Studies show that kids who bully other kids at school are more likely to abuse their partners. Out of 1500 men studied 16 percent abused their partner, at least once, in the past year. 38 percent of those men had been bullies in school. This has become more of a risk factor for men than other factors we tend to associate with the pasts of the people who commit domestic violence crimes. Authorities usually consider such factors before bullying: being abused as a child or witnessing abuse between parents. Psychologist Jay Silverman thinks that when it comes to kids bullying others at school, we need to start thinking of it as a sign of future domestic violence.
This article really makes sense if you think about it, why we have never really noticed it before baffles me. I can see where bullies grow up to be abusive, because most of the time they don't get the proper punishment so they grow up thinking they can get away with it. Our teachers and school officials need to be taking bullying way more seriously, because if we are the ones to help sculpt them into young adults shouldn't we be doing our very best? Instead of ISS or OSS as punishment for bullies, maybe we should consider bringing police to the school to explain what would happen if they were older and pulled the same stunts, and on top of that have them do some "community service" around the school during recess for a week. If cops can come to schools to talk about drugs why can't they come to talk about the origins of abuse and what happens to the abusers? People may read this and think, "man she is being dramatic about this" and yes maybe I am. However, my dramatic comments might bring my readers to also realize that this is a BIG issue and we do need to do way more to prevent this than we have been.
I totally agree that there should be a harsher punishment, even for the younger offenders of bullying. The fact is if they continue getting away with it while they are young they think they can continue doing it when they are able to inflict real damage, mentally and physically. So putting a stop to it when it first starts with some real consequences might be a road they might want to start traveling on.
ReplyDeleteI think bullying is a mask that children hide behind when they, themselves get bullied by their parents, or there's not much love in the home. It's very sad, and it is a cycle of abuse that will most likely continue into THEIR adulthood.
ReplyDeleteI think that there should definitely be better behavioral direction for kids that show more aggression at an early age to try to curb the idea of "bullying", but the fact of it is, we live in an aggressive environment. We are taught to "climb to the top," and kids, as well as adults have to deal with this. I think that the term "bullying" has become extremely loose. There are instances where an individual receives extremely harsh treatment from others that is completely undeserved, this is bullying, but just because kids are aggressive or mean to another kid doesn't make it bullying. As a good parent you absolutely MUST teach your kids how to stand up for themselves and be confident in themselves. It doesn't matter how many cops you bring around, they have to be able to do this on their own.
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