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“Sorry mom and dad, I love you” (CBS Los Angeles, 2017). Those were the final words of 13-year-old Rosalie Avila, who took her life after persistently being bullied about her appearance in school. One can only imagine how her loved ones felt or what they did to cope with her death. Rosalie is one of “85 percent of girls and 80 percent of boys who report experiencing some form of harassment” (Feldman 2017, p. 339) or bullying in school. Bullying can be defined as “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2017). Unpopular kids or kids with low self-esteem or low social status/class, are often the ones picked on by the bullies. It is a ruthless act. Not only does it affect the victims, it also affects their families, friends and loved ones. The purpose of this paper is to address the different forms of bullying, how it affects the victims involved, and what could be done to stop people who repetitively harm or intimidate their peers or vulnerable kids.
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Bullying can occur in several ways, some more aggressive than others. Bullying and/or victimization could be physical or direct. This form of bullying involves physically hurting someone’s body or property. This includes “kicking, punching, spitting, or breaking someone’s property” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2017). This form of bullying is often carried out by bullies who are bigger, stronger or more popular than their victims. Victims are often targeted in the hallways, locker rooms, toilets etc. Verbal bullying, another form of bullying, comprises of “name-calling, insults, teasing, intimidation homophobic or racist remarks, or verbal abuse” (National Center Against Bullying, 2018). These are very common in schools, the workplace, and in public places in general. With the rise of the internet nowadays, bullies have found a way to communicate or target people online. Even though certain apps or websites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube have been made to facilitate communication or connect with the world, bullies use that as an opportunity to cyberbully. Cyberbullying occurs when “electronic tools are used to taunt, insult, threaten, harass and/or intimidate a peer” (Yang, A., & Salmivalli, C., 2013, p. 724-725). Bullies comment under individuals’ pictures or videos saying foul things such as ‘go kill yourself’, ‘you’re ugly’ or ‘drink bleach’. One might wonder why bullies do what they do or say what they say. There could be a variety of reasons. It could be a problem of low self-esteem. When they feel bad about themselves or their insecurities, they transfer that insecurity on someone else. It could also be because they are angry or frustrated with the family affairs, and are looking to take things out on someone. It might be peer pressure, trying to fit in or being influenced by friends. It might be to impress their circle of friends. “Whatever motivates someone to bully another person, their justification offers little comfort to those affected” (BullyingUK, n.d.).
There are examples of bullying cases that have shocked the world. The stories of these victims went viral and brought more awareness of bullying in schools. The story of Amanda Todd, for example, was one that touched the hearts of many. In a YouTube video she left behind, Amanda told her story using flashcards. She met a stranger online who flattered her. Upon his request, she flashed her breasts and he took pictures of it. He began haunting her, telling her to put up a show or he would send it to everyone she knew. When she refused, he sent it to all everyone at her school and family. Amanda was then bullied by her peers, told to die on several occasions, was physically assaulted and cyberbullied. Amanda was among the 28% of U.S. students (grades 6-12) who experienced bullying. “Every day I think why am I still here?... I have nobody, I need someone” said Amada, in her video. “In her short life, Todd had already learned that notoriety had a dark side. A certain kind of fame had already found her, and with it came a certain kind of life she plainly convinced herself that she couldn&
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