Topic Bullying

Introduction What is bullying?

Thesis → Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior in which
someone intentionally and repeatedly caues another person
injury or discomfort.

Body of Paragraph Causes of bullying

Effects of bullying
Prevention of bullying

Conclusion The importance to stand against bullying.

Reiteration of causes/effects/prevention of bullying

The Impact of Bullying in Schools and Preventative Actions

School functions as a safe environment for children to pursue education and form healthy
social relationships with friends their age. Yet, on the contrary, some students frequently
experienced bullying in the school environment. Definitively, bullying is a form of aggressive
behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or
discomfort. Bullying not only happens in direct ways, such as physical bullying that includes
beating and kicking or verbal bullying like the usage of slurs and insults, but also in indirect
forms, namely relational bullying, which involves secluding the victims from society and
spreading negative rumors to taint the victims’ reputation. Aligning with the development of
technology in this era of digitalization, bullying has taken on a new form: cyberbullying,
where students use social media platforms to spread hate comments, send threats, and leak
the victims’ private information. Unfortunately, bullying cases are oftentimes ignored and
even left unaddressed properly. This makes bullying such a common issue in the field of
education and unsettlingly normalized until it is deeply rooted in younger generations. It is
totally unfair for the victims who don't get adequate justice, for the perpetrators are getting
away from their harmful actions without having to face any sanctions or consequences.

There are several factors that cause bullying to happen, judging from the individual and their
socio-environmental perspectives. Children can actively participate in bullying by being the
perpetrator themselves. The main root of these violent traits in children is commonly
triggered by the lack of attention and affection from their parents in the family household. For
instance, when the parents are busy with jobs, going through divorce, or constantly arguing,
that makes the children feel neglected. This could affect their mental state, resulting in low
self-esteem, feeling powerless, and a lack of empathy. If child neglect continues to happen,
children might seek attention in the wrong way. Forced by jealousy, the need to control, and
the desire to be popular, these children become bullying perpetrators by picking up on other
kids that are either better achievers than them, children that come from minority communities
such as different ethnicities, physical characteristics, religions, etc., or those that possess shy,
quiet, and sensitive characters. These bullying perpetrators wanted to show dominance and
crave approval to make them feel better about themselves by making the victims their
punching bag.

Bullying cases have a tremendous effect on the victims’ mental health. According to PISA
(Programme for International Students) in 2018, 41% of students aged 15 have experienced
bullying by their peers at least a few times a month. The frequent exposure the students
receive to bullying is associated with lower performance in reading by 21 points than students
who were less frequently bullied. Moreover, based on a study by Polling Indonesia in
collaboration with the Indonesia Internet Service Providers Association (APJII), it was
highlighted that during the pandemic strikes in 2019, aligned with the shift from offline to
online learning, there was a significant increase in the number of cyberbullying incidents that
happened to children aged 12–17, from 45% to 49%, with the most common types including
harassment and the unauthorized spread of personal photos and videos through social media
platforms. These violent and threatening acts of bullying by students make the victims more
susceptible to several psychiatric disorders. Starting from depression and anxiety that steal
their happiness, doubting their own worth and value, social trauma to socialize and meet
people that shows in often skipping school, difficulties to concentrate or study that results in
bad grades. The pinnacle of it all is leading to self-harm and suicidal thoughts. According to
former Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa, up to 40% of child suicides in
Indonesia are correlated with bullying. A recent unfortunate case happened in South Jakarta,
where GAD (13) attempted to jump from the third floor of their school as the result of
bullying and seclusion by their classmates. GAD has been rescued and given proper treatment
at a nearby local hospital.

Besides damaging the victims’ mental state, bullying also causes physical damage. The most
obvious ones are open wounds, bone fractures, dislocations, and brain injuries. While the
diseases the victims suffer from triggered by stress generally are: gastrointetsinal
complications like stomach ulcers; developing eating disorders, whether binge eating or
skipping meals altogether that causes a distorted body image; also experiencing difficulties
sleeping or insomnia. For instance, the inhumane physical bullying case experienced by
David Ozora as the victim of Mario Dandy went viral around 2023. Other than visible bruises
and wounds from the immense beating he received, David, who was only 17 at the time, has
been in a coma for nine days. After undergoing MRI examinations, the doctor also found a
permanent brain injury called diffuse axial injury (DAI) that was caused by a rapid brain shift
that made the nerve fibers stretch and tear. This ultimately damages the ability to
communicate and coordinate body systems, resulting in physical disability and mental
decline.

Knowing the causes and effects of bullying, it is important for teachers, parents, and students
to take real action in order to prevent bullying from happening in school. Teachers, who
directly come into contact with students during teaching and learning activities, need to be
observant of any subtle signs of bullying in the classroom, for example, the seclusion of
students during group activities and verbal insinuation from their classmates. By doing so,
bullying cases can be instigated and resolved before causing any more harm. As mentors,
teachers can also raise awareness by constantly reminding students that bullying cannot be
tolerated in the school environment. The school also needs to give strict penalties to bullying
perpetrators as a consequence of their behaviors. Furthermore, parents can also take an active
role by maintaining open and honest conversations with their children to learn what is really
going on at their school. If their children turn out to be the victims of bullying, parents can
help them develop strategies of self-defense, setting boundaries, and coping with bullying
without being crushed or defeated. Then, parents should let the school know by reporting the
bullying case along with concrete evidence so the school can take immediate action against it.
Yet, if their children are the perpetrators of bullying, parents have to make the children aware
of their hurtful behavior and the consequences. Other than that, parents need to reflect on
their flaws by trying to give adequate affection to their children, setting positive examples in
maintaining relationships, and fixating on an overly aggressive or strict way of parenting.
Moreover, students, as the main victims directly affected by peer bullying, should not be
afraid of reporting any kind of bullying they experienced or witnessed while holding tight to
moral values by not committing bullying back by telling the bully to stop or simply walk
away. Plus, maintaining good relationships with fellow classmates is the key to not being a
target of bullying.

With that being said, it is beyond necessary to put an end to bullying for once and for all. In a
world where we value humanity and peace, violence is never the answer. No matter what the
ulterior motives behind bullying, nothing will justify the wrong, shameful, and harming
nature of bullying perpetrators behavior. There are countless children out there risking their
own bright future and dimming their own light as the sorrowful consequences of being
victims of bullying in school, a supposed safe place to learn and grow. Therefore, let us
fearlessly stand against bullying and ensure that no student suffers in silence. Together, we
can create a school environment that is respectful and empathetic for everyone, regardless of
their backgrounds.

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How parents, teachers, and kids can take action to prevent bullying. (2011, January 1).
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Kausar, I. (2023, July 20). Dokter: David alami luka permanen di saraf otak. Antara News.
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