Bullying: How Can It Be Prevented?

Bullying is a term used to describe a form of harassment perpetrated by someone who is in some way more powerful, physically or socially than his peers or the people in the immediate environment. While there are those who say that bullying is something that children will soon outgrow , there is no denying the fact that bullying has become prevalent in most schools all over America today.Given this alarmingly high rate of bullying, the relevance of coming up with methods by which to deal with this social problem becomes more and more apparent. However, to be able to formulate a process by which bullying can effectively be prevented it necessary to first examine bullying, its elements, types and causes. Only through an understanding of bullying can parents, teachers and schools properly come up with the necessary steps to reduce or totally remove the presence of bullying.BULLYING Main Elements of Bullying The bullying has been identified by researchers as possessing the following chara cteristics or elements: aggressive and negative behavior, repeatedly carrying out of the behavior, existent in a relationship with a great imbalance of power and the behavior as being â€Å"purposeful† (Hazler 1997). When these characteristics exhibit themselves in any relationship that a person has with another person, it is highly likely that there is bullying.The aggressive and negative behavior can often be manifested in other factors outside of the relationship between the bully and the victim such as in the classroom or in the manner that the bully interacts with people in authority as compared to the interaction among his (bully) peers. Bullying is not a single and isolated occurrence. A single case of abuse or aggression, be it physical or mental, is often not a case of bullying as it may just be the result of â€Å"flaring tempers† or â€Å"minor disagreements† among school children (Hazler 1997). Bullying involves constant aggression over a period of t ime.In relationships where there is a great imbalance in power between the parties, bullying is most likely to occur. The more powerful and aggressive person has been found to exercise a certain influence over the weaker party and to dominate the other party. Bullying is not just a series of random acts of aggression. According to a study, â€Å"the acts perpetrated by a bully are not just random acts of aggression but a series of well designed acts aimed at effectively exercising domination of the victim and being able to extract a certain reaction that the bully is looking (Batsche 1994).When all of these elements are present in a relationship, bullying is most likely to be occurring or to occur. While these elements are not conclusive in proving or showing the existence of bullying, the existence of these elements has been shown to determine to a certain extent the presence of bullying. Types of Bullying Bullying can basically be segregated into two distinct categories, direct b ullying and indirect bullying or social aggression. Direct bullying involves direct physical aggression by the bully over the victim.This type of bullying is most common among males and is exercised by those who are physically bigger than their peers. Indirect bullying is most common among females and younger children. This is done by â€Å"forcing the victim into social isolation through methods such as constant criticism of the victim, refusal to associate with the victim or by making the victim feel left out of any social activity (Batsche 1994). † Bullying may manifest itself in different ways depending on the direct environment and the parties involved.â€Å"Bullying,† according to a recent study, â€Å"is the assertion of power through aggression. Its forms change with age: school playground bullying, sexual harassment. Gang attacks, date violence, assault, marital violence, child abuse, workplace harassment and elder abuse. (Pepler and Craig 1997)†. Reaso ns for Bullying While bullying is caused mostly by reasons personal to the bully, researches have pinpointed certain factors as key to understanding why bullying exists in the first place.Researchers have indicated that people who bully have personalities that are authoritarian, combined with a strong need to control (Kim 2006). The same study indicates that a deficit in social skills and a prejudicial view of subordinates can be particular risk factors. Other factors have been determined to be the following: quickness to anger and use of force, addiction to aggressive behaviors, mistaking others' actions as hostile, concern with preserving self image, and engaging in obsessive or rigid actions. (Kim 2006)TAKING A STAND AGAINST BULLYING Role of Parents, Teachers and Schools Parents, Teachers and Schools should take an active role in remedying the problem of bullying. Bullying is a behavior which often occurs during ones childhood and in certain cases continues in the immediate envir onment of these bullies upon reaching adulthood. One of the keys to solving this problem therefore lies in being able to deal with the problem in its â€Å"infancy† stage (Harris 2006). The following are steps that can be taken to deal with this situation.Identifying the Problem The first step that can be done to properly address the problem of bullying is to be able to properly identify the presence of bullying. Most students or children who are victims of bullying are afraid to report to the proper