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Lakiesha Thompson.
English 111-98
Persuasive
April 30, 2015
Bullying addressed by Schools
Bullying is an issue that should be addressed primarily by schools. Bullying, for the most
part happens on school campuses. It happens while riding the bus to and from school, in
classrooms, on the playground, during lunches, at recess, school functions, school games, parties
and on the internet. Therefore school administration and faculty should be held responsible for
children with bullying behavior. Although parents should somewhat be held responsible for their
childrens actions away from home, they cannot manage or control what the bullying child is
doing away from the home front. So because bullies are showing this behavior on school
property, they should be dealt with and face consequences by school administration. There are
many underlying reasons for bullying behavior, the schools should have resources or counseling
for children who display this behavior. Lastly schools should offer programs to address bullying,
and offer support programs, for those being bullied, the victims, and support for the bullys
families. Schools should maintain responsibility for addressing bullying behavior because it
usually starts on school property, and they have resources to deal with it.
Bullying is defines in the rules as behavior typically repeated, that is intended to cause
or should be known to cause fear, intimidation, humiliation, distress or other harm to another
persons body, feelings, self-esteem, reputation or property. The Canadian Press, Feb 8, 2013.
Stanford University did a study that concluded that nine out of ten elementary students were
bullied by their classmates. This major problem involving bullying of students on school

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campuses is becoming more frequent, indicated by a study by the American Medical

Association. (Cooper, Stephanie A. publishing 2011). Because children tend to start this
behavior on school campuses, it usually leads to cyberbully, using text messages, phone calls,
and messages. These behaviors should have school consequences. Some of these consequences
were well supported. Researchers suggest, principal leadership, a supportive school culture,
proactive school policies and procedures, and practices, community training and education, a
protective school environment, and shared ownership throughout the whole school and
community ( Kramer, and Michelle Bruno, p.37).
These are consequences or solutions to kids who start bullying on school property and change
over or use cyberbullying as a scapegoat.
Bullying behaviors include physical aggression, verbal aggression, verbal harassment,
spreading rumors, or social rejection and isolation. (Kramer, and Michelle Bruno.) Boys are
known to be more aggressive and girls more verbal. The reasons that children become bullies
varies. Children with this type behavior have not learned how to cope and deal with it
appropriately. Bullies sometimes have suppressed anger and this could be a cause of their
disruption. This is where the schools come in to offer their resources to support getting bullies
help. Researchers have concluded the single most effective thing to do is develop policies to
which everyone is committed. A counselor should be on hand on school campuses to identify the
characteristics of bullies, then counsel or refer to a psychologist for the bully and family, and at
times the victim.
Lastly Students who often bully should be offered not only personal and private help, but
they should be offered by schools, programs and support systems in the community. The
Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board has established a Bullying Prevention Task

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Force consisting of parents, principles, teachers, educational assistants, and special education
teachers. It will be used as a model to determine the extent of bullying. It will also develop
preventative programs in the community to help deal with the issue of bullying. Made up of
social workers, principles, and superintendents, The Hamilton-Wentworth School District has
come up with an anti-violence committee focusing on anti-bullying. This is a great program for
other schools to model for their schools and communities to slow down the bullying epidemic.
This same district suggested that theater was a great outlet to deter bullying. There was a play
made up to model bullying behavior and how victims dealt with it. Great ideas for the
community. There is another program in high demand for elementary schools called RCMPs
Bully Resistance and Anti-Violence Education program, also known as Brave. Originally there
were eleven officers trained for this program. Only eight officers are available in this school
district to teach the program. This program is said to be effective in grades one seven, because
they are impressed by police uniforms. Other programs offered in schools to reduce bullying, are
Safe Schools Initiative, Lions Quest, The B.U.G. campaign, The Effective Behavior Support
Program and Project Achieve. All of these programs are available in U.S. schools to meet the
bullying problem head on. Bullying is an issue that schools are primarily responsible for. And
with the help of these programs, along with school administration, the bullying problem can be
reduced considerably.
Now there are people who disagree and are lead to believe that it is the parents
responsibility to punish or discipline their kids for misbehaving, and displaying bullying
behavior. It is their child and they should address the bullying behavior. Parents have a vital
role to play in keeping bullying under control. It is parents responsibility, not that of the
teachers, to know what children are doing outside school hours, especially online. (Parents must

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step up to plate over bullying.) It is somewhat the parents responsibility for their child that may
be bullying, but the parent is sending their child to school to able bodied adults, who have
dedicated their work to be protectors of children when they are physically in their custody. These
children are on school property. They are away from their parents. This is the time that children
tend to cut up. Because the children are physically on school grounds, then they should adhere
to all rules and policies. If not there are consequences set in place. My answer to people who
think parents should be primarily responsible is, yes they should be in some ways. By identifying
the underlying behavior at home or online. But when those children are away from home and on
school property, thats when the school officials should take over, and be able to identify this
behavior.
In this day and age, a great example of parent responsibility, would be that of Toya
Graham. Ms. Graham is a mother from Baltimore, videoed beating her son while he was rioting
and protesting the death of Freddie Gray, (who died while in custody of Baltimore police). Is she
responsible for his riotous behavior? or is the city of Baltimore responsible for the damage that
he has done on city property? This makes me compare this to the bullying topic. Who should be
primarily responsible for childrens bullying behavior? Schools should be responsible.
In conclusion it is my claim that bullying should be primarily addressed by schools,
because the bullies are displaying their behavior on school property, and should be dealt with
accordingly. Resources and/or counseling should be available for students who are bullies or are
victims of bullying. And because of bullying on school campuses, school administration should
offer prevention programs for those who are affected, including families. Schools should
maintain responsibility for bullying on school campuses, because they have access to more

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resources than any other group involved. Parents are not being left out, but they would be more
successful in helping their bullying child, with help from the community and schools.

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Works Cited
"Bullying Definition in Nova Scotia Includes those Who Stand by." The Canadian PressFeb 08
2013. ProQuest. Web. 30 Apr. 2015 .
Bongers, Agnes. "Confronting the Bullies; Theatre is used as a Teaching Tool on the Devastating
Impact of Bullying in Middle Schools." The Spectator: D11. Feb 08 2003. ProQuest.
Web. 30 Apr. 2015 .
Cooper, Stephanie A. "The Impact of Bullying on School Performance in Six Selected Schools in
South Carolina." Order No. 3489202 South Carolina State University, 2011. Ann Arbor:
ProQuest. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
Marolyn, Arnett Haws, and Stephanie Tennille. "ADDRESSING BULLYING IN SCHOOL:
WHAT CAN EDUCATORS AND PARENTS DO TO CREATE A SAFE
ENVIRONMENT?" International Journal of Humanities and Peace 21.1 (2005): 14-8.
ProQuest. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
Ockerman, Melissa S., Constance Kramer, and Michelle Bruno. "From the School Yard to Cyber
Space: A Pilot Study of Bullying Behaviors among Middle School Students." RMLE
Online 37.6 (2014): 1-18. ProQuest. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
Strickland, Paul. "Anti-Bullying Program Sought by More Schools." Prince George Citizen: 13.
F
"Parents must Step Up to Plate Over Bullying." Daily Mail: 14. Sep 14 2013. ProQuest. Web. 30
Apr. 2015 .
eb 15 2002. ProQuest. Web. 30 Apr. 2015