Bullying and How It Affects the Development of Children
Bullying and How it Affects the Development of Children
Aaron Alexander Patton
University of the Fraser Valley
PSYC 250 – Developmental Psychology
October 18, 2010
Abstract
In one point of history, not too long ago, bullying was considered normal in schools and was just considered a part of growing up. A little teasing and an occasional fight is what turned a boy into a man. However, bullying has now become a major problem in childhood, especially within schools and more research is being done on what effects it has on the development of the child for both the person who is the bully and the victim of such bullying. The current paper will discuss the profile of the typical bully as well as the victim, how a victim reacts to bullying, as well as what are the short and long term effects of bullying on the child using recently published research articles. It is important to note however that with changes in ours and future generations as well as advances in technology, the methods and complications of bullying can and may very well change. Bullying and How it Affects the Development of Children
In one point of history, not too long ago, bullying was more of a concept than a problem that existed throughout schools and childhood play. Teasing and the occasional fight to solve problems were seen as normal in childhood and were part of the growing up process. However, in the early eighties, public policy began to change and bullying started to become recognized as a problem after three Norwegian boys committed suicide due to bullying (Ma et al., 2001). What is bullying? Smokowski and Kopasz (2005) describe bullying as a form of aggression in which one or more children intend to hard or disturb another child who is perceived as being unable to defend himself or herself. Pepler et al. (2006) defines bullying as negative actions that can be physical or verbal that have hostile intent, is repeated over time, and involves a power differential
Aaron Alexander Patton
University of the Fraser Valley
PSYC 250 – Developmental Psychology
October 18, 2010
Abstract
In one point of history, not too long ago, bullying was considered normal in schools and was just considered a part of growing up. A little teasing and an occasional fight is what turned a boy into a man. However, bullying has now become a major problem in childhood, especially within schools and more research is being done on what effects it has on the development of the child for both the person who is the bully and the victim of such bullying. The current paper will discuss the profile of the typical bully as well as the victim, how a victim reacts to bullying, as well as what are the short and long term effects of bullying on the child using recently published research articles. It is important to note however that with changes in ours and future generations as well as advances in technology, the methods and complications of bullying can and may very well change. Bullying and How it Affects the Development of Children
In one point of history, not too long ago, bullying was more of a concept than a problem that existed throughout schools and childhood play. Teasing and the occasional fight to solve problems were seen as normal in childhood and were part of the growing up process. However, in the early eighties, public policy began to change and bullying started to become recognized as a problem after three Norwegian boys committed suicide due to bullying (Ma et al., 2001). What is bullying? Smokowski and Kopasz (2005) describe bullying as a form of aggression in which one or more children intend to hard or disturb another child who is perceived as being unable to defend himself or herself. Pepler et al. (2006) defines bullying as negative actions that can be physical or verbal that have hostile intent, is repeated over time, and involves a power differential
References: Bernstein, J.Y. & Watson, M.W. (1997) Children who are targets of bullying: A victim pattern. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 12(4), 483-498. Ma, X., Stewin, L.L, & Mah, D.L. (2001) Bullying in school: nature, effects and remedies. Research Papers in Education, 16(3), 247-270. Pepler, D.J., Craig, W.M., Connolly, J.A., Yuile, A., McMaster, L. & Jiang, D., (2006) A Developmental Perspective on Bullying, Aggressive Behavior, 32, 376-384. Smokowski, P.R. & Kopasz, K.H. (2005) Bullying in School: An Overview of Types, Effects, Family Characteristics, and Intervention Strategies. Children & Schools, 17(3), 101-110.