authorities for fear of being bullied even more if they are found out. The victims are also hesitant to alert the proper authorities because they do not feel that the authorities can do anything to prevent such bullying from happening.For these reason, it is important to be able to determine the existence of bullying based on other factors and manifestations. Some of these signs that a child is being bullied are the following: lowered self-esteem, unexplained broken personal poss essions, loss of money, loss of personal items, unexplained bruises & injuries or stories that don't add up, missing or incomplete school work, decreased success in class, acting out aggression at home, and lack of interest at social events that include other students.At the first signs of these manifestations, steps should be taken to determine if there really is bullying going on and this can be best done by communicating to victim in a proper manner that something can be done about the situation if it is reported quickly. Encouraging Victims to Report the Bullying The second most important step in dealing with this problem lies in being able to show to the victim and to other victims who are unwilling to report incidences of bullying that reporting it to the proper authorities is the proper thing to do.In most cases, victims of bullying are tentative to report any instance of bullying because they are not assured that the problem can be dealt with (Kim 2006). The best method is i n being able to assure the victim that there are people who are there to support him and help him out in this process (Storch 2005). The victim has to be assured of the fact that he is not isolated from any help. The victim also needs to know that the incident will not increase in frequency or gravity once it has been reported to the proper authorities such as teachers or school personnel.In being able to do this, the incidence of bullying can be drastically reduced when other children who have been victims themselves see that something can be done about the problem of bullying (Storch 2005). Assessing the Bully One of the most overlooked aspects in dealing with the problem of bullying has to do with being able to address the problem at the source which means dealing with the bully (Harris 2006).Bullies who are encouraged or not shown the mistakes that they are committing have a high tendency of exhibiting such aggressive behavior outside of the school setting and eventually bringin g them into the other environments which they are immersed in and thus perpetuating this wrongful behavior. The problem of bullying, as mentioned earlier, must be dealt with at its source in other to prevent more acts of bullying from happening.This method however is trickier than it seems because when approaching or confronting a bully it must be remembered that the person may feel that such act is a sign of aggression and may react conformably. The steps with which to deal with a bully must be done in a very non-threatening manner thus reinforcing the idea that aggression is not the best way to deal with problems (Storch 2005). The bully must be made to understand that such aggressive behavior has a detrimental impact on not only the victim but on the psychological and emotional growth of the bully as well.Counseling by an expert or peer counseling has been shown to be highly effective in these instances. CONCLUSION Bullying does not have to be something that society just has to t olerate. Neither does bullying have to be something that a child needs to experience and be able to â€Å"outgrow† in order to become a more mature and responsible adult. As this discourse has shown, there are indeed steps that can be taken by persons in authority to curb the occurrences of bullying. The problem must first be identified correctly.The next step is to properly address whatever feelings the victim may have regarding the incident and ensuring that the aggressive behavior that the victim has experienced does not repeat itself. After this, proper programs to encourage witnesses and victims to report any incidents of bullying that occur have to be done. The final step in solving this social problem is in trying to address the problem from the side of the bully and ensuring that whatever reason the bully had for doing such is given attention and making sure that the event does not happen again.Proper implementation of these measures will surely help in reducing if no t ridding society of this problem concerning bullying. References: Batsche, G. M. , & Knoff, H. M. Bullies and their victims: Understanding a pervasive problem in the schools, (1994) School PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW, 23 (2), 165-174. EJ 490 574. Hazler, R. J. , Carney, J. V. , Green, S. , Powell, R. , & Jolly, L. S. Areas of Expert Agreement on Identification of School Bullies and Victims, (1997). School Psychology International, 18, 3-12. Kim, B. L.Leventhal, Y. -J. Koh, A. Hubbard, and W. T. Boyce School Bullying and Youth Violence: Causes or Consequences of Psychopathologic Behavior? Arch Gen Psychiatry, September 1, 2006; 63(9): 1035 – 1041. Storch, E. and D. R. Ledley Peer Victimization and Psychosocial Adjustment in Children: Current Knowledge and Future Directions Clinical Pediatrics, January 1, 2005; 44(1): 29 – 38. Harris, S. and C. Hathorn Texas Middle School Principals' Perceptions of Bullying on Campus NASSP Bulletin, March 1, 2006; 90(1): 49 – 69.

