Bullying in the Modern Society

Introduction

One of the major problems experienced in the modern culture is bullying. Bullying is described as the undesired or unwanted aggressive behavior usually portrayed by school age children that shows a lack of balance in the power that is either real or perceived by the majority of the population. Bullying usually takes the form of repeated negative behavior or has the potential to become a repeated action over a period of time. Such behavior involves the use of threats, intimidation, coercion or aggressive behavior that shows domination over others children. Though bullying has evolved in this digital era where the society incorporates technology in interaction and communication, it is evident that the problem of bullying has extended into the social platforms. It may also extend to the workplace where more dominant workers are depicted to experience harsh conditions at the workplace. This research is intended to show that despite the differences in the environment where bulling takes place, its effects are significantly similar. Modern-day bullying could be experienced by school age children or adults through the use of traditional physical methods or through the social media platforms, however, the behavior may result in suicidal ideations, substance abuse, anxiety, depression, and antisocial personality disorders. 

Prevalence of Bullying

The issue of aggression and bullying is classified as a major public health concern particularly among youth. This occurrence has created significant concern among the scholars who seek to identify ways of reducing the prevalence of the behavior and its significant impact in the society. Over the course of the 21st Century, researchers have focused majorly on the prevalence of cyber bullying probably believing it is the most prominent occurrence in the modern society. The online platforms present an area in society where individuals can bully and be victimized for their appearance or social status in a group (Modecki, Minchin, Harbaugh, Guerra, & Runions, 2014)). The prevalence of bullying is presented to have spread not only in the school age children but also among adults. An article by NZ Herald Focus (2017) showed that workplace bullying is indeed a reality in the modern society. Many would have believed that this is not the case, but an investigation carried out at the Auckland City Hospital mortuary shows that there are workers who are suffering from this hence the need for intervention from the CEO of the Auckland District Health Board. 

Traditional bullying is described as the instances where the victim is accosted physically or through face-to-face intimidation techniques. The Center for Disease Control and the Department of Education have combined in an effort to present the most appropriate research on bullying and its occurrence (Modecki et al., 2014). The report released in 2014 showed that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 3 children is a victim of bullying. This ratio can be translated to 25% to 33% of the total school age children (Gladden, Vivolo-Kantor, Hamburger, & Lumpkin, 2014). The report also suggests that majority of the bullying cases that take place in the society occur in middle school where victim suffer verbal and social abuse. This school age is for children who are just about to enter into adolescence hence the impact may be more severe. Around 28% of students between 6 and 12 grades suffer from bullying while the rate is significantly lower at 20% for grades 9 to 12 (Gladden et al., 2014). It is important to note that despite the conclusive report only 30% of the young people can ever admit to bullying indicating that there is a higher number who experience the problem in silence (Gladden et al., 2014). 

Significant research on cyber bullying has been carried out over the past decade in an attempt to identify the impact on the young people. Approximately, 9% of the students between grades 6 and 12 were victims of cyber bullying. The rate was significantly higher among the high school students between 9 and 12 grades as approximately 15% (Gladden et al., 2014). This is a critical age where majority of the students are experiencing high levels of biological, social and emotional changes. the impact of bullying is significantly higher at this age leading to the presentation of unwanted or undesirable behavior. Research has shown that cyber bullies usually target LGBT students at a higher rate than other heterosexual students. It is evident that 55.2% of the LGBT students suffer electronic threats and intimidation (Gladden et al., 2014). 

This research conducted at the point where the use of the social media platforms was at a high show that, cyber bullying still has not been incorporated as widely as previously thought. The traditional bullying system takes place much more than the cases of cyber bullying. In this case, between the grades 4 and 12 nearly 49% of school age children identify to have been victims of bullying whereas only 30.8% reported to be the perpetrators (Gladden et al., 2014). It is important to note that violent bullying which includes physical harming of the individual occurs less frequently as is the case for cyber bullying (Modecki et al., 2014). However, social excommunication and verbal abuse are the more consistent forms that students incorporate in their practice. It is evident that even more teachers are witnesses to bullying where 70.4% have seen it taking place, 62% have seen it two or more times in the last month and 41% have see it more than twice a week (Gladden et al., 2014). This statistic along with the fact that 70.6% of young people experience bullying at the school environment shows that school staff members are strategically poised to stop its occurrence. 

