by Mohammed Shidiek

Created on: June 03, 2009   Last Updated: June 20, 2009

Bullying happens almost anywhere, and doesn't limit to anyone of a particular age, ethnicity, religion or gender. The most worrying trend of bullying is that it is taking place in schools. It's worrying because these young people, instead of studying, are enforcing and brandishing their own form of laws onto others. To start this form of behavior at such a young age, we can only wonder what they will become during the later stages of their life. A lot of people think that because this bullying happens in schools, it's solely the responsibility of these schools to take action on it. Many fail to realize that on most occasions, the problems starts at home.

Bullying happens for a variety of reasons, not just one. A lot of studies have been done in regards to bullying to justify that point. Some studies concentrate on profiling the bullies. For example, in genetic profiles, it is explained in simple terms that a bully is just born that way and it is in their genes to bully others. And in another profiling which is sociology, it concerns the background of the bully, in other words, the environment in which the bully is brought up in. Other studies concentrate on history while yet others concentrate on the parents. In other words, there are so many studies done that it does get confusing from time to time, especially when these studies contradict one another.

Despite the many contradicting facts about bullying, one thing is always constant. Bullying happens for a reason. And to prevent and stop a child from continuing bullying others is to find out what the reason behind the bullying is. Many of us will focus on the bullying case rather than finding out why. You can stop the bullying for some time but if the root of the problem is not tackled, sooner or later the bullying will start again. Schools and parents should understand this simple fact. Find the source and eliminate or minimize it as far as possible.

When a child starts to bully others, there is always some consistency why it happens. A child may be looking for attention, the child feels inferior, using bullying as a tool to vent his anger or frustration and other issues. When a bully has been identified, the school as well as the parents should act. The school should activate counselors to find the root of the problem. This is a major step but lacking in most schools, the absence of trained counselors. Parents should accept the fact that their child has done something wrong. Most parents nowadays are defensive of their children, defending their child even when the child has done something wrong. Parents in denial of their child's fault are actually the main root of the problem. But then again parents who went berserk on the child are also the other main root of the problem

Parents and schools should work hand in hand in tackling bullying. Schools should educate their students about bullying, from who to report to about bullying to the bully himself seeking help in regards to his problems. Parents should be more active towards their child's daily activities to detect any signs of bullying or being bullied. And information should be shared between schools and parents regarding a child's behavior. This could lead to identifying bullying at the earliest possible opportunity.

There is much to say about bullying, from the reason why it started to prevention. There is a lot to share, maybe too much to be put in just an article.

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