Statistics on violence in our country tell a grim story with a clear message. Action is needed to end purposeful harassment , and bullying. The studies that have been done on the issue of bullying in this country and abroad have contributed to a growing body of knowledge that underscores the seriousness of the problem of bullying in schools. When asked students uniformly expressed the desire that teachers intervene rather than ignore teasing and bullying. Aggressive behavior is learned early and becomes resistant to change if it persists beyond age eight.
Most bullying is verbal.
Bullying begins in elementary school, peaks in middle school, diminishes but does not disappear in high school. Both boys and girls bully, usually same sex classmates, with female bullying taking indirect, manipulative forms. Bullying can have devastating long term effects on its victims. It prevents students who are victims of bullying from enjoying a safe, stress-free learning environment. Children who bully are at risk for a host of long term, negative developmental outcomes including juvenile and adult criminal behavior.