Ashlei Smith Justification Report (2)

Running head: ASSIGNMENT 4.2: JUSTIFICATIION REPORT – FINAL VERSION 1
Assignment 4.2: Justification Report – Final Version
Ashlei Smith
Professor Kasraie
ENG 315
3/23/2014

ASSIGNMENT 4.2: JUSTIFICATIION REPORT – FINAL VERSION 2
Ashlei Smith
Atlanta, GA 30339
214-985-9708
ashlei.smith4@yahoo.com
March 23, 2014
U.S. Department of Education
Lyndon Baines Johnson
Department of Education Building
400 Maryland Avenue
Washington, DC 20202
To the Secretaries and Directors of the U.S. Department of Education:
Enclosed is my justification report regarding the options available to combat bullying in schools.
The research specifies in detail three decisions that can potentially prevent bullying from
happening at the speed it currently operates. There are also facts and records about schools who
have either already suffered from the retaliation of someone who has been bullied, have begun to
put into operation a type of school attack reaction drill, or some type of attempt to cease bullying
in their schools.
In addition, this report provides in depth information and approaches for ideas of solution to the
problem. My report also includes important data as to reasons bullying starts, as well as the many
repercussions of the act. Bullying is not just dangerous to the person(s) being tormented, but as
well as the people responsible and even innocent bystanders. This is a danger that you have the
power to diminish and support our country to be one step closer to having bully-free schools.
If you should have any questions regarding the information enclosed, please feel free to contact
me at the email address or phone number provided. I look forward to hearing from you, and
please let me know if there is anything else I can do to assist you.
Sincerely,
Ashlei Smith
Enclosure: Final Report

Table of Contents
Executive Summary............................................................................................................ 4
Introduction......................................................................................................................... 5
Problem Statement .............................................................................................................. 5
Method Used....................................................................................................................... 5
Findings............................................................................................................................... 6
Analysis............................................................................................................................... 9
Recommendation ................................................................................................................ 9
References......................................................................................................................... 11

Executive Summary
Over the past seven years, bullying has been steadily increasing among middle and high
school students. There are various types of bullying, but the majority of harassment is committed
either in schools or online by students. The Department of Education, with the aid of Congress
members, needs to create a federally mandated anti-bullying program to be put in place in all
curriculums of schools in the United States, create a stricter policy for punishments for students
who are guilty of the act, or start fining parents when their child is caught bullying which will
also force parents to be more active in their child’s life.
The ideas for the solutions to this growing problem mainly came from seemingly
constant news reports about bullying or a form of violence happening at a school as a result of
mistreatment. Ideas also formed from surveying former classmates and current high school
students by use of a bullying incident form created, as well as personal experiences of being
bullied. Information was also gathered through researching the U.S. Department of Education
database. After analyzing all the collected data, it was a matter of creating viable options to assist
in countering the severe issue of bullying.
This report provides plenty of statistics to prove the point that bullying is dangerous, no
matter what type it is. There are even adults who still bully people and possibly don’t even
realize it. Besides in-school bullying, cyber bullying is the second most popular type of
harassment. There is a difference between expressing your opinion and putting others down for
enjoyment or for the sake of being mean-spirited.
The United States Department of Education, with the five hundred and thirty-five
members of Congress, has the opportunity to show parents, teachers, and students around
America that they care about the well-being and future of children. Opting to enforce any of the
three solutions will cast our government in a positive light with citizens around the world. By
making this anti-bullying program obligatory, all students will learn more in depth about
bullying and effects of it along with compassion and empathy, which will result in both in the
reduction of bullying or an influx of pupils not being afraid to report all harassment. Deciding to
mandate the stricter punishment idea will hinder bullies from starting trouble in the first place in
fear of the penalties, whether it be suspension or even expulsion. Electing for the final option of
fining the parents when their child is caught for bullying may not make the parents who have to
pay happy, but they will definitely have more of an impact in their son or daughter’s life and
teaching them they need to treat people with kindness. Overall, choosing any of these listed
resolutions will lead to a decrease in student depression and suicides, as well as any method of
retaliation that has and will continue to leave scars on us all. Even doing something simple, is a
lot better than continuing to do nothing at all.