Why Hanguns Must Be Outlawed ( Nan Desuka) Essay

Why Hanguns Must Be Outlawed ( Nan Desuka) - Essay Example Besides the appropriate premises for gun control, she articulates the ethical concerns for the free availability of weapons in America. Whether guns are the weapons of threat or the tools of comfort, is the issue about her deliberations. She uses the tool of pathos to seek sympathies for the people who are able to save their lives with the availability of the weapon in serious life-and-death situations. But the same technique is also employed to highlight the contrary view by elucidating how people lost their lives or injured seriously, for no fault of theirs with the gun, though legal. Thus her argument is comprehensive and it includes the logical, sentimental and ethical angels and it demonstrates how complicated the issues involved are. If gun control is compared to the heart, arguments are like the alternative beats of the same heart. She makes a mention of two slogans impacting the entire gamut of the issue: â€Å"Guns don’t kill people: criminals do† (Desuka n. p. ) and â€Å"Guns don’t kill people: people kill people.† (Desuka n. p.) On a closer scrutiny of the statements on the portals of the mind of an individual who hears them, she weighs the impact of the dilemma related to the choice between the two in the sentimental world of the hearer. The statement that criminals kill people indicates the use of pathos. It creates resentment in the heart of the hearer about the criminal with the malicious intentions of the weapon to commit heinous acts, including murder. In stating ‘people kill people’ she highlights a bigger story which is a truthful assertion. She channelizes the hatred towards a section of society, the criminals, to an issue of negligent attitude of free availability of guns to one and all. This hearty appeal is an expression through the rhetorical application of logos. Desuka shows awareness of the issue from all ends, and she knows the importance of man behind the production of guns and the man using the guns, for good or bad intentions. It is a peculiar situation of dual responsibility. It is like the scale of justice, in which both arms of the scale are important to strike the correct balance. Desuka employs logos by methodically tendering the fact which indicates how criminals alone do not indulge in killing persons with handguns. The number of the criminals who commit murders is low as compared rapists or robbers. The statistics would give the relevant information. â€Å"About 30% murders are committed by robbers or rapists. More than 60% of all murders are caused by guns and handguns are used in more than 70% of these.† The author argues like a sociologist, when she asserts that â€Å"majority of these crimes is committed by known assailants and they can said to be crimes of passion or accidents.†(Desuka, n. p.) This is a pointer to the lacuna in her arguments. Desuka’s basic premises have shortcomings that cannot be corrected. She is trying to offer so lutions to a hardcore secular issue, through flowery philosophical leap. Her argument is—â€Å"outlawing handguns will remove them from both the criminal and the non-criminal, thereby eliminating handguns as a cause of death, either intentional or accidental.†(Desuka, n.p.) A law may be perfect; in other words there is no dearth about perfect laws. The shortage is in the area of perfect human beings to implement the laws. What then, is the procedure to mold perfect human beings? Wise men have written millions of pages, but the possibility of the entire humankind turning perfect is remote, nay impossibility. So handguns will be there, and dominate the affairs of the society, as total enforcement of laws is not possible. And no force on earth can totally eliminate the manufacture and

Accounting and Finance Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Accounting and Finance - Speech or Presentation Example With the increasing globalisation when every country can be seen as an opportunity for the investors the lack of understanding of effective corporate governance can adversely effect the investment intentions of investors.Nowadays corporate governance is seen as the key of attracting investors. Capital flow seems directed towards the companies, which practice fair and transparent ways of governing their organisations. With the changing global business scenario the need of understanding and effective practise of fair and technologically advance corporate governance has also increased. In my speech I will first explain the notion of Corporate Governance then we will have a brief overview of the development of corporate governance codes in the UK and the adaptation of similar codes in the EU.ICAEW (2002) has explained corporate governance in a very effective and comprehensive manner as " Corporate governance is commonly referred to as a system by which organisations are directed and cont rolled. It is the process by which company objectives