Paper Example on Bullying Behavior: A Global Problem Requiring Maximum Focus

Currently, the issue of bullying behavior has dramatically become a global problem that requires a maximum focus from every stakeholder in the education system. The problem has become too common to an extent in which almost every student can be presumed to either been bullied someone or may have been a victim of bullying at some point in the duration of their educational program (Cross & Barnes, 2014).

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Various researchers have had their different perceptions regarding bullying, some arguing that bullying is a frequent happening behavioral problem, which is almost inevitable in every learning institution regardless of the level. Overall, bullying is a unique kind of aggressive conduct characterized by a systematic and repeated abuse of power against another person. Bullying in institutions of learning seems to occur in case one or more students tend to possess power over other students either by use of verbal, emotional, or even physical assault, harassment, isolation, or intimidation (Rigby, 2013). Some scholars believe that the act of bullying is a repeated and intentional aggressiveness towards an individual. In most cases, the victim usually is not in a position to defend themselves due to the existence of an imbalance of power.

Bullying is assumed to be frequently present and practiced in the schools, perhaps because the students who are engaging in the menace do not regard it as aberrant conduct or maybe because most of the parents and teachers do no acknowledge bullying as a critical issue.

Bullying is never a separate behavioral issue that is unique to a specific culture, race, or age; however, it is prevalent throughout the globe. Surveys in various countries indicated that victimization and bullying rates are drastically on the rise. Additionally, the WHO (World Health Organization) survey report showed that the rates of victimization and bullying are on the increase by over 11% among students at all levels of learning institutions.

Bullying seems to takes various forms among different students, some of which include the following: indirect aggression, direct attack, social aggression, and relational aggression (Garaigordobil & Machimbarrena, 2017).

Moreover, some of the few examples of bullying include: kicking, taking or damaging property, hitting, and name-calling, isolating, gossiping, and threatening, among other ways of bullying an individual. Some other forms of bullying include the application of technology, such as through the internet or even phone calls.

Bullying leads to several adverse impacts both to the victim and the perpetrators. The victims of the act of bullying tend to experience relatively lasting psychological and behavioral problems such as advanced anxiety, low self-esteem, social dysfunction, and even depression. Many of the victims tend to avoid the bullying environment by dropping out of school. Several factors seem to facilitate the development of the bullying attitude in students; the environment outside school is typically introduced within the school. It is assumed that several factors, such as family, parenting style, societal factors, and peer influence, can be conclusively linked to bullying behaviors among students in schools (Dehue et al., 2012). The development of bullying attitude is likely to be perceived as an extensive procedure of socialization and interaction, with its rooting at home influence by the existing parenting style; bullying conduct is relatively an extension of family dynamics. Moreover, the quality of the environment and the family can be associated with the students' relationship and conduct at school. Therefore, the paper seeks to address the relationship between bullying and parenting style among students.

Parenting plays a critical role in the transition of students from one point to another. Parenting style, which may include the behavior and attitude of the parents, tends to initiate a relatively lasting impact on their children’s general well-being; this surpasses the family and extends to almost every aspect of the student’s life such as in school and even in a working environment. The parents must have a balanced strategy for parenting for a well-adjusted child. It is evident that aggressive parenting techniques, characterized by inconsistent sanctions, results typically in child aggression; the idea of bullying typically begins at home. (Gallo, 2015). Students can get to learn and copy to be aggressive towards others by just observing their daily socialization and interaction at home.

Students who might have encountered victimization problems are more likely to have a history of poorly managing conflict, child abuse, and ineffective attachment and interactions with their family. Most parents seem to promote and reinforce adverse conducts of their children by approving of such behavior, and sometimes assuming a more behavior whenever it is exhibited among the children. Some of the delinquent behavior, such as bullying, is linked with parental rejection, insufficient engagement with the child as well as inadequate parental supervision (Hagan & McCarthy 1997). It should be noted that close parental control assists in minimizing aggressive behavior at home and even in the outside environment, like institutions of learning. Additionally, some of the parenting styles, such as permissive parental behavior, tend to indicate the experience of bullying and victimization by the child, on the other hand, authoritarian parenting style shows bullying behavior among children.

Moreover, students who view their parents as posing a positive attitude towards them, setting limits, but at the same time respecting their independence of their children are normally not involved in the act of bullying. On the other hand, those who perceive their parents to be less cohesive, less organized, and relatively more conflictual seem to engage in bullying behavior (Georgiou, 2008).

Many of the victimized children tend to perceive their parents as being too overprotective and controlling. Nonetheless, students who tend to bully their peers are viewed to associate with authoritarian parents with more punitive child-rearing practices. Parental practices at home are relatively linked to child bullying, and victimization encounters at school during their academic practices and careers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, most parents tend to make use of the authoritarian style compared to other parenting styles. There is a moderate positive association between parenting styles used on students and the tendencies to bullying behavior toward others, with lesser power and cannot defend themselves. How students are raised at home by their parents or guardians seems to have a greater connection with their social life outside their homes, such as in schools or even at the workplace.

References

Cross, D., & Barnes, A. (2014). Using systems theory to understand and respond to family influences on children's bullying behavior: Friendly schools friendly families program. Theory into Practice, 53(4), 293-299. http://parented.wdfiles.com/local--files/family-engagement/Using%20Systems%20Theory%20-%20Bullying.pdf

Dehue, F., Bolman, C., Vollink, T., & Pouwelse, M. (2012). Cyberbullying and traditional bullying in relation to adolescents’ perception of parenting. Journal of cybertherapy & rehabilitation, 5(1), 25-34. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-11491-004

Gallo, K. D. (2015). The relationship between age of onset of drug use, drug dependence, mental disorders, and offense type and severity. http://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1141&context=etd

Garaigordobil, M., & Machimbarrena, J. M. (2017). Stress, competence, and parental educational styles in victims and aggressors of bullying and cyberbullying. Psicothema, 29(3), 335-340. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28693703

Rajendran, K., Kruszewski, E., & Halperin, J. M. (2016). Parenting style influences bullying: a longitudinal study comparing children with and without behavioral problems. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, 57(2), 188-195. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4670820/

Rigby, K. (2013). Bullying in schools and its relation to parenting and family life. Family Matters, (92), 61. https://aifs.gov.au/publications/family-matters/issue-92/opinion-bullying-schools-and-its-relation-parenting-and-family

Stephenson, K. A., Parrila, R. K., Georgiou, G. K., & Kirby, J. R. (2008). Effects of home literacy, parents' beliefs, and children's task-focused behavior on emergent literacy and word reading skills. Scientific Studies of Reading, 12(1), 24-50. https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/effects-of-home-literacy-parents-beliefs-and-childrens-task-focus