The impact of bullying be it cyber bullying or the traditional form has significant impact on the individual with majority of the effect taking place at a young age. This occurrence may lead to suffering in the student who may be the victim. According to as study by Modecki et al., (2014) nearly 79% of victimized students did not report their experience of bullying to the authority figures. One of the major reasons why this is a prominent issue in the school environment is because many of the children are not taken seriously when they report the cases of bullying. Approximately 50% are ignored or told to harden up to fit into stereotypical ideals of ‘being a man’ (Modecki et al., 2014). It is important that adults closely monitor the lives of their children such that they can alleviate the devastating effects on the lives of the victims. The cyber activity of the child should be monitored due to the steady increase in cyber bullying and the unreported cases.

Depression

In the present research, emotional and social effects are the most common outcomes that are presented among victims of bullying. It is evident that the boys and girls who suffer from these aggressive behaviors demonstrate a feeling of hurting and sadness. As previously mentioned, the most common forms of bullying taking place among the school age children is social and verbal abuse. The victims and the perpetrators will usually report instances of name calling or teasing as a significant method of bullying (Kaltiala-Heino, & Fröjd, 2011). Others will engage in isolating a particular individual usually regarding them as insignificant or below their social status. This practice usually causes the victims to experience high levels of insignificance and that their lives do not matter in the society. 

It is a common debate on whether bullying in the society is directly related to the onset and recurrence of depressive disorders. A victim of bullying is likely to demonstrate frustration, conflict and abuse. In this regard, the occurrence is particularly severe during adolescent age. In this age group, peer relationships are of great importance to the members. In this case, the individuals are likely to experience trauma due to the event of being bullied that could lead to depression (Kaltiala-Heino, & Fröjd, 2011). The dysregulation of emotion and poor self esteem may be a mediator between the victim’s experience of bullying and the onset of depression. This occurrence is a clear indicator that the event of bullying causes a major impact of emotional distress. 

The experience is significantly traumatic to the individuals in their adolescent ages. Research has shown that approximately, 26% of girls who were victims of bullying reported to experience depression as opposed to 8% of girls who were not victimized. This statistical representation shows that bullying could result in three times more cases of depression among girls. Research showed that nearly 16% of boys who were bullying were clearly experiencing depression due to the aggressive behavior they encountered as opposed to the 3% of those who did not experience the same (Kaltiala-Heino, & Fröjd, 2011). According to these studies, the occurrence of depression is more severe among boys as it could create five times more the development of depression among the population. A closer focus on the events leading up to bullying should help in its elimination.

The impact of depression among young adults is a severe outcome for the victims of bullying. These negative ideations may have negative impact on the students where they have poor social interaction. Majority of those who experience bullying will refrain from interaction with their peers. Many of them identify that they feel insecure in front of their friends. As a result, they prefer to lurk in the shadows and probably feel invisible. There are studies that indicate significant variation of the bullying experiences among boys and girls. This occurrence may be due to a lack of clear understanding of what it entails. Studies report that boys may experience more of the bullying due to the association of the act to physical aggression. 

Substance Abuse

The event of depression is closely related to the occurrence of substance abuse among the teenagers and children. Despite the widespread knowledge on the negative consequences of bullying and substance abuse, there is little known on the correlation between the two behaviors. The research over the last few years shows a steady decline in the consumption of alcohol and other substances. However, approximately 49.1% of students indicated to have used illegal drugs while in high school (Durand et al., 2013). There are a number of risk factors associated with the high likelihood of using drugs. These risk factors include societal factors whereby, the contextual community influences advocates for high use of illicit substances and individual or interpersonal factors like genetics, peers, and family-based factors. 

Significant research has been conducted to identify the influence of societal, interpersonal and individual risks factors particularly among teenagers and their relationship to onset or recurrent abuse of drugs. Through the study by Durand et al., (2013), it is evident that investigations have proven that bullying is a pathway to substance abuse both to the victims and the perpetrators of the behavior (Kowalski, Giumetti, Schroeder, & Lattanner, 2014). Majority of these factors present an indirect relationship where the influence of may relate to substance abuse. Early and persistent behavioral issues are a common indirect influence as the diagnosis of mental health disorders may result in peer rejection however, a direct link remains inconclusive. The study by Durand et al., (2013) provided significant evidence of a direct relationship evident in bullying and substance abuse. 

