakerevenge.A
victimcanloseselfconfidencewhichcouldlaterinlifealsohurttheirprofessional
workinglife.
Someshorttermeffectsofbullyingareanger,depression,anxiousavoidanceof
seeingsinwhichbullyingmayoccur,greaterincidenceofillness,lowergradesthan
nonbulliedpeers,andsuicidalthoughts.Inthelongterm,thevictimmayhavereduced
occupationalopportunities,lingeringfeelingsofangerandbitterness,anddesirefor
revenge.Theymayalsohavedifficulttimetrustingpeople,interpersonaldifficulties,

includingfearandavoidanceofnewsocialsituations,andselfesteemproblems
(
www.aaets.org
).
Duetothelargenumberofpeopleaffectedbybullying,itiscrucialthatthe
federalgovernmenttakesactionindevelopingappropriatepunishmenttothosewho
commitactsofbullying.Allformsofbullyingcauseharmfulandsometimesirreversible
effectstothepersonbeingbullied.Withoutafederallawormoresuitablepunishments,
bullyingwillcontinuetobeasignificantissuewithintheUnitedStates.

WorksCited
http://nobullying.com/bullyingstatistics2014/
Nobullying.comn.d.n.pWeb.
"11FactsAboutBullying."
DoSomething.org
.N.p.,n.d.Web.08Nov.2014.

Bosakowski,JamesA."How"Loco"IsInLocoParentis?"
DefenseDigest
[Philadelphia]Sept.
2013,Volume19ed.,No.3sec.:89.Print.

Fouseytube.Thebullyingexperiment.onlinevideoclip.youtube.youtube,1December.
2013.Web.n.d.

Kennedy,Kerry,andDeborahTemkin."TheTimeIsNowforaFederalAntiBullyingLaw."
HuffingtonPost
.TheHuffingtonPost.com,Inc.,05May2013.Web.06Nov.2014.

PoliceandPredatorchannel.YounggirlsHarassingclassmateonlinecyberbullyingWhat
wouldyoudo?.onlinevideoclip.youtube.youtube.20Jan.2014.Web.n.d

Rose,Lindsey.CyberbullyTaylorsSuicideAttempt.Onlinevideoclip.youtube.youtube,2
Mar.2014.Web.n.d.