Bullying Webquest

The Problem:

               Schools around the country are having trouble with students bullying other students.  All kinds of bullying are taking place: verbal bullying, emotional bullying, physical bullying, and even cyberbullying.

            It used to be thought that bullying was just a part of growing up.  It has since been declared that bullying is a serious health crisis.  Thousands of children and teenagers miss school everyday in the United States because they are worried about being the target of a bully.  Essentially, everyone is involved in bullying in some way at some point of their life.

           Bullies, the people who are tormenting other people, need to be stopped.  Some bullies do not realize that their actions are considered to be bullying.  They might think that they are just "joking" or "fooling around," but to a target, their actions might be causing a great deal of damage.  Bullies need to be educated about their actions.  Some bullies need to seek counseling to change a behavior that they have seen as okay for a long time.  Drastic measures may need to be taken to change the bully's ways.

          The targets of bullying need some relief.  Kids should not be afraid to go to school because someone is teasing them or hurting them.  Bullying usually leaves emotional scars that may never, ever heal in the lifetime of that child.  People should not have to worry if someone is laughing at them, or throwing something at them.  Some kids are always wondering in the back of their mind if they will get purpously pushed in the hallway.  What if they trip up the stairs, will everyone laugh?  Targets need to feel safe in their life and, especially, at school.

          Finally, bystanders, the people who may witness bullying incidents, need to take a stand for the targets.  Large groups of people who stand up for a target have the ability to stop bullying.  Some people may be afraid to speak up for a target, in fear that they, too, will become the target of a bully.  However, if you think about it, if many people stand up against a bully, it is less likely that the bully will come after everyone in that group.  If bystanders keep sticking up for the target of bullying, eventually the bully will not have any fuel for the bullying.  Normally bullies bully to entertain other people and gain popularity.  If no one thinks that it is a "cool" action, then the bully will most likely end the bullying.

            Bullying is a terrible epidemic, how will we stop it?  First, we can start by educating people so that they realize what bullying is.  This is where your job begins.