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Kathryn Roe
Dr. Amy Lynch-Biniek
English 023: College Composition
25 November 2014
Final Project Research Paper: The Damaging Effects of Childhood Bullying
Imagine you come home from work to find your middle school child in her
room crying. When you ask her whats wrong she tells you that she has been
bullied. Immediately, your pulse quickens and you feel your heart drop. You feel
helpless while you try to figure out what happened. She tries to explain to you
what had occurred that day at school. Then you start to wonder, What does
this mean for your child? What will happen to them when they go back to
school? How can you protect them? What are their rights? What effects will this
traumatizing situation have on them in the short and long term? This
nightmare has become a reality for many parents across the nation.
Bullying has become a major issue that affects numerous children, in
America, and around the world. According to the PASS Act Website, in 2009
19% of students had been bullied on Pennsylvania school property in that past
year. (Bullying in Pennsylvania, The PASS Act. PASS Act, n.d. Web. 24 Oct.
2014. <http://pasafeschoolsact.com/pass-supporters/clergy/>.)

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There are many different types of bullying in todays society. Physical
bullying, verbal bullying, sexual bullying and cyber bullying are some of the main
types of bullying.
Physical bullying occurs when the bully uses physical force to gain power
over the victim. This can include hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, shoving,
etc This is one of the most obvious and common forms of bullying among
students.
Verbal bullying is using your words to hurt someone. This type of bullying
is hard to pinpoint because it often happens when no one else is around.
Another type is sexual bullying, which includes name calling and
inappropriate comments about someones appearance. Also included in this is
slut shaming. Slut shaming is making an individual, usually a women, feel
inferior for a certain sexual behavior or attitude.
Cyber bullying is when somebody uses their phone, the internet, or some
form of technology to hurt, threaten, embarrass or target another person. This
can also include posting inappropriate images, making threats, and sending rude
messages. This can also sometimes lead to cyberstalking. Cyberstalking is when
somebody uses electronic media to repeatedly scare or harass another person.
As parents of bullying victims, you need to be aware of the different
types of bullying and how they can affect your childrens mental and emotional
well being.

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When I was bullied in high school, my parents were concerned with what
they could do to help stop the bullying. They wondered how this situation would
have an effect on my life in the present and in the future. At the time, they
were not aware of the laws and regulations in place against bullying. They felt
that the school did not adequately inform them, nor did they handle the
situation in a way that would benefit my well being and safety. This problem is
not uncommon in bullying cases, especially in the state of Pennsylvania.
Amended in 2008, the Pennsylvania School Code of 1949 simply
requires that school districts adopt a policy which deals with bullying. Yet, the
law does not prescribe really what should be in that policy. Pennsylvania state
law leaves huge gaps in addressing the issue with weak or non-existent:
reporting
awareness

requirements,
of

the

comprehensive

policy,

and

definitions,

education

for

effective

prevention.

remediation,
(Bullying

in

Pennsylvania, The PASS Act. PASS Act, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2014. <http://
pasafeschoolsact.com/pass-supporters/clergy/>.) These statistics taken by the
PASS Act prove that although we are required to have bullying laws in place,
they are often very ineffective. In 2011, the school districts in Allegheny
County (148,255 students) collectively reported 765 cases of bullying, while
the School District of Philadelphia (166,272 students) reported only 53 cases.
With the City of Philadelphia known to have extreme bullying issues, this number
is clearly under-reported. According to the Center for Disease Controls biannual

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national study of high school students in 2009: 19% of Pennsylvania students
were bullied on school property in the past year. 13% of Pennsylvania students
seriously considered suicide in the past year. 10% of Pennsylvania students
were in a physical fight on school property one or more times in the past year.
(With 30% of Pennsylvania students in a physical fight on or off school grounds
in the past year) 10% of Pennsylvania students have been hit, slapped, or
physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend in the past year. 7%
of Pennsylvania students have been physically forced to have sexual
intercourse. 5% of Pennsylvania students did not go to school for at least one
day because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to or from school. (In
the 30 days before the survey) (Bullying in Pennsylvania, The PASS Act. PASS
Act, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2014. <http://pasafeschoolsact.com/pass-supporters/
clergy/>.)
These statistics are very alarming because it shows how many cases of
bullying, not just in Philadelphia, but across the state go unreported. Which in
turn, can be detrimental to the mental and emotional health of the bullying
victims and the other students involved. It is very important to make sure that
your child knows what to do if they are ever bullied or if they ever see someone
being bullied. It is also important that your child knows who he or she can
contact if they need help.

