Bullying at School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bullying at School - Essay Example When a student embarrasses, ridicules or scorns another student it is harassment, bullying or teasing. (Harber, 2004) Bullying can take many forms-physical violence, threats, name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumors, persistent teasing, and exclusion from a group, tormenting, ridicule, humiliation and abusive comments. All are a form of violence. Teacher-pupil bullying also exists. Pupil-pupil bullying is a common problem in schools internationally. Though there are variations in the types of bullying perpetrated, bullying is carried out by both males and females and both males and females are the victims. However, apparently schools play no part in creating it and do their best to put an end to it. Schools can play a large part in actually creating the problem of bullying. For example, lower achieving pupils, belittled in the competitive atmosphere, may strive to regain some dignity through bullying. It is also pointed out that while school sport has the potential for learning team spirit, giving your best and shared endeavor, it can also exclude those who do not excel and it can become brutish with over-competitiveness, over-stressing the body and the promotion of aggression and violence. While all children who are treated brutally do not go on to become bully because there are often countervailing and modifying socialization influences, and because they do not have the opportunity, serious damage can be done to individuals and the results can negatively affect societies. The second, related idea is that authoritarianism and its emphasis on automatic obedience to orders is very dangerous as it conditions and permits individuals to carry out violent acts by proving a justification or legitimating for them. Many individual acts of violence have been carried out and justified in the name of the duty to obey. Types of Violence Bullies normally resort to various types of violence they often subject victims to, like physical manhandling and mental and emotional harassment. One important aspect of this can include various forms of sexual harassment-verbal sexual aggression, the threat of sexual abuse, unsolicited physical contact and enforced sexual interference. The underlying authoritarian and patriarchal context of direct sexual violence in schooling and its role in reproducing hegemonic forms of violent masculinity are often more hurting for the bullied children. the teachers appeared to pursue their amorous activities both inside and outside the classroom quite openly; in the classroom, boys and girls would whistle or hiss if a teacher called on a particular girl known to be of interest to him to read out loud or come in front of the class. Boys were loud in their condemnation of such teachers, not for moral reasons but because they saw it as unfair competition. (Harber, 2004) Moreover, male teachers who behave in this way are indicating to boys that such behavior is acceptable. Some key findings of the research were: - Sexual abuse of girls by girls by male pupils and teachers is accepted along with corporal punishment, verbal abuse and bullying, as an inevitable part of much of school life. It exploits unequal power relationships and the