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Youth Issue:Bullying

Introduction
Bullying is a topic that is appearing more regularly in the media. There are reports of the dire consequences of bullying to the extent that students have suicided as a result of bullying. Bullying is not a something that happens in a particular country or place, it happens in most countries and different situations. This research study will focus on bullying in schools as this practice is becoming more prevalent. The question therefore needs to be asked:

How can bullying in schools be minimized?

Focus areas
• Background
• Causes of bullying
• Prevalence of bullying
• Effects of bullying

Methods of research
• Print material
• Electronic media
• Survey

1.0 Background
A brief background into this pervasive practice is needed to set the context for the research
1.1 Definition of bully amongst youth community
Bullying is a conscious, willful, deliberate, hostile and repeated behavior by one or peers, which is intended to harm others. Bullying includes different behaviors, the major behaviors are:
1. physical violence and attacks
2. verbal taunts, name-calling and put-downs
3. threats and intimidation
4. extortion or stealing of money and possessions
5. exclusion from the peer group
6. intends to harm or distress
7. occurs repeatedly over time
8. occurs when the person being bullied has weaker power or strength than the person who bullies
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Olweus (1993), Pepler and Craig, 1997

“Bullying is not about anger. It is not a conflict to be resolved; it’s about contempt –a powerful feeling of dislike toward someone considered to be worthless, inferior or undeserving of respect. Contempt comes with three apparent psychological advantages that allow kids to harm others without feeling empathy, compassion or shame. These are: a sense of entitlement, that they have the right to hurt or control others, intolerance towards difference, and a freedom to exclude, bar, isolate and segregate...