Buying has a broader meaning in the United States. Rather than its definition as a state of being tortured by a stronger person, the term is defined regarding physical or mental harassment by others. Besides, people are tormented when there is a disparity in power distribution within a particular locality. Sometimes, bullying happens when there are repetitive actions that are done to intimidate others. Therefore, the essay has highlighted the concept of harassment and the opposing viewpoints which are raised towards this matter in the society.
According to the documentary entitled "Bully," there is a likelihood that nearly 13 million kids will be intimidated in America by the end of 2018. The documentary explains that the form of harassment might occur via physical or psychological means. The figure is high considering that children are supposed to be protected from any mistreatment. Wolke, Dieter, and Suzet (880) asserts that poor handling of kids often results in low self-esteem, poor performance in schools, and hatred. The effects are often extended to their later stages of life. When people are intimidated via verbal means, they end up developing timid characters or become poor speakers in the future.
In April 2018, some agencies such as the PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center and the CDC realized that most of the US learning institutions experience bullying activities. Similarly, the 2017 assessment on intimidation cases among school children found that 19% of the learners underwent bullying within a scope of one year (Duarte, Cristiana, and José 1005). Out of this percentage, the female students were the most affected as compared to their male counterparts. Furthermore, statistics indicated that the female learners experienced victimization by 22.3% as equated to the ale learners who recorded a relatively low figure of 15.6% (Chalamandaris, Alexandros, and Danielle 150). More so, the data was as well collected by the National Center for Education Statistics which indicated that the sixth grade and the eighth-grade learners recorded 31% and 22% instances of bullying respectively. The scenario has escalated significantly as compared to the previous year (2016) which had only 16% and 15% among the sixth grade and the eighth-grade learners respectively.
According to the University of California, most of the aggressors tend to perform poorly in their schools. Besides, they develop into poor decision makers in life. Similarly, such people eventually turn into violent people as they cannot solve social conflicts in their midst. Yoon et al. (100) state that making improper decisions in life is as a result of psychological bullying which an individual experience during his or her youthful age. As people mature, they change the manner in which they intimidate others. For instance, young population tends to disobey their leaders and also act violently towards the community. On the other hand, the older population which has been intimidated develops despair and the social withdrawal traits.
The opposing viewpoint towards bullying is arguing whether the act of intimidation is a hindrance in peoples’ progress or not. The concept has particular analyzed the issue of cyber problems, its consequences, and control. The different perspective on bullying enables individuals to develop into critical thinkers by examining various factors which are associated with the concept of maltreatment. Based on the argument of Duarte, Cristiana, and José (1000), the idea of bullying is not a severe predicament which should be given much focus. Instead, these scholars highlight that guardians of various children are the ones who make the matter to be serious by providing their children more protection as required. In teenagers, bullying might result due to the inception of adolescence. During this moment, the hormones of teenagers are usually active (Wolke, Dieter, and Suzet 880). They engage in various actions such as intimidating their colleagues. Hence, opposing viewpoint highlights that harassment occurs naturally among the young and that it should not be considered as a crisis.
Also, there is another opposing viewpoint concerning an act of bullying which highlights that this issue has been in existence since time immemorial. Hence, the statute cannot be done away with quickly. Similarly, research has found that providing more protection to children by their parents increases the chances of bullying as children become more vulnerable each day (Chalamandaris, Alexandros, and Danielle 145). Protections which are put on children enable them to continue depending on other people for security measures. Therefore, the notion of the society and the enhancement in technology has turned the view of bullying to appear as a “crisis.” Yoon et al. (95) say that parents should reduce their guard on children as the act makes them more vulnerable in life.
In summary, it is vital for the US government to enact strict laws which can prevent harassment. These laws should mainly focus on cyber crimes that have become rampant across the globe. The federal edicts are required to highlight oppression that occurs in all sectors of the economy.
Works Cited
Chalamandaris, Alexandros-Georgios, and Danielle Piette. "School-based anti-bullying interventions: Systematic review of the methodology to assess their effectiveness." Aggression and Violent Behavior 24 (2015): 131-174.
Duarte, Cristiana, and José Pinto-Gouveia. "Can self-reassurance buffer against the impact of bullying? Effects on body shame and disordered eating in adolescence." Journal of child and family studies 26.4 (2017): 998-1006.
Wolke, Dieter, and Suzet Tanya Lereya. "Long-term effects of bullying." Archives of disease in childhood 100.9 (2015): 879-885.
Yoon, Jina, Michael L. Sulkowski, and Sh, Lori A. Bauman. "Teachers’ responses to bullying incidents: Effects of teacher characteristics and contexts." Journal of school violence 15.1 (2016): 91-113.
