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Cdev 231 Topic 8

Community development notes

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9 views

Cdev 231 Topic 8

Community development notes

Uploaded by

barakaabdalla327
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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TOPIC EIGHT BULLYING

Introduction In the last topic we discussed FGM which is a form of


sexual violence and noted its definition, types, causes,
consequences and efforts to eradicate the practice. In
this topic we will discuss bullying as another form of
violence that involves misuse of power. We will define
bullying; discuss contributing factors to bullying and
effects of bullying. Welcome.

Topic Time  Compulsory online reading, activities, self-


assessments & practice exercises: 4 hours

Topic  Participation in one chat


Learning  At least two elaborate contributions to the discussion
Requirement topic. You may also start your own discussion thread.
s

Learning By the end of this topic you should be able to:


Outcomes  Define bullying

 Identify types of bullying

 Discuss contributing factors to bullying

 Discuss the effects of bullying.

Topic 1.1 Overview of bullying


Content Bullying is a form of violence. It can be defined as an
ongoing misuse of power in relationships through
repeated verbal, physical, and /or social behaviour that
causes physical and/or psychological harm.

Not all aggressive or harmful behaviours between people


is bullying. The definition of bullying has three critical
aspects: a repeated pattern, the misuse of power within
relationships, and behaviour which causes harm. All
three aspects need to be present in order for a behaviour
to be called bullying.

Bullying can involve an individual or a group misusing


their power over one or more persons. In situations
where there is power imbalance, one person or group has
a significant advantage over another and if this power is
misused, this enable the bully to coerce or mistreat
another for their own ends.

Bullying is, therefore, an interaction in which a dominant


individual or group repeatedly exhibits aggressive
behaviour intended to cause distress to a less dominant
individual. Perpetrators normally posses a higher social
status than the victims.

The types of bullying behaviours are physical, verbal or


social. Bullying can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert).
Bullying can take place in person or online. Bullying—
verbal or social—that happens online or via mobile phone
is referred to as online bullying or cyber bullying.

Covert bullying is a subtle type of non-physical bullying


which usually is not easily seen by others. Covert
bullying behaviours mostly inflict harm by damaging
another’s social reputation, peer relationships and self-
esteem. It can be carried out in a range of ways (e.g.
spreading rumours, conducting a malicious social
exclusion campaign). Covert bullying can have the same
harmful impacts as more obvious bullying, as it can be
more isolating, can go for longer before people become
aware of it and it can be more easily denied by the other
person

1.2 Contributing factors to bullying

People who bully others are often motivated by the


status and social power they can achieve through
bullying. Some may bully others to compensate for what
is happening to them and their own feelings of
powerlessness. Bullying behaviours can also be copied
by others.

Bullying behaviours is mostly developed during


childhood. A number of environmental factors may
contribute to the development of bullying behaviour as
the child develops. These include:

 Too little supervision of children and adolescents.


Children need to get the message that bullying
behaviour is not ok.

 Reinforcement. When parents or other adults give


into aggressive child, the child learns to use
bullying to get what he or she wants.

 Aggressive behaviour in the home. Some children


are more likely than others to imitate aggressive
behaviour. Watching adults bully each other gives
children the tools they need to become bullies
themselves.

 Hash physical punishment. Bullies often attack to


model what happens to them in their homes.

 Abusive peers. Children may be bullied by their


peers or may be encouraged to bully to be part of
the group.

 Constant negative feedback. Bullies feel that the


world around them is more negative than positive
as a result; they use negative behaviour to feel
important and to get attention.

 Expecting hostility. In many ways, the bullies’


philosophy is “the best defense is offense”. They
attack before they are attacked, and assume
hostility where non may exist.

 Environment where bullying is condoned e.g.


schools.

There are other individual factors that also contribute to


bullying. These include:

 Having a strong need to be in control and exert


power over others.

 Lack of empathy

 Lack of ability to self-regulate emotions

 Covering inadequacies

 Wanting to get noticed.

1.3 Effects of bullying

Bullying affects everyone involved including people who


witness it. It can have serious and long-term emotional
or psychological consequences in addition to the
immediate harmful effects.

The short term effects include:

 Injuries

 Low self-confidence

 Depression

 Suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts

 Sleep disorders

 Nervous habits

 Poor appetite and digestion problems

 Isolation
 School problems.

Long term effects include:

 Poor coping skills

 Psychological post-trauma disorders

 Self-destructive behaviour

 Alcohol and substance abuse may result.

The outcomes for people who bully others are also not
good in the long-term. Children and young people who
bully others may come to see bullying as a normal and
acceptable way to behave. Those who bully others need
support to learn more appropriate ways of behaving and
resolving conflict to prepare them for adulthood and to
reduce the likelihood of developing even more serious
anti-social behaviours.

Topic In this topic we have discussed bullying which is a form of


Summary violence involving misuse of power in interpersonal
relationships. We have noted that several factors
contribute to bullying. These factors are both
environmental and individual. We have also noted the
consequences of bully which can be short term and long
term. In the next topic we will examine the last form of
violence in this course; human trafficking. Specifically we
will focus on child and women trafficking.

Glossary Bullying: is an ongoing misuse of power in relationships


through repeated verbal, physical, and /or social
behaviour that causes physical and/or psychological
harm.

Further Salmivalli, C. (2010). Bullying and the peer group: A


Reading review. Aggression and violent behaviour. vol 15 pp.
112-120.
http://njbullying.org/documents/bullyingandpeergrroup.p
df

Seeley, M., Tombari, M.L., Bennett, L.J. & Dunkle, J.


(2011). Bullying in schools. An overview.
http://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/234205.pdf

SHARP (2011). Worlplace bullying and disruptive


behaviour.
http://www.lni.wa.gov/safety/research/files/bullying.pdf

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