Consequences of Bullying on Students Affected by this Phenomenon

Abstract

Schools have always been considered a place where values like peace, harmony, and wisdom predominate. However, this image has gradually changed over the past years. In recent decades, bullying has become a major issue for the school system, thus becoming a main concern primarily for teachers, parents, and most importantly, students themselves. (Rigby, 2013) Bullying is defined as a behavior that occurs when an individual or a certain group of individuals seek to violate, persecute, or intimidate others through their strength or power (Sullivan, Cleary & Sullivan, 2005). Bullying arises everywhere, and it can be performed by anyone against any person, for reasons beyond merely race and gender. It may be present in any environment where human beings interact, and schools in Albania are no exception. Bullying is not simply a part of growing up, and the only way to diminish involved people’s neglect on this problem, is by making them aware of the destructive effects it has on their emotional state and on societal values as well. A wide scope of research on the effects of bullying indicates how detrimental and harmful it is for students who go through it (Sullivan, 2004). In most situations, victims do survive, but this social issue marks their lives forever. Bullying can affect everyone implicated in it: victims, aggressors, and spectators. It is associated with various negative consequences that lead to mental health problems, substance use, and in more extreme cases, suicide. Nevertheless, it is important to note that many children are very resilient and overcome this experience relatively unaffected, both physically and psychologically (Rigby, 1996). The main objective of this paper is to examine the effects that bullying has on students involved in this phenomenon. To accomplish this goal, a systematic literature review was undertaken to identify the effects on victims, aggressors, and spectators.

DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2014.v3n6p41