CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF

BULLYING AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

_________________

A Research Paper
Presented to
Mrs. Elizabeth V. Bartolome
T. Paez Integrated School (HS)

________________

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements in
ENGLISH 10

________________

Submitted by :
Michael John O. Bunggay
10 - Atienza
May 30, 2023

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to acknowledge and give my warmest thanks to my teacher Mrs. Elizabeth V. Bartolome who
made this work possible. Her guidance and advice carried me through all the stages of writing my project. I
would like to thank my classmates for their brilliant comment and suggestions, thanks to all of you.

I would also like to give special thanks to my family as a whole for their continuous support and
understanding when undertaking mhy research and writing my project. Your prayer for me was what sustained
me this far.

Finally, I would like to thank God, for letting me through all the difficulties. I have experienced your
guidance day by day. You are the one who let me finish my degree. I will keep on trusting you for my future.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

I. Introduction___________________________________________________________________ 4 - 5
IV. Body________________________________________________________________________ 7 - 9
A. Social Bullying__________________________________________________________ 5 - 6
B. Verbal Bullying__________________________________________________________ 6
C. Physical Bullying_________________________________________________________ 6 - 7
D. Racial Bullying___________________________________________________________6 - 7
V. Causes of Bullying______________________________________________________________ 9 - 16
A. Craving Attention_________________________________________________________ 9 - 11
B. Environment Factors_______________________________________________________10
C. Low Self - Esteem_________________________________________________________10 - 16
D. Lack of compassion and Empathy____________________________________________ 14 - 16
VI. Effects of Bullying_____________________________________________________________16 - 17
A. Kids who are Bullied______________________________________________________16
B. Kids who Bully Others_____________________________________________________16 - 17
C. Bystanders_______________________________________________________________17
D. Lack Relationship Between Bullying__________________________________________17
VII. Prevention____________________________________________________________________17 - 19
A. Keep the lines of communication Open________________________________________17 - 18
B. Help kids understand Bullying_______________________________________________18
C. Encourage kids to do what they love__________________________________________18 - 19
D. Model how to treat Others___________________________________________________19
VIII. Conclusion____________________________________________________________________19
IX. References___________________________________________________________________20

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I. INTRODUCTION

Bullying, long tolerated by many as a rite of passage into adulthood, is now recognized as a
major and preventable public health problem, one that can have long-lasting consequences
(McDougall and Vaillancourt, 2015; Wolke and Lereya, 2015). Those consequences—for those who
are bullied, for the perpetrators of bullying, and for witnesses who are present during a bullying
event—include poor school performance, anxiety, depression, and future delinquent and aggressive
behavior. Federal, state, and local governments have responded by adopting laws and implementing
programs to prevent bullying and deal with its consequences. However, many of these responses
have been undertaken with little attention to what is known about bullying and its effects. Even the
definition of bullying varies among both researchers and lawmakers, though it generally includes
physical and verbal behavior, behavior leading to social isolation, and behavior that uses digital
communications technology (cyberbullying). This report adopts the term “bullying behavior,” which
is frequently used in the research field, to cover all of these behaviors. National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Preventing Bullying Through Science, Policy, and
Practice. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

The reason why I have chosen the social justice issue bullying is simply because I have
experienced it was like to be bullied. I have felt what I was like to be excluded from things, get
talked about, called names and all that stupid stuff, I told my parents when this was all occurring and
they stopped it as soon as it started. But there are children today in our society that are getting bullied
and not telling any adult and thinking that one day it will stop. I want people to understand that
bullying is wrong and it needs to be stopped. People need to know and see children suffering from
people bullying them and that adults are unaware about it all. It’s outrageous that kids our age
getting pushed around by others that think they are better just because they are bigger or more
popular. I hate it how kids aren’t telling anyone about the person or the group that is bullying them
and they are just copping all of the bullying. In today’s society there should be a group of adults
going around from school to school throughout the world, telling kids that bullying is bad and could
ruin lives. Parents that are dealing with a bullying child should first educate their child about
bullying, parents should always remember you are a model for your children and that kids learn from
adults’ aggressive or mean-spirited behavior. Parents that are dealing with a bullied child should

learn how to react and perform to stop the bully from harming their child. Maybe they should
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talk to the bullies parents, or the school and see their teachers and principal or if its really bad, even
the police.