I. Introduction
There are few schools that have an annual or bi-annual anti-bullying seminar for students
that is mandatory for them to attend. Because students are not tested after the assembly, it is
difficult to gauge how many of them actually pay attention. Teachers do not take initiative to
ensure their students under what bullying can lead to. Unfortunately, due to many recent attacks
at schools, some districts have begun to implement mandatory school shooting drills, which is
beneficial because students and teachers learn what needs to be done and how to react in case
there is a shooting. However, the point of this report is to avoid students having to use that
knowledge. The U.S. Department of Education has a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of
one of the three resolutions mentioned in this report to aid with ridding schools of bullying
incidents so that these drills become irrelevant.
A. The Problem
The problem is bullying is a steadily increasing problem in the United States since 2007.
Students take mistreatment of their peers above and beyond the point where the harassed
students feel the need to retaliate. Since the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary on
December 14 of 2013, there have been at least an additional forty-four school shootings up to
February 12, 2014. Out of those forty-four shootings, twenty-eight people were killed, both
students and faculty. All school shootings that have occurred from February 13th to present date
haven’t been accounted for yet, but to our knowledge, there have been at least ten more
shootings up to the 28th of February. These staggering statistics from the article “Twenty-Eight
Killed in 44 U.S. School Shootings since Newton” alone should be able to demonstrate that there
is a problem. Children of all ages need to learn not only why bullying is a horrible thing to do to
someone, but also the possible ramifications of their choice to torment a classmate. There is no
excuse for bullying others and there is no justified cause behind it either. Two of the biggest
problems in regards to bullying are: 1. Most people either do not realize or consider their actions
to be that of a tormenter, and 2. The people on the receiving end of the bullying do not report it
to an authoritative figure and just endure it, simply because they believe nothing can or will be
done to actively discontinue it. For the individuals who are brave enough to report it, they do not
always see the results expected because some of those respected figures just chalk it up to
harmless teasing and do nothing. Everyone has the ability to take action when a student is being
mistreated. It is just a matter of actually doing it and handling it correctly.
B. The Method Used
The research for this report was conducted by surveying former classmates (out of five
schools attended) on the topic of whether they were the bully or the bullied and also whether or
not they were aware of the activity. The questions were specific regarding both of the main
options chosen such as the people who admitted to bullying their fellow students were queried as
to why they felt compelled to and the people who claimed to have been bullied were questioned
as to how they felt about being picked on. Included in the survey were also questions concerning
whether or not students informed their teachers or some form of authority if they were being
bullied and if so, how it was handled. Twenty-three people replied.

Research was also collected from the American Psychology Association in regards to
why children manifest their chosen behaviors and forms of retaliation. In addition, information
was gathered from the local library, as well as, the Strayer University LRC database, the local
school districts web sites and several news sites.
C. Findings
1. Why Bullies Torment Others
Out of the twenty-three students polled, nine of them admitted to bullying a classmate
between elementary school and high school. The questionnaire inquired as to their reasons for
bullying their peers, all of which the selection of multiple answers was allowed. The available
answers to choose from were:
1. Was bored
2. Felt powerful/in control
3. Family issues (absentee parents, abused, etc.)
4. Emulated Parents
5. Was bullied
6. Jealous/Envious/Insecure
7. Friends were doing it/Wanted to be popular
8. Not sure
Figure 1-1: Top 5 Reasons Bullies Bully
9
8
4
3
1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Was Bullied
Emulating Parents
Family Issues
Felt Powerful/In Control
Wanted to be Popular
The nine students who confessed to being a bully were instructed to only answer certain
questions. One of which was: How did you bully someone? There were only four options for this
query. The first was physical harassment which included: punching, kicking, shoving, theft, etc.
The next option, verbal bullying, covered: name-calling, teasing, yelling, death threats, etc.
Spreading rumors or leaving others out of activities on purpose were the examples given
regarding emotional victimization, the third choice. Lastly, one of the most common forms of
bullying today: cyberbullying, and this consists of: talking about someone online or in
texts/emails in a negative and derogatory manner, spreading rumors through social media,
posting indecent pictures or videos, making public death threats, etc. As stated earlier, the
subjects were allowed to choose more than one answer if it applied to them (See Figure 1-2).
While only four of the participants said they had physically tormented someone, all nine of them
checked the options: verbal, emotional, and cyberbullying.
Source: Smith, Ashlei (March 2014). School Bullying Incident Forms