Bullying is depicted to have significant influence on the physical and mental health of the individual whether the perpetrator, the victim or both. It is evident that this influence may affect the behavior that the individual will present including in substance abuse (Kowalski et al., 2014). Studies that have compared the behavior of students who were involved as bullies and their later behavior in use of illicit drugs show a positive correlation (Durand et al., 2013). The boys who reported being bullies at a younger age (8) were more likely to engage in illicit abuse of drugs at the age of 18 (Copeland, Wolke, Angold, & Costello, 2013). The perpetrators were noted to engage in excessive consumption of alcohol and other illicit substances than those who did not participate in bullying at a rate of 4.8 and 8.2 times more likelihood. 

There is major contradiction on whether victims of bullying could use the illicit substances. On the one hand, there are those that believe that victimization only leads to less use of illicit drugs compared to those who are not involved (Copeland, Wolke, Angold, & Costello, 2013). However, it is evident that the there are some adolescents who may portray significant influence to engage in alcohol or tobacco smoking due to intrusive thoughts about bullying. Some of the teenagers may identify substance abuse as a measure of increasing their diminished social status or for reducing anxiety while in social settings (Durand et al., 2013). There are other studies that showed significant involvement in binge drinking, marijuana use and tobacco smoking as a result of victimization of bullying. Despite the significant contradiction in the research, it is evident that substance abuse may affect the individuals who are involved in bullying either as a perpetrator or victim. Few studies demonstrate the impact of bystander to engage in substance abuse due to empathy for victim, fear of future direct victimization or managing anxiety. 

Suicidal Ideations

In the occurrence of victimization of bullying it is evident that the impact on the bully and the bullied last longer than after the end of the school day. One of the major effects mentioned previously is the onset of depressive disorders. In this case, the victim of the aggressive behavior is likely to influence the development of a negative attitude towards the depressed adolescent (Shireen, Janapana, Rehmatullah, Temuri and Azim, 2014). The victim of bullying will develop a negative self-perception of the social setting whereby he or she will always expect to be rejected or significant hostility even in cases that are positive or neutral. This occurrence demonstrates significant change in the processing of social information among the individuals involved (Copeland, Wolke, Angold, & Costello, 2013). 

The individuals who are subjected to adolescent bullying are less likely to develop strong social skills and effective techniques of defending themselves. These skills are more likely to be impaired in that the students are presented as easy targets for bullies. These individuals demonstrate significant helplessness, submissive behavior, low self worth or esteem and are less popular among their peers (Shireen et al., 2014). These characteristics predispose the victims to suicidal ideations. In this case, the mental pressure from failed social success will create a feeling of loneliness and inability to continue with the struggle. However, studies have also shown that there is significant association between suicidal ideation and involvement in bullying as a perpetrator and a bully-victim (Copeland, Wolke, Angold, & Costello, 2013).

It is evident that bullying significantly increases suicidal ideations and attempts among both perpetrators and victims. The study by Shireen et al., (2014) showed that girls were at a higher risk of suicide attempts when involved as a bully or victim that boys. The research also identifies the close relation between bullying and sexual preferences. There are 29% male and 27% female students who are targets of bullying due to their sexual preference (Shireen et al., 2014). These victims are more likely to demonstrate traits of depression, loneliness and consider suicide as a last cause to end the suffering. 

Anxiety

Social problems are described to have an extensive impact on the well being of the individuals who are involved in bullying. Some of the effects of victimization of bullying include developing behavior that shows one is younger than their age, high levels of dependency on adults and social immaturity. In the occurrence of any or all of the above characteristics, the individual is more likely to be rejected by peers and at risk of social isolation. However, these are not the only consequences of bullying as there are those who may internalize the symptoms and develop anxiety (Lotfi, Dolatshahi, Mohammadkhani, Campbell, & Rezaei Dogaheh, 2014). The victims in this case presented behavior of frequent worrying, sadness, fearfulness, and nervousness. This behavior significantly affects their ability to interact with others in a normal setting.

Anxiety is depicted as one of the major factors that influence retraction from social situation. Research shows that approximately 16% of boys and 31% of girls will usually stay home in an attempt to avoid victimization (Lotfi et al., 2014). The students are depicted to be so fearful of their bullies and the shame that comes along with it hence the need to stay away. This impact of bullying usually affects individuals who are frequent or long-term victims. The effect may extend to later years whereby, the individual develops anxiety disorders in early adulthood. There are instances where the victims may engage in panic, specific phobias, post-traumatic stress and separation anxiety among other anxiety disorders (Lotfi et al., 2014). The onset of these disorders may impair normal daily functioning.