Kids need to feel safe around school and not be worried about getting hurt or teased. Kids
need to learn and understand that bullying is wrong and they need to stop because they are lowering
others self esteem and putting their confidence down. Everyone is different, but in some way we are
all the same, we are all special and no child should think that they are not. Lets make a difference
and help prevent children from being bullied.
This paper intend to answer basic questions about Causes and Effects of Bullying Among High
School Students. Specifically the paper will try to answer
the following questions:
1. What is Bullying?
2. What are the different types of bullying?
3. What are the causes of bullying?
4. What are the effects of Bullying?
5. How do we prevent bullying among high school students?

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II. BODY

A. Types of Bullying

1. Social Bullying - Social bullying, sometimes referred to as covert bullying, is often

harder to recognize and can be carried out behind the bullied person’s back. It is designed to harm
someone’s social reputation and / or cause humiliation.
Social bullying can include:

a. lying and spreading rumours

b. negative facial or physical gestures, menacing or contemptuous looks

c. playing nasty jokes to embarrass and humiliate

d. mimicking unkindly

e. encouraging others to social exclude someone

f. damaging someone’s social reputation or social acceptance.

2. Verbal Bullying - Verbal bullying involves mainly insults, taunts, name calling, and
other types of verbal abuse. Nowadays, it often occurs via social media as well. Verbal bullying is
not limited to children in the schoolyard, either. Adults are often some of the worst offenders for
committing vicious verbal bullying. Verbal bullying, regardless of the age of the bully and the
bullied, can start off harmlessly enough – as teasing or a slight insult. But this can quickly escalate
into verbal violence that causes serious harm to its victim. It also often escalates to physical bullying.

3. Physical Bullying - Physical bullying is the use of physical actions to intimidate and
gain control over a target. The physical actions are unwanted by the victim and can either cause
damage to their body or possessions. This behavior is all too common in schools. According to
the National Center for Education Statistics, 6.7% of students in the 2016-2017 school year were
physically bullied.

Some common types of violence enacted through physical bullying include:

a. Hitting or kicking
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 b. Shoving or pushing
c. Tripping
d. Pinching
e. Damage of property

Physical bullying (and other types of bullying) differ from mean actions in the following ways:

Power imbalance — The target of bullying is usually defenseless due to a disparity in power
with their attacker. It may be physical — the bully could be stronger or have ‘bullying assistants’. Or
it could be intellectual, such as children with learning differences.

Repetitive behavior — Physical bullying is ongoing P and habitual, not a one-time act.

Intentional actions — The bully carries out violence with the intention of harming the other
child.

4. Racial Bullying - Racism is a hate-crime and it is illegal to treat someone

differently because of their race, religion, nationality or culture.

Racial bullying occurs when a person is bullied or experiences repeated offensive behaviour against
them based on:

a.The colour of their skin

b. Their cultural and religious background or traditions

c. Their ethnicity or perceived ethnicity

Like other types of bullying, racial bullying can take place online, face to face or via phone.
Examples of racial bullying can include:

a. Calling someone names, teasing them or humiliating them using racially offensive
language

b. Making fun of someone’s religious customs or traditions

c. Being sent racially insulting messages or threats

d. Making fun of someone’s accent, clothes, the food they eat etc.

e. Excluding someone because of their ethnicity

f. Damaging a person’s property, offensive graffiti or displaying racist symbols

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 g. Bringing racist leaflets or magazines to school/work

h. Physical attacks

i. Being made to feel like you should change the way you look

j. Racist jokes, including jokes about a person’s colour, race, nationality or culture
Racism can affect anyone. It can make you feel like you’re not important or don’t fit in. You
might feel upset, depressed or angry. You can be affected by it even when it’s not aimed at you, such
as, if you hear someone discriminating against someone’s culture.

B. CAUSES OF BULLYING

1. Craving Attention - Is to act in a way that is likely to elicit attention. Attention

seeking behavior is defined in the DSM-5 as "engaging in behavior designed to attract notice and to
make oneself the focus of others’ attention and admiration". : 780  This definition does not ascribe a
motivation to the behavior and assumes a human actor, although the term "attention seeking"
sometimes also assumes a motive of seeking validation. People are thought to engage in both
positive and negative attention seeking behavior independent of the actual benefit or harm to health.
In line with much research and a dynamic self-regulatory processing model of narcissism,
motivations for attention seeking are considered to be driven by self-consciousness and thus an
externalization of personality rather than internal and self-motivated behavior. Attention seeking is
often caused by threats to one's self-concept and the need for social acceptance. This type of
influence on behavior can result in a potential loss of a person's sense of agency, personality disorder
and the behavior associated with these conditions.

