By Lily Arana, Stephanie Cruz, Jessica Johnson, Michelle Ramirez, and Stacey Ruiz, MSW Candidates California State University, Long Beach
We all believe youth should enjoy their time in schools where they begin to create their identities without being persecuted physically by their peers. Youth are susceptible to bullying as soon as they step on school grounds. We found some disturbing statistics such as one in three students in California have been bullied at least once in the last school year. Can you believe, students at a young age experience bullying at their school each month and one-fifth of them are being targeted at least once or twice a week. Those statistics do not even begin to illustrate the impact of bullying among our nation’s LGBTQ youth. Today, LGBTQ youth experience bullying more frequently, simply due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
It is known that students fear for their safety and physical well-being when they are victimized. Imagine constantly being pushed in the hallways or restrooms, kicked in classrooms and ostracized in front of others. How much longer will a child’s deviation of societal norms continue to justify being a target of hateful harassment? When we overlook bullying it can lead to physical, academic, psychological and/or social repercussions. This not only causes physical injury, but also causes development of psychosomatic symptoms as well as negative coping skills. Youths who are bullied are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohols to minimize their pain. Ultimately, bullying affects youth academic performance resulting in truancy, low GPA and diminished school attachment.
Should youth fear going to school? Bullying can also create negative consequences on victims’ mental health, which can lead to low self-esteem and potential self-harm. Manipulative acts and verbal aggression such as name calling, threats, intimidation, and ostracizing youths can impact victims’ mental health. Harassment by peers can lead to decreased self-worth, hopelessness, and loneliness, thus resulting in potential self-harming behaviors. Students who isolate themselves from others as a result of bullying are deprived of their basic need of feeling a sense of belonging. Mental health concerns due to isolation may include depression, self-injurious behaviors, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts.
Current measures to decrease bullying have failed to protect our youth in an environment where they are supposed to feel safe. You may have experienced some type of bullying growing up and perhaps it was disregarded as a life experience; however, these same children may one day be your child, grandchild, niece, nephew, cousin, brother, sister, or neighbor. How would you feel if you realized they were not protected?
SOURCES
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