The process of bullying involves the actions taken against others, either as a group or on an individual basis, towards another person incapable of properly defending against it. Behaviors are classified as bullying in instances where they occur intentionally, are repeated, and aim to change the balance of power. Ultimately, this makes it difficult for the victim to react or respond to such continuous attacks, empowering the bully. Menesinia and Salmivalli (2017) identify verbal attacks, social aggression, and physical behavior as the most common forms of bullying. Additionally, the onset of the digital age has also brought a rise in online bullying using social media. The above definition goes to show the extent to which the vice can manifest itself in learners pursuing education at a young age.
Bullying has evolved to be a global problem with students across different countries experiencing some form of victimization. Data from the United States Department of Health and Human Services showed a staggering 160,000 students have experienced a form of bullying in their school life, leading to them missing classes (Oliveira et al., 2018). The researchers further conducted a study to determine how bullying affected math scores in respondents in 6th grade. The aim was to understand the role of social-emotional skills in the students when influenced by bullying. From the results of the study, black students were more likely to experience bullying as compared to those from other races. Additionally, obese students also experienced a higher prevalence of being victimized. Social-emotional skills were determined to play a critical role in the ability of a student to be bullied. Ultimately, bullying caused a decline in the mathematics performance of the students showing a negative effect on the learning process.
Bullying further requires a social context to properly occur, hence, several stakeholders are involved. Individual influences affect a person’s ability to pursue this form of victimization against others in the school setting. These include psychopathic tendencies, antisocial feelings, masculine trends, and susceptibility to peer pressure (Swearer & Hymel, 2015). A student who displays any of these signs has a higher likelihood of developing into an oppressor of others. A combination of these factors, therefore, may also push a student to engage in bullying others. Additionally, peer influences can also act to increase the possibility of ill-treatment. Groups that view it as a normal rite of passage or acceptable are likely to allow it to happen. This highlights the important role that bystanders have in influencing the continuation of this vice in the school setting.
Apart from that, family influences also increase the prevalence of bullying, with the characteristics of immediate family members and relatives likely to impact young students living in such environments. The involvement of such people in gang activity, domestic violence, and the lack of parental support and communication, all negatively impact the minds of learners. This may develop feelings of aggression, which may be lashed out on classmates or peers during their interactions. This behavior can continue over time reinforcing the idea of power in the bully, eventually becoming addictive.
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