2. Environment Factors - The truth is, it’s challenging to pin down exactly what
factors cause an environmental health problem. Health problems related to the environment are
complex and develop for a variety of reasons, including how likely a person’s genes are to develop a
disease or condition (scientists call this genetic susceptibility). What we do know is that an
environmental health problem is likely linked to physical, biological and even economic factors.

The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the homes, buildings and neighborhoods
we live and work in can all contribute to environmental health problems, sometimes by disrupting
how the body works. Some potential sources of environmental health problems include:

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 a. Air pollution: From car exhaust to wildfire and e-cigarette smoke to ozone,
pollution is a mix of natural and man made substances found both indoors and
outdoors.
b. Flame retardants: There are hundreds of chemicals used in consumer products
from electronics to furniture that help prevent the spread of fires.
c. Lead: Old paint, contaminated soil and water, pottery and even house dust are a
few ways people are exposed to this metal.
d. Nanomaterials: Engineered nanomaterials are a concern because particles are tiny
and used in many consumer materials, structures and devices.
e. Perfluorinated chemicals: These compounds help reduce friction and also are used
to make products resistant to stains, water and grease.
f. Smoke: A single cigarette is chock full of hundreds of chemicals including arsenic,
formaldehyde and lead.
g. Pesticides: These chemicals kill, repel or control pests from weeds and fungus to
insects.

Scientists suspect many of the things we’re exposed to in our environment are related to health
problems like cancer, asthma or Parkinson’s disease. But it’s not just what we’re exposed to that
matters: A potential environmental impact on health can lead to a cascade of biological events in the
body that alters the way it works – but these changes can be bad or good, and are highly individual
depending on genes and circumstances.

3. Low Self Esteem - While not a mental illness, poor self-esteem can still affect a
person’s thoughts, emotions, and patterns of behavior. Sometimes its signs can be fairly apparent.
Other times, low self-esteem symptoms are much more subtle.

For example, some people with low self-esteem talk negatively about themselves, while others go
out of their way to make sure other people are pleased with them. In either case, a lack of personal
worth and value can have a negative impact on life and wellness.

Some common signs or symptoms of low self-esteem include:

a. Poor Confidence

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 People with low self-confidence tend to have low self-esteem, and vice versa. Low self-
esteem can play a role in causing a lack of confidence, but poor confidence can also contribute to or
worsen poor self-esteem.

Being confident in yourself and your abilities allows you to know that you can rely on
yourself to manage different situations. This self-trust means that you feel comfortable and confident
navigating many different things you might encounter in life, which can play an important role in
your overall well-being.

Finding ways to gain confidence in yourself and your abilities can be helpful. Acquiring and
practicing new skills is one tactic you might try. This may even help reduce feelings of anxiousness
as research connects a lack of confidence with higher anxiety levels, especially when under stress.
are in need.

b. Lack of Control

People who have low self-esteem often feel that they have little control over their lives or
what happens to them. This can be due to the feeling that they have little ability to create changes in
themselves or in the world. Because they have an external locus of control, they feel powerless to do
anything to fix their problems.

Research has found that in situations where people have little control over what happens, having
higher self-esteem can help relieve some of the negative effects of this loss of control, which
ultimately benefits mental health.

c. Negative Social Comparison

Social comparison can sometimes serve a positive function and enhance a person's sense of
self. But comparing yourself to others can also damage self-esteem. People with low self-esteem may
be more likely to engage in what is known as upward social comparison, or comparing themselves to
people who they think are better than themselves.

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 Upward social comparison isn't always bad. For instance, these comparisons can be a
source of information and inspiration for improvement. When people are left with feelings of
inadequacy or hopelessness, however, it can inhibit self-esteem.

Social media can also play a role in such comparisons, contributing to low self-esteem. If
you often compare yourself unfavorably to people on social media sites such as Facebook and
Instagram, your self-esteem may take a hit.

d. Problems Asking for What You Need

When a person has low self-esteem, they may struggle to ask for what they need.
Trouble asking for what you need can be caused by feeling embarrassed. Or you may feel that a need
for assistance and support is a sign that you are incompetent.

Because their self-regard is low, someone with low self-esteem might also feel that they
don't deserve help. They don't prioritize their own desires, so they struggle to assert themselves when
they

e. Worry and Self-Doubt

Even after making a decision, people who have low self-worth often worry that they’ve
made the wrong choice. They doubt their own opinions and may defer to what others think instead of
sticking to their choices.

