Bullying in America
Authors:
Cassie Cook, Elaine QuintilianiMentors:
- Steve Koletty, Geography , Marymount College
- Ghada Masri, Professor in Global Studies, Marymount College
- Sally Wu, Professor in Psychology, Marymount College
Bullying is among the most prevalent and harmful issues children can face growing up in America. 13 million kids will be bullied in the US this year. Bullying describes one or more acts of physical and/or psychological abuse of power intended to dictate, terrorize, intimidate, and hurt others in some way. Victims of this maltreatment respond with anger, depression, often find themselves getting into fights and feel hopeless to stop the bullying. These actions result in daily school fights, threats to students, and even suicides. Significant studies on bullying have focused on associated social and psychological factors. Our research examines both the causes of bullying, and the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs. We compare research across several academic disciplines to understand the causes of bullying. Then we examine several anti-bullying programs to see just how they address these root causes and which strategies appear to be effective.