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A study that was published on April 9, 2014 done by Bannink, Rienke,
Broeren, Suzanne van de Looij Jansen, Petra de Waart, Frouwkje, Raat, and
Hein, talks about the most recent type of bullying called cyber bullying, which is
due to the recent heightened social media and internet usage. Recent studies
have proven ties to cyber bullying and mental health problems as well as
suicide. These studies are too new to show the long term effects of cyber
bullying yet. The study also shows that the mental illness and suicide rate is
higher in girls who have been bullied than it is in boys that have been bullied.
(Bannink, Rienke, et al. "Cyber And Traditional Bullying Victimization As A Risk
Factor For Mental Health Problems And Suicidal Ideation In Adolescents." Plos
ONE 9.4 (2014): 1-7. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.)
There is a definite obvious correlation between suicide, mental disorders
and bullying. Having been in the situation myself I can see how one would feel
that suicide is the only way out. This is especially true when it comes to cyber
bullying because no matter where you go you cannot escape what is being said
online. It is a lot harder to remove yourself from the situation. Hence the reason
it is important to teach your child how to appropriately act on the internet and
how to handle somebody who may try to cyberbully them. Just by teaching
them how to correctly use the internet, and their social media, you may be
saving them from bullying and all of its damaging effects.

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Another study posted on July 1, 2014 done by Takizawa, Maughan, and
Arseneault, found that participants who were bullied when they were children
had an increased level of psychological distress around the ages of 23 and 50.
Victims tended to have a higher rate of depression, anxiety, and suicide. They
are also at a greater risk for mental health problems early in their life.
In conclusion, children who are bullied, are at greater risk of social, health
and economic outcomes even after nearly four decades following their exposure
to bullying. This is detrimental to the well being of the individuals throughout
their entire lifetime. (Takizawa, Ryu, Barbara Maughan, and Louise Arseneault.
"Adult Health Outcomes Of Childhood Bullying Victimization: Evidence From A
Five-Decade Longitudinal British Birth Cohort." American Journal Of Psychiatry
171.7 (2014): 777-784. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.)
All of these statistics show the importance of bullying prevention efforts,
and the bullying laws and policies in place, inside and outside of schools. By
taking a stand and making sure that the correct protocols are followed
everyone can help fight against bullying. By being well informed and
knowledgable of your childs rights, you can hopefully help them avoid the
damaging effects of bullying altogether.
There is a story online of a boy named Ryan, who took his own life
because of cyber bullying. The story was written by his mother and she talked
about all of the things that she wished she would have known before her

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beloved son took his own life. Ryans mother explained some of the dangers of
cyber bullying in her article, Its one thing to be bullied and humiliated in front
of a few kids. Its one thing to feel rejection and have your heart crushed by a
girl. But it has to be a totally different experience then a generation ago when
these hurts and humiliation are now witnessed by a far larger, online adolescent
audience. I believe my son would have survived these incidents of bullying and
humiliation if they took place before computers and the internet. But I believe
there are few of us that would have had the resiliency and stamina to sustain
such a nuclear level attack on our feelings and reputation as a young teen in the
midst of rapid physical and emotional changes and raging hormones. I believe
bullying through technology has the effect of accelerating and amplifying the
hurt to levels that will probably result in a rise in teen suicide rates. Recent
statistics indicate that indeed teen suicide is on the rise again after many years
of declining rates.
(Halligan, Kelly. "Ryan's Story." Ryan's Story Presentation. N.p., 2010. Web. 10
Nov. 2014.)
Ryans mother pleads with parents to take serious precautions by closely
monitoring their childrens internet usage. Some of the ways that she suggests
parents do this is by
No IMing/chatting with strangers, no giving any personal information (name/
address/phone) to strangers, no sending pictures to strangers, no secret

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passwords, our last rule was a safety one. I told my two older children that they
had to use the password I gave them for any accounts they signed up. I
promised I would not read personal messages or spy on them but, God forbid
you dont follow the first few rules and you just disappear one day, I will want
instant access to all of your activities on-line. Never in a million years did I
imagine this rule would someday end up becoming the key to unlocking the
mystery of why my son took his own life. (Halligan, Kelly. "Ryan's Story."
Ryan's Story Presentation. N.p., 2010. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.)
There are many tragic stories that have developed regarding bullying, but
that does not always have to be the case. It is possible for an individual to use
a negative experience such as this to transform their life for the better. I
personally can attest to this. When I was first bullied in high school, I felt like my
world was closing in. I wondered why such a terrible thing would happen to me.
Now I can look back on the occurrence and tell you that there is hope. With the
right support and love, it is possible to get through what may seem like an
impossible situation. Because of what happened to me in high school, I
discovered that I want to use my career and dedicate my life to helping others
who have been bullied, and I plan on doing this through becoming a
psychologist. As parents, you can stick together and make sure that more
bullying stories have happy endings. By making sure that the school is following
the policies they have set in place against bullying, you can help improve the

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school environment in which your children are expected to have a fulfilling and
enjoyable experience.

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Works Cited
Bannink, Rienke, et al. "Cyber And Traditional Bullying Victimization As A Risk
Factor For Mental Health Problems And Suicidal Ideation In Adolescents."
Plos One 9.4 (2014): 1-7. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Oct.
2014.
Bullying in Pennsylvania, The PASS Act. PASS Act, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
<http://pasafeschoolsact.com/pass-supporters/clergy/>
Halligan, Kelly. "Ryan's Story." Ryan's Story Presentation. N.p., 2010. Web. 10
Nov. 2014.
Takizawa, Ryu, Barbara Maughan, and Louise Arseneault. "Adult Health
Outcomes Of Childhood Bullying Victimization: Evidence From A FiveDecade Longitudinal British Birth Cohort