This can lead to a great deal of second-guessing and self-doubt. This makes it harder for
people with low self-esteem to make decisions about their lives.

f. Trouble Accepting Positive Feedback

A 2017 study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that low
self-esteem is directly correlated to not being able to accept or capitalize on compliments from
others.6

Positive feedback is often met with suspicion and distrust. Complimentary words do not
align with their beliefs about themselves, so people with self-esteem issues may feel that the other
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person is being flippant or even cruel.

g. Negative Self-Talk

Low self-esteem causes people to focus on their flaws rather than their strengths. Rather
than build themselves up with positive self-talk, they always seem to have something negative to say
about themselves, engaging in negative self-talk instead.

When things go wrong, people with low self-esteem often blame themselves. They find fault
with some aspect of themselves, whether it is their appearance, their personality, or their abilities.

h. Fear of Failure

Because they lack confidence in their abilities, people with low self-esteem doubt their
ability to achieve success. Because they fear failure, they tend to either avoid challenges or give up
quickly without really trying.

This fear of failure can be seen in behaviors such as acting out when things go wrong or
looking for ways to hide feelings of inadequacy. People with low self-esteem might also make
excuses, blame external factors, or try to downplay the importance of the task.

i. Poor Outlook

self-worth can cause people to feel that there is little chance that the future will be any
better than the present. These feelings of hopelessness can make it hard for people with low self-
esteem to engage in behaviors that will bring about Low positive changes in their lives.

Self-sabotage is a common way of coping with such feelings. By finding obstacles to

prevent success, people with low self-esteem are able to find something else to blame for not
achieving their goals or finding greater levels of happiness in their lives.

J. Lack of Boundaries

The ability to set boundaries is often established early in life. Children with caregivers
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who show them that they are respected and valued are better able to create good boundaries in adult
relationships. They are also more likely to have a more positive view of themselves in general.
A lack of healthy boundaries can create problems when others don't respect a person's space and time.
The lack of respect not only adds to the person's stress levels but may also make them feel less
valued.

k. Trying to Please Others

People-pleasing is another common symptom of low self-esteem. In order to gain

external validation, people who don't feel good about themselves may go above and beyond to make
sure that others are comfortable and happy.

Pleasing others often involves neglecting their own needs. The person with low self-esteem
winds up saying yes to things they may not want to do and feeling guilty about saying no.

4. Lack of compassion and Empathy - A person who lacks empathy has a difficult
time taking on another person’s feelings as their own. They may struggle with the cognitive and
emotional skills to understand, relate, and mutually share in another person’s experience to better
understand their emotional pain.

3 Types of Empathy
There are three common types of empathy that a person may lack:

Cognitive empathy: Also known as perspective-taking, cognitive empathy relies on the

listener’s capacity to relate to another person’s perspective without imposing their own experience,
point of view, or biases.

Compassionate empathy: A hybrid of cognitive and emotional empathy, compassionate

empathy requires analyzing the underlying cause and effect of a situation. After someone explains
their circumstances, you can demonstrate that you understand their situation on some level in an
unbiased manner.

Emotional empathy: An emotionally empathetic person can mirror another’s struggles.

This means they can care for another’s well-being through shared experience of emotional situations.
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8 Signs of Lack of Empathy

While there are many different signs that a person lacks empathy, here are a few common traits that
unempathetic people may display:
An inability to understand others: A person who lacks empathy may struggle to
understand other people’s feelings, problems, or life situations.

Difficulty regulating emotions: Someone who lacks empathy often has a hard time
understanding or regulating their own emotions.

Excessive criticism: Those who lack empathy may criticize others harshly and often.
They rarely use validation to make others feel seen or heard.

Impatience: A person who lacks empathy may be extremely impatient with other people,
their difficulties, and their emotions.

Minimal forgiveness: Those who lack empathy are often unwilling to forgive others for
their mistakes or weaknesses or remember that other people are also human beings.

Poor listening skills: Many people who lack empathy have a hard time listening to other
people, whether they’re sharing triumphs or struggles.

Self-centeredness: A person who lacks empathy is often self-centered or self-focused and

has a difficult time considering other people.

Victim-blaming: Those who lack empathy are often quick to blame the victim in a situation,
rather than considering the perpetrator or system.

C. EFFECTS OF BULLYING

1. Kids who are Bullied - Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical,
social, emotional, academic, and mental health issues. Kids who are bullied are more likely to
experience:
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 a. Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in
sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These
issues may persist into adulthood.
b. Health complaints
c. Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—and school
participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.

A very small number of bullied children might retaliate through extremely violent measures. In 12 of
15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a history of being bullied.

