Article (Bullying)

NURUL SHANTI IDRIS ELC2313A1 2021652514
BULLYING
by
MUHAMMAD WASEEM and AMANDA B. NICKERSON
Bullying is common in our society and has become a public health emergency. It is a form of
repeated peer aggression which is intentional and involves a power differential between the bully
and the victim. It is often subtle and hidden, profoundly affecting a substantial number of children.
The information in the following article will provide clinicians with tools for increased awareness
and early recognition of bullying; this, in turn, is likely to result in the development of strategies
for prevention and intervention with respect to this significant societal issue. Therefore, this article
reviews the cause, pathophysiology, presentation of patients that are victims of bullying and the
role of the interprofessional team in the evaluation and management of these patients.
Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behaviour, which involves a real or perceived

social power imbalance. The behaviour is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time
(therefore, the definition excludes occasional or minor incidents). These actions are purposeful and
intended to hurt or make the victim uncomfortable.
Bullying may manifest itself in many forms. It can be physical, verbal, relational, or cyber; it
can be subtle and elusive. The most common form of bullying both for boys and girls is verbal
bullying such as name-calling. Although bullying is more common in schools, it can occur
anywhere. It often occurs in unstructured areas such as playgrounds, cafeterias, hallways, and
buses. In recent years, cyber-bullying has received increased attention, as electronic devices have
become more common. Bullying through electronic means, although prevalent, ranks third after
verbal bullying and physical bullying. In general, bullying is a common type of social experience
that children refer to as “getting picked on.”
The ethology of bullying is complex and may depend on multiple issues including individual,
social, and family issues. It is important to understanding these hidden causes that increase the risk
of bullying. Although there are many causes of bullying, certain risk factors may attract bullies to
their victims: children who are different from their peers, children who are weaker (than bullies),
children who are socially isolated, less popular, and have few friends, or may have underlying
feelings of personal inadequacy. However, it is not necessary that a bully is stronger or bigger than
their victim. The power imbalance can be due to many things including popularity, strength, or
cognitive ability. Bullying behaviour may be used to gain social status.
1
NURUL SHANTI IDRIS ELC2313A1 2021652514
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (2013), 1 in 3 children (27.8%)
report being bullied during the school year. Bullying is reported to be more prevalent among boys
than girls. It occurs with greater frequency among middle school children. For boys, both physical
and verbal bullying is common, whereas, for girls, verbal bullying and rumours are more common.
African Americans youth report being bullied significantly less frequently than white or Hispanic
youth. Bullying peaks in early adolescence and then gradually declines as adolescence progresses,
although recent research suggests that this is for more overt forms of bullying, whereas covert
bullying continues through adolescence.
The issue of bullying in children is a complex problem that emerges from social, physical,
institutional and community contexts, as well as the individual characteristics of the children who
are bullied and victimized. A bullying interaction occurs not only because of individual
characteristics of a particular child who is bullying, but also because of actions and attitudes of
peers, teachers and school staff, and physical characteristics of that particular environment. Family
dynamics, cultural factors, and even community response also play a role in the occurrence of the
bullying interaction.
Bullying is a serious problem for both the bully and the victim. The first step is recognizing
bullying as a problem for a child. It is also important to identify bullying interactions at an early
stage. Assessment of bullying: There are many tools available to assess bullying and determine the
frequency and locations of bullying behaviour. See the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's compendium for measuring bullying, victimization, and bystander experience. It may
also be important to assess other risk and protective factors, such as depression, suicide risk, sources
of internal and external resilience, to best determine the interventions and supports needed.
Since bullying is a very complex problem there is no “quick fix” to prevent or intervene with
this issue. It is important to understand the issues that are unique to the individual and the context
in order to develop and implement interventions. The entire interprofessional team must be aware
of signs and symptoms. Often a child will open up to a nurse that opens the communication to the
entire team. Usually, social workers, nurses, and clinicians need to work together to assist the child
or adolescent. Usually, parents and sometimes school officials will need to become involved. The
best outcome is achieved with an interprofessional team.
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NURUL SHANTI IDRIS ELC2313A1 2021652514

Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behaviour, which involves a real or perceived

Retrieved from: https://www.statpearls.com/ArticleLibrary/viewarticle/35910#ref_7806605

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