Antisocial Personality Disorders

Anxiety disorders are more likely to occur along numerous mental and behavioral disorders including personality disorders. In this case, both bullies and their victims are at an increased risk of developing these psychiatric disorders. The experience of the individuals results in high levels of negative behavior towards other members of the society. There those students who may experience these negative outcomes while in their late teens while others will present them in early adulthood (Moura, Cruz, & Quevedo, 2011). For instance, bullies/victims which identifies the individuals who alternate between being the perpetrator and the victim, are at a higher risk of developing suicidal thoughts while bullies themselves may develop antisocial disorders. 

In the latter case, the individual usually demonstrates inability to adhere to the rules that have been set by the relevant authorities. For instance, a bully could turn out to become a serial bully and portray similar behavior into adulthood. Parents who may identify the insecurities among their children may make efforts to protect them from further harm (Moura, Cruz, & Quevedo, 2011). However, this may only develop into antisocial behaviors where the child is fearful of engaging with big crowds, that unforeseen harm may befall them or that they could suffer great embarrassment during interaction (Moura, Cruz, & Quevedo, 2011). 

Conclusion

From the above discussion, it is evident that bullying is an issue of critical concern in the society. The research shows that there are multiple forms of bullying. There are different ways in which bullies identify their targets. In this case, it is almost impossible for a bully to exist without a victim. The most vulnerable, fearful and those who lack assertiveness are the primary targets. It is important for the school authority and parental units to take such characteristics into consideration as a means of developing better skills to recognize occurrence of bullying and dealing with it appropriately. The adverse effects such as depression, substance abuse, suicidal ideations, anxiety and antisocial personality disorders could affect the overall development of the child. It has the impact of reducing quality of life for both the victim and perpetrator hence the need to recognize the onset of bullying and its subsequent elimination where children commit to treating other children in a more positive manner. 

References

Copeland, W. E., Wolke, D., Angold, A., & Costello, E. J. (2013). Adult psychiatric outcomes of bullying and being bullied by peers in childhood and adolescence. JAMA psychiatry , 70(4), 419-426.

Durand, V., Hennessey, J., Wells, D. S., Crothers, L. M., Kolbert, J. B., Lipinski, J., & Hughes, T. L. (2013). Bullying and substance use in children and adolescents. Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy , 4, 158.

Gladden, R. M., Vivolo-Kantor, A. M., Hamburger, M. E., & Lumpkin, C. D. (2014). Bullying surveillance among youths: Uniform definitions for public health and recommended data elements . Atlanta, GA; National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/bullying-definitions-final-a.pdf 

Kaltiala-Heino, R., & Fröjd, S. (2011). Correlation between bullying and clinical depression in adolescent patients. Adolescent health, medicine and therapeutics , 2, 37-44.

Kowalski, R. M., Giumetti, G. W., Schroeder, A. N., & Lattanner, M. R. (2014). Bullying in the digital age: A critical review and meta-analysis of cyberbullying research among youth. Psychological Bulletin , 140(4): 1073-1137.

Lotfi, S., Dolatshahi, B., Mohammadkhani, P., Campbell, M. A., & Rezaei Dogaheh, E. (2014). Prevalence of bullying and its relationship with trauma symptoms in young Iranian students. Practice in Clinical Psychology , 2(4), 271-276.

Modecki, K. L., Minchin, J., Harbaugh, A. G., Guerra, N. G., & Runions, K. C. (2014). Bullying prevalence across contexts: A meta-analysis measuring cyber and traditional bullying. Journal of Adolescent Health , 55(5), 602-611. 

Moura, D. R. D., Cruz, A. C. N., & Quevedo, L. D. Á. (2011). Prevalence and characteristics of school age bullying victims. Jornal de Pediatria , 87(1), 19-23.

NZ Herald Focus (2017, May 17) Morgue claims: 'Our people experience bullying', Auckland DHB acknowledges . Online, Retrieved from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11857720 

Shireen, F., Janapana, H., Rehmatullah, S., Temuri, H., & Azim, F. (2014). Trauma experience of youngsters and Teens: A key issue in suicidal behavior among victims of bullying. Pakistan journal of medical sciences , 30(1), 206.