Social Issues Assignment Problems of well-being By: Billie

1. Problems of Well-being
Bullying
By: Billie Donaghy

2. What is bullying?
I’m sure everyone has a good understanding of what bullying is because
there’s a good chance that you’ve witnessed someone being bullied
around you. Bullying happens when someone tries to antagonize another
either physically, emotionally or through the internet. The four most
common types of bullying are;
Physical: This type basically involves the use of a physical
force. For example, a fist, spitting, kicking or weapon.
Verbal: This type incorporates the use of words to carry out an act of
bullying. For example, name calling or talking about someone in a poor
way.
Emotional: The act of an aggressor attacking a victim on an emotional
level. For example, spreading rumors.
Cyber: Can be described as any form of bullying that incorporates the use
of technology.

3. The issue
• Bullying has been a huge issue all over the world
for hundreds of years but in the last 10 years it
has increased 10 fold because of the anonymity
through the internet. Bullying has deleterious
effects on schools as safe learning environments
and has been linked to a number of undesirable
outcomes, including delinquency, drug and alcohol
abuse, and psychosocial illness; such as low selfesteem, social withdrawal, anxiety, insecurity,
patterns of aggressive reaction (CCL, 2013)

4. Bullying in Canada
Canadian bullying statistics:
 Canada has the 9th highest rate of bullying in the 13-years-olds
category on a scale of 35 countries
 47% of Canadian parents report having a child victim of
bullying
 Girls are more likely to be bullied on the Internet than boys
 The most common form of cyber-bullying involved receiving
threatening or aggressive e-mails or instant messages,
reported by 73% of victims
 40% of Canadian workers experience bullying on a weekly
basis

5. Bullying in Canada continued
• At least 1 in 3 adolescent students in Canada have
reported being bullied recently
• Among adult Canadians, 38% of males and 30% of
females reported having experienced occasional or
frequent bullying during their school years
• The rate of discrimination experienced among students
who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transidentified are three times higher than heterosexual
youth
• Any participation in bullying increases risk of suicidal
ideas in youth

6. Real life bullying example
Amanda Todd is a perfect example of bullying. The
15 year old committed suicide last November after
being tortured online and beaten at school in
Vancouver. Todd posted a nine-minute video on
Youtube of her holding up cue cards that explained
the cyber-bullying and cruelty she suffered. Also,
right before she killed herself she created a power
point on how to deal with being bullied. It’s so sad
that someone so young had to go through all that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOHXGNx-E7E

7. More adolescents that took
their lives due to bullying
13 year old, Morgan Musson, took her life because of being
bullied over being 6ft tall. Morgan was bullied for 7 months so
she decided to take several painkillers to take away her misery.
15 year old, Todd Loik took his life because he was being
harassed over text messages. He would receive pages and
pages of threats and taunts a night.
15 year old, Jamie Hubley committed suicide because he was
constantly made fun of because he was openly gay. Right
before he killed himself, he made a blog about his love and
respect for lady gaga for being one of the only people that
understood him.
This is really happening and it’s so upsetting because their only
kids. They don’t know how to deal with the pain and heartache.

8. Too young, so sad- you’re all
missed
Jamie
Morgan
Todd

9. Recent News
• In October 2013, eight teenage girls were arrested
in a high school in London, Ontario for physically,
emotionally and cyber bulling this one girl. Finally
the school is standing up and doing something
serious about it. The principal Bill Tucker stated:
“'If we can change behaviours about drinking and
driving, if we change behaviours and attitudes
around smoking, why can we not change
behaviours and attitudes around bullying”. Police
say that the arrested girls face charges of criminal
harassment. They need to keep pledging and
keep taking a stand.

10. Is technology making bullying
worse?
Advances in technology have greatly influenced the
way young people live their lives. Back in the 1970’s
people had to physically call someone through a wire
now we can message our friends through a screen,
a mobile or a text message. A majority of teenagers
use Facebook, Bbm, Instagram, twitter, etc and post
most of their information and pictures. It’s giving
bullies access to comment on your life. I don’t
understand this social media stuff that most
teenagers are obsessed with, I’d rather people
wonder what I’m doing instead of follow it.

11. Facts on Cyberbullying in
Canada
A 2010 research project, “Cyber Bullying Behaviors Among Middle
and High School Students,” studied 33 Toronto junior high and
high schools and reported that 49.5% of students surveyed had
been bullied online. In all three of these studies, a majority of
participants report that they did not tell anyone about the bullying
(Faye, 2010).
In the Nova Scotia Cyberbullying Task Force Online Survey (2011),
75% of respondents said they believe bullying is a problem in
Nova Scotia, and 60% of Nova Scotia student respondents
indicate that they have been bullied (Wayne, 2012).
Over 80% of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most
common medium for cyber bullying.
81% of young people think bullying online is easier to get away
with than bullying in person.

12. Kids who are bullied
• Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical,
school, and mental health issues. Kids who are bullied
are more likely to experience: depression, decreased
grades and anxiety. They’ll start to feel sad and lonely
a lot. Also, there sleeping patterns will begin to change
and they probably won’t be interested in the stuff they
used to like.
• A very small number of bullied children might retaliate
through extremely violent measures. In 12 of 15 school
shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a
history of being bullied (U.S Department of Health,
2012).

13. Words hurt
“A tongue has no bones but it’s already strong
enough to break a heart, so watch your words”

14. Facts
Girls who bully are most likely to do it over the
internet and emotionally where boys who bully often
do it in both physically and emotionally. For example,
a girl may gossip and put you down about how you
dress, how you look, your size etc or form a group
and exclude you where boys may shove another guy
and call him names. However, both boys and girls
take part in cyber bullying.

15. Incident reports in Canada

16. Types of bullying reported

17. What can be done?
It’s so important for the Canadian youth to play an
important role in creating positive social change. If
you see or hear about someone being bullied, tell
someone and make a change. Bullying affects not
only the person suffering but also the friends and
families of the loved one. There is such a high
suicide rate for young teens being bullied and
sometimes it’s too late for the parents or friends to
do anything to stop it. Stand up and help save a life.

18. References
Wayne MacKay C.M., Q.C. “Respectful and Responsible
Relationships: There’s No App for That” The Report of the Nova
Scotia Task Force on Bullying and Cyberbullying (2012).
Faye Mishna et al, “Cyber Bullying Behaviors Among Middle and
High School Students,” American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
80, no. 3 (2010): 362–374.
Ministry of Ontario Education (2013). Retrieved
from:http://www.stopabully.ca/bullying-resources/bullying-statistics
Statistics, Canada. (2013). Retrieved from: http://www.cihrirsc.gc.ca/e/45838.html
U.S Department of Health (2012). Retrieved from:
http://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/effects/