It is a pattern of behaviour in which an individual is selected as a target of continuous aggression by one or more others and includes cyber-bullying which can be defined as the use of technology to harass, humiliate, or threaten someone (James & Gilliland, 2013; Mynhardt, 2009). Bullying can be direct (physical), for example, hitting, kicking, or pushing etc.; it can be verbal, such as taunting, threatening, or malicious teasing; and it can be indirect (relational) in which the objective is to damage relationships or social status through exclusion (James & Gilliland, 2013). It is common among children and prevalent in South African high schools evident by the fact that statistics have shown a 61% occurrence rate among a sample of high school learners in Tshwane, a 41% occurrence rate derived from national representative sample of high school learners, and a 36.3% occurrence rate among Grade 8 and 11 learners in Durban and Cape Town, however, there appears to be an absence of research statistics of its occurrence in South African primary schools. (Mynhardt, 2009; Timm & Eskell-Blokland, 2011; Townsend, Flisher, Chikobvu, Lombard, & King, 2008).
Why does bullying occur?
The literature reveals that the motives to hold power and to be part of a group, the tendency to be unhappy or depressed, the belief that people act the way they do intentionally or because of lasting characteristics, low self-esteem, the adoption of a ruthless and manipulative approach to life because of a mistrust of others, and the belief that being highly aggressive will yield high levels of respect are a few factors that can make some people become bullies (Baron, Branscombe, & Byrne, 2009; Mynhardt, 2009). Research has also shown that behaviour problems such as bullying are associated with poverty, performing poorly in school, a lack of social skills, the influence of movies and other media, peer pressure, and child abuse and family violence (Timm & Eskell-Blokland, 2011).
Consequences of bullying
Bullying can have an effect on the physical and psychological health of those who are constantly bullied and those children who bully their peers at an early age (James & Gilliland, 2013). The consequences of bullying on the victims, those uninvolved in such behaviour, and bully-victims (those who both bully and are victims), compared to those who bully, are an elevated risk for depression, suicidality, conduct disorders, anxiety, excessive psychosomatic symptoms, low self-esteem, neuroticism, and problem-solving deficits (Townsend et al., 2008). The research also reveals that those involved in bullying at school are more likely to have one or more criminal convictions by the time they become young adults and have diagnosable psychiatric disorders (Townsend et al., 2008).
What can be done to prevent and reduce the occurrence of bullying?
Programmes conducted in several countries to reduce the occurrence of bullying have all emphasised the following points, with encouraging results: bullying must be seen as a serious problem by all parties involved e.g., in the case of schools, by teachers, parents, and students; when bullying occurs, people in authority e.g., teachers must take a definite stand against it; potential victims must be provided with direct means for dealing with bullying e.g. what to do and who to see when bullying occurs; and that outside help can be very useful in identifying the causes of bullying and in devising programmes to reduce it. (Baron, Branscombe, & Byrne, 2009).
One local study suggests that because the discourse of violence in South Africa is so strong that strategies to counter bullying need to be directed at all levels of society ranging from the small school environment, community systems, as well as within organisations and government policy to develop and strengthen an alternative voice to the current voice of violence, aggression, and bullying (Timm & Eskell-Blokland, 2011).
The American Psychological Association (2019) recommends certain actions which teachers, parents, and students can take in addressing bullying. Teachers can take the following actions: they can be knowledgeable and observant, emphasizing to students that reporting bullying is not tattling; if teachers observe bullying in a classroom they must immediately intervene, record, and report the incident to higher school authorities; teachers can involve both parents and students in being part of the solution by forming safety teams and anti-bullying task forces; they can also explicitly remind students that bullying is not accepted in school and that such behaviour will have consequences; and schools administrators can create an anti-bullying document and have both parent and student sign and return it, thus helping students understand the seriousness of the issue (APA, 2019).
With regard to the actions parents can take, they include: observing your child for signs that they are being bullied e.g., ripped clothing, hesitation about going to school, decreased appetite, nightmares, crying, or general anxiety or depression; having open-ended conversations with one’s child to find out what really is going on at school; teaching your child how to handle bullying e.g., practising scenarios at home where the child learns to develop assertive strategies for coping with bullying; and setting boundaries with technology (with regards to cyber-bullying) and letting your child know that you will be monitoring their computer and cell phone usage (APA, 2019). For parents whose child engages in bullying behaviour: educate your child about bullying; lookout for signs that your child may be having trouble reading social cues and does appreciate that what he/she is doing is hurtful; remind your child that bullying others can lead to legal consequences; model positive examples for your child in your own relationships with others and with them; and lookout for low self-esteem in your child as children tend to bully to feel better about themselves – address and discipline any mean behaviour (APA, 2019).
Children should try and remain calm when being bullied; they must be aware that it is important for them to report any bullying (including cyber-bullying) to a parent or an adult that they trust, and that this type of behaviour should be handled by an adult; and whenever possible, to avoid situations where there are no other students or teachers (APA, 2019). As students who experience bullying may feel overwhelmed, depressed, or anxious seeing a mental health professional may help them develop resilience and confidence socially and academically (APA, 2019)
By Brad Peters, Registered Counsellor.
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). How parents, teachers and kids can take action to prevent bullying. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/bullying.aspx
Baron, R. A., Branscombe, N. R., & Byrne, D. (2009). Social Psychology. (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
James, R. K., & Gilliland, B. E. (2013). Crisis intervention strategies. (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning.
Mynhardt, J. C. (2009). South African supplement to Social Psychology. (3rd ed.). Cape Town: Pearson Education South Africa (Pty) Ltd.
Timm, V. M. & Eskell-Blokland, L. M. (2011). A construction of bullying in a primary school in an underprivileged community: an ecological case study. South African Journal of Psychology, 41(3), 339-350. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/action/doSearch?AllField=bullying&SeriesKey=sapc
Townsend, L., Flisher, A. J., Chikobvu, P., Lombard, C., & King, G. (2008). The relationship between bullying behaviours and high school dropout in Cape Town, South Africa. South African Journal of Psychology, 38(1), 21-32. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/action/doSearch?AllField=bullying&SeriesKey=sapc