Bullying is a widespread social problem that negatively impacts victims' self-esteem, worldview, and mental health, sometimes tragically resulting in suicide. While schools have anti-bullying policies, new forms of cyberbullying allow harassment to continue privately. The document examines claims about bullying's harms and prevalence from scholarly sources and media reports. It also explores the causes and types of bullying, as well as typical targets. Recognizing bullying's traumatic effects, the need for meaningful solutions like increased counseling is discussed.

1. Bullying: A Social Problem
By: Alyssa Duckett

2. What claims have been made?
• Bullying contributes to one having a low self esteem.
• Bullying affects how one views the world, society.
• Bullying leads to suicide and broken families.
• Cyberbullying is becoming more prominent in today’s
world.
• It is a major social problem.

3. Bullying in terms of social
harm, morality, and fairness.
• Bullying is designed to inflict social harm to
reduce ones social status.
• It is not morally correct to bully someone, it is
considered cruel.

4. Advertising
This is a cyber advertisement
with a goal to help bullies and
people who are bullied. The
picture is an arm with a cut on
the wrist. The blood from the
cut is hurtful words that are
said to people when being
bullied.

5. Videos also show how bullies affect ones life. In this particular video, Jonah
Mowry is crying out for help, he didn’t know how to handle all of the
bullying, his friends moved onto a different school, but at the end he showed
that he was still standing strong, not letting the bullies get the best of him.

6. Mainstream Media
The claims that have been made about bullying match the claims that
scholarly sources have said. All agree that bullying is a terrible thing. It
is “deliberating to victims.”
Hundreds of articles from Fox 4, New York Times, parents, students
and videos on youtube all present the same information.
- Bullying needs to be ended.
- Many times it occurs under the radar until it is too late.

7. • Using children to
portray bullying is
very good way to
help claims making
because everyone
cares about little
kids. This little boy is
being choked by
hurtful words and he
is crying, which
makes the reader
feel badly.

8. Movies like Mean Girls
promote bullying and give
people ideas on how to bully.
When kids watch these
movies, they need to
understand that it isn’t “cool”
to bully people and they
aren’t going to be popular if
they do become a bully.

9. What is Bullying?
• In order to be classified as “bullying” there must be 3 elements: it
must be intended to harm, it must be repetitive, and there has to
be a difference of power – physical, social and other, between the
victim and the bully.
• There are also different types of bullying:
– Physical bullying: Involves hitting, kicking, or any form of violent
threat toward another student.
– Verbal bullying: Name calling, teasing, and verbal threats.
– Relational bullying: A form of social isolation such as
gossiping, spreading rumors, and leaving students out of activities
intentionally.

10. Bullying Related to Trauma?
• It is suggested that being a victim of bullying is a chronic stressor
that often leads to traumatic responses.
• The impact of bullying to children on their development is
significant and long lasting. If traumatic events are repeated, it
tends to disrupt one’s sense of trust in self, others and the world.
• Chronic exposure to bullying appears to increase feelings of
distress and has been linked to greater physical, psychological, and
emotional symptomology in children. They also feel very fearful
and helpless.

11. Bullying Becomes Deathly
• Being bullied to the point of taking ones own life is becoming a very
common thing, especially in our own town. At least four different suicides
have taken place in the past month among high schools.
• The risk of depression, suicide thoughts, and suicide attempts are
significantly higher for the victims of bullies and the actual bully.
• It is easier to bully someone in the world today because it does not have
to be face-to-face. Someone could just go online and say something to
another person to make them feel bad about themselves, it happens
everyday. Schools have a zero policy rule for bullying, but now it can go
undetected and can occur at home.

12. What Causes Someone to Bully?
• Family issues; The bully could have parents who treat them like
nothing, which causes them to lash out on others.
• Being in power; Most people like being in power and bullying is a
way for some to feel that.
• Recognition for their behavior; Bullies may seem “cool” in school
because they are in charge of everyone. No one will mess with
them.
Bullying is a man-made issue. It is all about ones ego. They have to
look good for everyone. It is the fear of being a loser.

13. Who is Targeted?
• Quiet, smart (nerdy) kids.
• Low income kids because they may not be able to afford the
popular items or clothes.
• Pretty girls/boys are new targets, bullied by jealous peers.
• Gays/Lesbians.

14. Solutions
• Having adults understand and be involved.
• Better supervision in schools, especially during break times.
• Class rules against bullying and having class meetings.
• Having talks with targets, bullies, and their parents.
Putting an end to bullying is next to the impossible. Targets are afraid to
speak out because it will make the bully even more mad at them and they
are terrified of the outcome. In this new world of technology, bullying can be
done all online and not in person. Teachers, parents, siblings and friends are
not even aware of what is going on because it is so secretive.

15. Solutions Continued
The solutions on the previous page have all
been tried, but have not been the most
effective. New forms of bullying are constantly
popping up, due to new technology, new
“fads”, new ways to tear one down in order to
feel higher up.

16. The Real Solution
• In order to really see what is going on in school or
on the internet, it should be required that a
student meets with their counselor every 2
weeks. Eventually, the student will trust and feel
comfortable enough to open up to the counselor
and could seek help.