Figure 1-2: Most Popular Forms of Bullying
0
2
4
6
8
10
Physical Verbal Emotional Cyberbullying
2. Survey Results of those Bullied
Fifteen of the twenty-three former classmates marked the box asking if they were bullied.
Yes, that number is accurate. This means that one student who was previously bullied ended up
becoming a tormentor themselves later on. She/he was kind enough to add a note at the bottom
stating, “After several months of being picked on, I decided to become a bully myself just to
avoid further harassment. I’m not proud of what I did, but I honestly had no idea what else to do
or who to turn to”. This question was broken up into three parts: elementary (1st – 5th),
middle/junior high (6th-8th), and high school (9th – 12th) (See Figure 2-1).
Figure 2-1: Why People Are Harassed
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Elementary Middle High School
Intellect
Unathletic
Clothes
Looks
No Friends
Illness/Disability
Religious/Cultural Differences
Sexual Orientation
Clearly shown, the intolerance of harassment became increasingly worse and worse as
time went on. The subsequent question on the survey asked the students if they ever thought
about taking any action themselves, whether or not they have attempted to reach out to a figure
head, i.e. teacher, parent, principal, police officer. (See Figure 2-2)
Figure 2-2: When People Are Pushed Too Far

Fourteen students went through bouts of depression because of how they were being
treated at school, even considering committing suicide. There were 11 check marks next to
thoughts of a violent attack against their tormentor. The subtext for this answer ranged from
taking a weapon to school to angry or destructive thoughts to physically attacking the bully. Nine
of the survey takers said they skipped school, whether it was a just a class or two or for the
whole day. One of the participants typed that he/she skipped school for a week and a half
because they were trying to decide how they were going to handle being constantly picked on.
For the self-harm, self-mutilation or substance abuse answer, there were 8 selections. These
consist of habits such as: skin picking, cutting, burning, scratching, taking unnecessary
medications, etc. Two people admitted to thinking of becoming bullies themselves, but only one
of them actually did.
3. What About the Teachers and Parents?
Unfortunately, my pool of subjects for the teacher part of the survey was not as deep or
accessible as when it came to reaching out to former classmates. I attempted to go to a local
public middle school, but the principal would not allow the questionnaire to be distributed to
teachers. Honestly, it appeared that there could have possibly been a bullying issue going on
within that school. Also, there is a lot of truth to the saying that most problems usually start in
the home. It is up to the parents initially to raise their children right, teaching them about
compassion and kindness. However, some parents do not take an active approach in child’s
behavior which can lead to future problems with bullying.
D. Analysis
Becoming
a Bully: 2
Self-harm, Self-
mutilation or
Substance Abuse: 8
Skipping
School: 9
Thoughts of Violent
Attack Against
Tormentor: 11
Depression,
Thoughts of
Suicide: 14
Considered Actions
as a Result from
Bullying

Before children even reach kindergarten or first grade, parents need to be teaching them
about being kind to each other and treating people as they want to be treated. One of the main
problems is something that most people seem to forget: “Actions speak louder than words”. A
child may hear “Don’t do this”, “Don’t do that”, but if they see their parents doing the very thing
they were instructed not to do; they are going to think “Well, my mom and dad are doing it so
there must be nothing wrong with it”. Parents need to start educating their children that bullying
is not okay, as well as that there are consequences for such unnecessary actions. A sad fact is
most parents have seen their child participate in some form of bullying, but either: 1. Do not
realize that their actions are considered bullying, 2. They do not care, or 3. They simply say it is
a part of growing up and let the child go unpunished, which reinforces that their exploits are
perfectly acceptable. Parents need to be taught about the consequences of bullying just as much
as students do before they learn the hard way, either by losing a child or finding out their
adolescent was the reason behind another parent losing their son or daughter.
E. Recommendation
According to an article called “Bullying Incidents Dropped Sharply in N.J. Public
Schools Last Year”, written by Peggy McGlone in December of 2013, a school district in New
Jersey has already taken it upon themselves to try to cease bullying, to which they have
succeeded so far. Instead of using the option of making it a part of the curriculum, they have an
all-day event called Challenge Day. Instead of just telling kids that bullying is wrong, the point is
also to teach them about empathy and kindness to others. As a result of the Anti-Bullying Bill of
Rights law in 2011, students are not afraid of reporting an incident where they witness someone
being harassed because they can submit it anonymously. Without fear of receiving repercussions
themselves from the bullies, students report more which means that more bullies are caught and
reprimanded for their deeds because the district is required to thoroughly inspect all reported
claims. In the last year alone of 2012, New Jersey watched their numbers drop drastically
regarding to bullying and other harassment occurrences. Their data shows a 40 percent drop,
meaning there were only 21,934 investigations completed for reported harassment and bullying
cases. If only this were a national program, these numbers would be so much better all across
America.
Another school in Monoma, Wisconsin has already implemented one of the
recommended answers: fining parents if their children are reported for bullying which is talked
about in “The Only Thing More Expensive Than Kids Is Kids Who Are Bullies” written in June
of 2013 by Suzi Parker. There is a step-by-step process before the parents are actually fined.
First, there is a written warning that is issued to the parents, which is their sign to have a talk
with their kids about why they are mistreating other people for no reason. Within a 90 day
period, if another bullying occurrence has been reported, then the parents are fined $144 the first
time. After the initial recorded violation, if that same student is persistent in their actions, the
parents will continued to be fined. However, each subsequent incident will cost them $177
instead, for the rest of the year starting from the original case. The Monoma City Council stated
that one of the main reasons for implementing this anti-bullying decree was because parents were
excusing their children’s actions, chalking it up to a part of growing up. It’s that kind of thinking
that lead our students to think that bullying other people is okay, when it is absolutely not. These
sad attempts of one-day bully awareness rallies are not helping anything, and schools are slowly