are established, achieved and monitored. Corporate governance is concerned with the relationships and responsibilities between the board, management, shareholders and other relevant stakeholders within a legal and regulatory framework."There are no hard and fast rules for corporate governance, which can be prescribed for all the countries. ... Accountability of the board to shareholders who have the right to receive information on the financial stewardship of their investment and exercise power to reward or remove the directors entrusted to run the company. Transparency of clear information with which meaningful analysis of a company and its actions can be made. The disclosure of financial and operational information and internal processes of management oversight and control enable outsiders to understand the organisation. Fairness that all shareholders are treated equally and have the opportunity for redress for violation of their rights. According to Meigs et al. (1999) this information meets the needs of users of the information-investors. Creditors, managers, and so on-and support many kinds of financial decision performance evaluation and capital allocation, among others. (P.07) Owen (2001) traces the history of the structure of the British financial system that was shaped by the form which industrialisation took in the 18th and 19th centuries. Following legislative changes in mid-century - principally the Joint Stock Companies Act of 1844 and the Limited Liability Act of 1855 - a growing number of Industrial firms converted themselves from partnerships into limited companies. Some of them remained private, while others chose to have their shares listed, either on one of the provincial stock exchanges or in London. Since than till the decade of decade of 1980s, there was no specific development in the field of Corporate Governance in UK. Tricker (1984) mentioned the same fact as, "In the past there seemed a, no demand for independent supervision or disclosure, no intervention in matters

Adolescent Sexual Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Adolescent Sexual Activity - Essay Example In his article â€Å"Risk Behaviors - Teen Pregnancy - Programs, Sex, Sexual, Contraception, Percent, and Services† (2011), Douglas Kirby identifies the following five factors as contributing to teen pregnancy by causing the sexually active teenagers to refrain from using contraception. He cites: â€Å"when teens have permissive attitudes toward premarital sex,† â€Å"lack confidence to avoid sex or to use contraception consistently,† â€Å" lack adequate knowledge about contraception,† â€Å"have negative attitudes toward contraception,† â€Å" are ambivalent about pregnancy and childbearing,† â€Å"...then they are more likely to engage in sex without contraception.† (Kirby, 2011) In analyzing these factors, they can be related to both situational sexual encounters as well as cognitive value systems in teens that engage in pre-marital sex. ‘Permissive attitudes’ is a cognitive or value system in the individuals involved that determine the development of the relationship through sexual encounters. These encounters are either the result of long-term, loving, and wholesome relationships or are casual, disposable, and part of the learning process through which sexual identity is formed in the process of adult maturation. Through the sexual experimentation with different types of relationships and partners, the person of either gender comes to a deeper understanding of their own personal needs in a relationship or in partner support. This assists in making more consequential and long-standing family commitments. The hyper-stimulation of the culture through sexual imagery in media, sexually predatory social role-playing and stereotypes, or advertising that fuels desire and insecurity simultaneously to sell products may condition a population to extreme behavior abruptly or progressively over time by changing moral standards and patterns of behavior. The teen pregnancy rate in the U.S. can be seen as an à ¢â‚¬Å"unwanted† aspect of the sexual activity that occurs at a young age and restricts the further social opportunities of the parent. The effect of the social stigmatization is expected to fall more severely on the girl who must bear the biological burden of pregnancy. If the relationship is loving and leads to marriage, even at an early age, it is accepted socially and the best is hoped for the long-term sustainability of the couple. Yet, realistically, the high divorce rate among young couples and the burdens of single parenthood are among the largest reasons teenage pregnancy is discouraged. Generally, teens are not recognized as mature socially to be effective parents, despite the fact that innumerable teenage mothers in the U.S. historically and around the world have done very well building families through teenage pregnancies. The development of modern, liberal conceptions of identity through feminism and progression in education has created a different role for modern women that discourage the traditional aspects of teen marriage and pregnancy practiced traditionally as â€Å"backward†.  Ã‚  

