Bullying and Murillo C.

Bullying affects all ages, races, and genders. The students that are affected may not tell anyone that they are being bullied. This can happen for many reasons, but one may be that they are scared if they tell the bullying will get worse. Bullying is more prevalent at the elementary school level and is usually just words, but words can be as sharp as weapons. Words are common with girls and physical bullying is more common with boys. There are some cases where bullying can affect a student for the rest of their lives. There have been studies that show that people who are abused by their peers are at risk for serious problems (Murillo C., 2008). These problems include low self esteem, stress, depression or anxiety and even in the worst cases, suicide. Sloane Molloy, a guidance counselor at Glynn Middle School, states “It can escalate to violence when left unchecked” (Murillo C., 2008).
Besides the students the school is also affected by bullying. Many schools are fighting back against bullying. There is an incident in Callifornia where a 15 yr old male student was allegedly shot by a 14 year old male student. This 14 year old was one of many that were bullying the 15 yr old student. The reason for the bullying was because of the 15 year olds sexual orientation and gender expression (Murillo, C. 2008). School administrators are taking stronger disciplinary action against bullies. By doing this they hope that it will prevent major problems that bullying can create. Any incident of bullying that is reported is now investigated by interviewing students, parents and teachers. Bullying in school does not stop at the bus stop. A California school is now equipping their school buses with cameras, this way any bullying that is reported can be viewed on tape. Since some students are scared to tell and be considered a snitch, one school has created a confidential way for a student to report bullying. The student can log on to a computer and report the incident.
Many parents are also affected. They may be affected indirectly through their children. There are some parents of the bullies that feel their child is not doing anything wrong and this is a problem. Parents of bullies need to take as much action to stop this behavior as parents of the students being bullied. There are some signs that a parent may look for if they suspect their child is being bullied. Some of these signs can be:
• Comes home with ripped, damaged or missing clothing
• Seems isolated and may not have a good friend
• Fearful about attending school, walking to and from the bus
• Poor appetite, headaches or stomach pains (before school)
• Decline in academic performances
Parents should take these signs seriously (Murillo C., 2008). Some things a parent should do are as follows:
• Take it seriously, ask your children why they feel they are being bullied.
• Build empathy, talk to your child how it feels to be bullied.
• Ask for help from the teacher or school counselor for help
• If a parent is not satisfied they should seek outside help
A parent should first try to work things out with the school. Many parents of the students that are bullied are now taking legal action against this behavior. They do this because they feel that the administration or school is not solving the problem of bullying. Incidents of bullying can be civil or even criminal. It may be possible for a parent to apply for an injunction, under the Protection from Harassment Act, 1997. An injunction is only likely to be granted if the episodes are constant, severe and ongoing (Beehive, n.d.). With criminal cases a child under the age of ten can not be prosecuted, so a parent may have to go the route of a civil case. With any legal action a parent may take they should always seek the advice of a solicitor or a legal firm.

Murillo, C. (2008). How schools are fighting back against bullies. McClatchy-Tribune Business News, Washington. March 8, 2008. Retrieved May 3, 2008, from ProQuest database. beehive.com. (n.d.). Parents against bullying: Considering legal action?. Retrieved May 3, 2008, from http://beehive.thisisplymouth.co.uk/