Bullying in High Schools Research Paper 2022

Running Head: BULLYING IN HIGH SCHOOLS
Topic -The impact of high school bullying on the mental health of teens
Bullying is an aggressive and unwanted behavior among the high school going children
consisting of perceived or real power imbalance. The behavior is frequently repeated and there is
a potential of being repeated over time. There are several factors in bullying such as the behavior
is not at all welcoming to the person who is being bullied and it happens among the high-school
going children. The bully and the bullied both can properly understand the bully for having more
power in the condition even when the factors are based on equality. There are instances where
the bullies are stronger bigger have more friends leading to an actual imbalance in power as well
as the one that is perceived. Also the bully either repeats the particular attitude or their access to
the victim other implies that they will be able to repeat it (Manzella). In this argumentative essay
it is being argued that the act of bullying is sometimes not considered by most of the high-
schools and there is no such initiative of controlling or stopping such activities. The school
authorities are not aware of the psychological impact bullying can leave on a child's mind and
mental health. This paper will argue that the school authorities should focus on this aspect and
take necessary measures for helping a child grow and develop in a bully free environment.
It is found that some bullying is easy to recognize because it is physical but there are also
a type of bullying which can occur quietly such as through internet, through smart-phone,
through gossip which can cause emotional damage to the person. Bullying further depends on
power dynamic which places one peer over the other. The primary aspect of bullying is that it is
real and can leave psychological and emotional impact. Bullying can be of many forms
depending on the situation such as humiliation, hurting, harassment, exposing and harming in
other ways. It is also found that when bullying is based on race it crosses the line and causes

severe harassment (Mucherah et al). The case is same with bullying that is based on sexual
orientation, ethnicity, disability, national origin and others when it becomes the legal issue.
It is quite impossible to give a prediction of who will be bullied and who will be not
founded on the national origin, sexual orientation and others. It cannot be good to people who are
belonging to all of these categories and no one particular combination of the traits can guarantee
a child being bullied or not bullied. People who are bullied frequently share some characteristics
that are common and it can consist of a personality of introversion, shyness, unhappiness, low
self confidence anxiety and others. However, bullying is not founded on race and sex only
because it is found that the white males and females tend to face the same physical intimidation.
When bullying occurs, almost everyone is harmed through it such as the victim, the bully and the
observers.
It is highly unfortunate that the impacts of bullying are not temporary but long-lasting. It
can last till adulthood and may vary having depended on the role of the person who is in the
situation of bullying. It has been found through the studies that the long-lasting psychological
impacts generate from the short term impacts experienced by children as the outcome of being
bullied. The anxiety and depression are the characterization of the emotional outlook after the
bullying years which can extend into the adulthood where they can be having lifelong and
chronic problems. These are the people who face difficulty in keeping relationships, doing
friendship with other people and engage in some romantic relationship. As per the American
Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, it is found that the ‘sticks and stones’ is a wisdom
regarding a type of bullying which actually causes long-lasting damage longer than the physical
harm (Okeke, Ifedi and Tshotsho). In the childhood when the bodily damage can heal fast the
self image of the victim can be permanently undermined. Hence bullying is considered as an
attempt to generate self loathing and instill fear where the ability of viewing oneself as a capable,
desirable and effective individual damages permanently. On the other hand, the bullies grow up