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CMC Midterm - Article Example The benefit of having an online outlet is that one can vent one’s frustrations with certain social issues and so forth. The online factor is helpful because it shields one from the verbal barbs that might come with face-to-face parlance. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ No, I don’t think this has anything to do with gender. Just the format of these various sites did not appeal to me at all, and I don’t necessarily think it had anything to do with the gendering of the sites or not. SecondLife is very colorful and filled with a lot of images (especially of women) that use a lot of bright colors, while Twitter seems more geared towards men. Twitter’s homepage is blue, which many people typically associate with the male gender. Visuals include colors. For example, brighter colors are gendered towards women, since, in olden times women had to have better color vision than men in order to complete the task of food-gathering. Women are also appealed to by text-based cues like pretty or girly fonts, whilst men are appealed to by the usage of simple fonts and basic colors. I would say that the color blue most closely resonates with everyone, not just men. Blue is most peoples’ favorite color, and so it would make sense, for example, that Twitter’s homepage would use blue as its primary

Pproperty investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pproperty investment - Essay Example In the past three years, as compared to the previous three years, Property Unit Trust (PUTs) which is a pooled property fund in UK had raised more than ? 7.7 billion of new investment, which is more than six times of the net investments received. In the year 2006 alone, property funds have received ? 3.6 billion into property funds. (Bottle & Key 2007). Thus, indirect investment in UK is gaining momentum and this research essay researches into various features of the same in detail. Analysis of indirect investments in real estates in UK â€Å"Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)† Sampson (2010, p 50) states that â€Å"Real Estate Investment Trust â€Å"surprisingly established very late in certain markets like UK. It took nearly five decades to introduce REITs in UK after it was introduced 1960 in US market. The fundamental concept of a REIT is spotless as investors are expected to invest in an investment vehicle and then later, fund will go for shopping and invest in various top notched prime properties. Thus, a participating interest in a portfolio of tangible assets by an investor is mirrored by a share owned in REITs. Madlem & Sykes (2000, p 284) argue that REITs are trusts or publicly traded companies that coalesce the investments of many investors for the purchase, development and administration of commercial real estate. A REIT is like a mutual fund which is meant for real estate investment only. Investors are benefited from the professionally diversified, managed portfolios and REITs shares are traded on national stock exchanges. RIETs have surfaced as a significant financial intermediary and still in the developing process in the field of domestic capital markets of UK. Due to high dividend yields in RIETs sector, investors are more attracted, which is higher than those offered by government securities. Madlem & Sykes (2000, p 284) are of the opinion that REITs are always a preferred investment destination to investors as it offers higher yield s and also since real estate’s have customarily been a good performer even during inflationary phases. Real estate companies, which see this as a passionate source of low-cost capital that could be made in the capital markets and later could reap huge capital appreciation due to increase in prices of properties. Thus, this has resulted in rapid growth on the part of real estate companies, and investors enjoyed a record-breaking growth rate in the REITs. Block (2006, p 8) stresses that REITs have offered individual investors all over UK with a mean to purchase shopping malls, skyscrapers, apartment buildings, hotel and any variety of commercial real estate one can imagine of. REITs offer the predictable and steady cash flow from the leases of real estates, but with advantages of liquidity of a common stock. As part of their ongoing real estate business, REITs usually offer access to capital, which can be employed to purchase additional properties. Madlem & Sykes (2000, p284) a rgues that an investment in real estate has been always regarded as a solid investment. However, like all other assets, it travels in cycles. Due to the global economic crisis in 2007, the commercial real estate around the globe including UK witnessed serious setbacks. As a result, new construction activities have come to stand still. This