Sadly, with the advent of social media and an increasingly Internet-focused youth population, bullying has become more prevalent than ever across the nation. What used to only take place in school yards is now regularly affecting the online and private lives of kids, teens and even adults in North Carolina.
Many schools report students skipping classes or full days to avoid a conflict with a bully, while those who are the victims of cyber bullying have no escape from the torment. In many instances, school bullying and cyber-bullying go hand-in-hand, offering no relief from the social pressures the victims face.
Statistics show that bullying is frequently observed in school by multiple witnesses at a time and that over 50 percent of students who were surveyed had observed an instance of bullying. Shockingly, over 71 percent of students report that bullying is an ongoing issue in their life.
Types of Bullying
No child should have to be ruthlessly victimized by a bully in the classroom, or through the internet or text messages. Threats, verbal abuse, and demeaning, hateful language all mark bullying behavior, and there is no limit to the situations where this can occur.
Even adults can be victims of bullying or repeated domineering behavior.
Girl-on-girl bullying can also occur between young women who can choose to ostracize a single girl and exclude her from their group.
Social isolation from one’s peers can do severe damage to a young person’s development, and for adults in the workplace the consequences can affect job situations and future career prospects.
The most common scenarios where bullying behavior takes place include (but are not limited to):
- Afterschool activities
- Camps
- Daycare centers
- Facebook, Twitter, or other social media platforms
- Neighbor’s homes
- Schools
- Workplace harassment
Unfortunately it is too common for others to witness the abuse of bullies but do nothing to speak up for the victims or stop the attack. Children who are bullied have a tendency to exhibit similar behavior toward others, as retaliation for the pain they endured will often manifest itself in the form of this cruel behavior.
The cruel and damaging behavior of offending bullies does not seem to be going away in the foreseeable future, which is why it is so important to hold the responsible parties accountable for their reckless and negligent behavior.
Bullying is so rampant that the term bullycide has been coined to refer to suicides that are committed as a result of bullying.