2. Kids who Bully Others - Kids who bully others can also engage in violent

and other risky behaviors into adulthood. Kids who bully are more likely to:

a. Abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults

b. Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school
c. Engage in early sexual activity
d. Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults
e. Be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults

3. Bystanders - Kids who witness bullying are more likely to:

a. Have increased use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs

b. Have increased mental health problems, including depression and anxiety
c. Miss or skip school

4. Lack Relationship between Bullying - Media reports often link bullying with
suicide. However, most youth who are bullied do not have thoughts of suicide or engage in suicidal
behaviors.

Although kids who are bullied are at risk of suicide, bullying alone is not the cause. Many
issues contribute to suicide risk, including depression, problems at home, and trauma history.
Additionally, specific groups have an increased risk of suicide, including American Indian and

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Alaskan Native, Asian American, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. This risk can be
increased further when these kids are not supported by parents, peers, and schools. Bullying can
make an unsupportive situation worse.

D. PREVENTION

1. Keep the lines of communication Open - Research tells us that children really do
look to parents and caregivers for advice and help on tough decisions. Sometimes spending 15
minutes a day talking can reassure kids that they can talk to their parents if they have a problem.
Start conversations about daily life and feelings with questions like these:

a. What was one good thing that happened today? Any bad things?
b. What is lunch time like at your school? Who do you sit with? What do you talk
about?
c. What is it like to ride the school bus?
d. What are you good at? What would do you like best about yourself?

Talking about bullying directly is an important step in understanding how the issue
might be affecting kids. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, but it is important to
encourage kids to answer them honestly. Assure kids that they are not alone in addressing any
problems that arise. Start conversations about bullying with questions like these:

a. What does “bullying” mean to you?

b. Describe what kids who bully are like. Why do you think people bully?
c. Who are the adults you trust most when it comes to things like bullying?
d. Have you ever felt scared to go to school because you were afraid of bullying?
What ways have you tried to change it?
e. What do you think parents can do to help stop bullying?
f. Have you or your friends left other kids out on purpose? Do you think that was
bullying? Why or why not?
g. What do you usually do when you see bullying going on?
h. Do you ever see kids at your school being bullied by other kids? How does it make
you feel?
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 i. Have you ever tried to help someone who is being bullied? What happened? What
would you do if it happens again?

2. Help kids understand Bullying - Kids who know what bullying is can better identify
it. They can talk about bullying if it happens to them or others. Kids need to know ways to safely
stand up to bullying and how to get help.

a. Encourage kids to speak to a trusted adult if they are bullied or see others being
bullied. The adult can give comfort, support, and advice, even if they can’t solve
the problem directly. Encourage the child to report bullying if it happens.
b. Talk about how to stand up to kids who bully. Give tips, like using humor and
saying “stop” directly and confidently. Talk about what to do if those actions don’t
work, like walking away
c. Talk about strategies for staying safe, such as staying near adults or groups of
other kids.
d. Urge them to help kids who are bullied by showing kindness or getting help.

3. Encourage kids to do what they love - Help kids take part in activities, interests, and
hobbies they like. Kids can volunteer, play sports, sing in a chorus, or join a youth group or school
club. These activities give kids a chance to have fun and meet others with the same interests. They
can build confidence and friendships that help protect kids from bullying.

4. Model how to treat Others - Kids learn from adults’ actions. By treating others with
kindness and respect, adults show the kids in their lives that there is no place for bullying. Even if
it seems like they are not paying attention, kids are watching how adults manage stress and
conflict, as well as how they treat their friends, colleagues, and families.

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III. CONLUSION

Bullying is a complicated problem, to sum up. It can take many different shapes. Bullying that
involves taunting or hurting a victim directly includes verbal and physical forms. Relational and
Cyberbullying are indirect types of bullying that involve excluding someone from a social group or
tormenting them online. Bullying, regardless of its form, may have a significant impact on the victim.
Bullied people often end their lives by themselves. Those who do not kill themselves have a different
perspective on the world. Recognizing the warning signals is crucial if bullying is to be put an end to
once and for all.

This has an impact on a person's life now and in the future. There are several techniques to stop
bullying and to aid those who have been bullied, so I'm hoping that when readers see and hear what
bullying can do to a person, they'll strive to put an end to it once and for all. All of this knowledge
may, in some little way, prevent someone from killing themselves as a result of bullying. So simply
be mindful of what is going on around you at all times to help stop bullying.

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Types Of Bullying | National Centre Against Bullying. (n.d.)

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