starting to learn that. Cities around the United States are attempting to take matters into their own
hands because our government has done nothing about it. Now is the chance to change that.
II. Conclusion
What a lot of people do not seem to understand is that bullying can take all sorts of
forms, as well as continue into adult life. It can be from a co-worker and even a boss. Attacking
someone because of their personal opinions, how they dress, the things they like, any kind of
taunting or intimidation is bullying as explained by Andri Antoniades in “Why Bullying Doesn’t
End With High School Graduation”. That is clearly harassment of a person who has nothing
whatsoever to deserve it. However, this kind of behavior is so mainstream now that most people
do not even recognize bullying when encountered on a daily basis.
Teachers and schools need to stop punishing the victimized student. It is not their fault
they are being bullied. There is no “bully trigger”. Telling a student, regardless of age, that
something they have or do is just inviting someone to bully them, is like telling a woman that
wearing a short skirt a low cut top is inviting someone to rape them. That is horrible logic and
having apathetic teachers will only make matters worse because they have the power to stop it
and do nothing. There are students who are even afraid of telling their teachers when they are
being mistreated by another student in fear of receiving backlash from the teacher for tattling. It
is purely the student who is doing the tormenting. Why is this not seen as a national issue when it
is a serious problem that happens all around the United States?
The U.S. Department of Education has the wonderful opportunity to make serious
alterations to school districts around the country. It may seem like it is a lot to do, but the
difference it will make in our schools will be significant. Making the decision to mandate any of
these programs talked about in this report is certainly not a difficult one. Ask the parents and
families of those who have lost their children as a result of bullying, whether directly or
indirectly. Put yourself in their shoes. Given the chance, would you not take the necessary steps
to see a change made in our schools for the better of our children?

References
American Psychological Association (2014). Bullying: How Parents, Teachers, and Kids Can
Take Action To Prevent Bullying. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/bullying.aspx
American Psychological Association (2014). School Bullying Is Nothing New, But Psychologist
Identify New Ways To Prevent It. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from
http://www.apa.org/research/action/bullying.aspx
Antoniades, Andri (2013, Oct 10). Why Bullying Doesn’t End With High School
Graduation.Takepart.com. Retrieved from
http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/10/09/adult-bullying-doesnt-end-high-school
Marshall, Jessica (2010, Apr 1). Why Do People Bully? Discovery News. Retrieved from
http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/bullying-phoebe-prince-teens.htm
McGlone, Peggy (2013, Dec 13). Bullying Incidents Dropped Sharply in N.J. Public Schools
Last Year, Public Finds. The Star Ledger. Retrieved from
http://www.nj.com/education/2013/12/sharp_drop_in_bullying_inciden.html
MDA (2014). Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Analysis of School Shootings. Retrieved from
https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/images/SchoolShootingsRepo
rt.pdf
National Center of Education Statistics (2013). Fast Facts: School Crime. Institute of Education
Sciences. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=49
Parker, Suzi (2013, June 4). The Only Thing More Expensive Than Kids Is Kids Who Are
Bullies. Takepart.com. Retrieved from http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/06/04/kids-
are-bullies-monona-wisconsin-parents-fined

Pilknigton, Ed (2014, Feb 12). Twenty-Eight Killed in 44 U.S. School Shootings since Newton,
Study Finds. The Guardian. Retrieved from
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/12/school-shootings-newtown-study-gun-
violence

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