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Conor Sullivan
Dr. Amy LB
ENG 023: College Composition
10 November 2015
Bullying
My ten-year-old cousin told me about a story that spoke to me and got me interested in
the issue of bullying. He shared that students at his elementary school were making fun of him
for his love of a childish video game that he plays often. Cole, my cousin, said that the
students would call him a nerd or a loser; because the game he played wasnt their forte. I
had to pry into my cousins story a bit more, as he tried to brush it off. He continued to explain
that there was nothing physical, it was just constant nagging and name-calling. Cole said it
bothered him after a while and he eventually sought help from a teacher. The teacher handled the
situation very poorly. She simply told the bully not to do it anymore and didnt make a big deal
about it. That is the opposite of what she shouldve done. The teacher thought that it was just
name-calling, so it wasnt that big of a deal. However, she probably didnt think of the situation
from Coles point of view. He is going to be constantly bullied for something that he likes to do,
which isnt fair to him. Bullies who have yet to be effectively disciplined will continue to target
Cole and others like him. If Cole is bullied again, hell be less inclined to go see a teacher
because of the previous incident. That is one less bullying case reported and a chance for another
kid to be damaged seriously by bullying.
After hearing my cousins story, I researched and found that this is the way most minor
bullying cases are handled. Though it may seem like something minor to everyone involved, the
damage inflicted to victims like Cole may be irreparable. Once I put myself in his shoes, I felt his

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pain. Cole now has to hide his passion for this game from his peers to avoid ridicule. Sometimes
these minor cases go unnoticed because the student keeps it private or tries to brush it off, like
Cole did.
Not being able to show ones love for something can cause insecurity. Coles exposure to
bullying perhaps could cause more insecurity in other aspects of his life. This insecurity may
raise stress, anxiety and other problems that could eventually lead toward both physical and
mental health issues. These types of incidents arent minor; they have a deep impact that can
seriously effect people down the road.
John Greenya who has done extensive research on the topic of bullying, found that Up
to 75% of American children have been victims of bullying (Greenya). Greenyas statistic
shows the prominence of bullying across America. Pennsylvania schools make up part of that
75% in America. This should speak volumes to teachers and parents. How can schools be made
safer for these students in distress? The answer lies in effective legislation, vigilant high school
administrators and government funding for anti-bullying programs. Thomas Billitteri, a journalist
and educator, wrote an article Preventing Bullying. In the article, he writes that Pennsylvania is
one of the thirty states that have bullying laws in place that include cyber bullying (Billitteri).
These laws state that bullying is any type of intentional harassment, whether it is physical,
emotional or online. If one were to get into trouble because they bullied someone, they would
receiver a misdemeanor of the third degree and if her or she were a repeat offender it would raise
the degree of the misdemeanor (Title 18).
With these rules being in place, why is the number of bullying cases each year still so
high? The answer is the effectiveness of laws and prevention programs.

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A little less than ten years ago a law was passed in Florida, requiring all schools to report
bullying to administrators, parents and authorities. This law allows school employees or any
other person reporting the bullying, to do so without legal consequences (Billitteri). While it is a
good start, more should be done to not only report it but to act upon it. The first step in the
process should be to report the bullying but next would be taking action without breaking laws.
One of the reasons bullying could go unnoticed is the fear of getting involved in legal action. For
example, Pennsylvania laws dont include ones right to exercise freedom of speech.
Freedom of speech is a tricky road to cross. Anyone has the right to exercise their
freedom of speech unless one is intending to cause harm (What Does Free Speech Mean).
Perhaps the most dangerous and widespread form of bullying is known as cyber bullying.
Technically someone can say what they want online as long as it doesnt attack the school or any
administration of the school (Cyber Bullying: Disruptive Conduct or Free Speech). That,
however, is the definition but it doesnt always apply. For example, a middle school student
created a social media site attacking the principal. The school district got a hold of it and tried to
punish the student for it. The Third Circuit Court of appeals found that the school district failed
to demonstrate it could reasonably forecast that the students words would cause substantial
disruption in school, and, therefore, the students suspension was a violation of her First
Amendment right to free speech (Cyber Bullying: Disruptive Conduct or Free Speech). In this
instance, the law is contradicted because it could result in disruption within the school. The
disruption test determines whether the incident is disrupting enough to affect school districts
and this test is unclear.
Freedom of Speech should apply to online bullying. One student harassing another
should be stopped by administration. Florida legislation, now allows administrators to intervene

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in cyber bullying cases. New legislation targeted to end cyber-bullying can have the most
profound impact because it can protect victims from those intimidators who hide behind
computer screens.
As I mentioned earlier, it is tough to tell sometimes when a kid is being bullied. Some
early signs of bullying could be as followed: random injuries, damaged property, faking illnesses,
dietary problems, sleep deprivation, academic distress, decreased self-confidence and/or loss of
friends. Some of these are hard to see as a parent, such as declining grades, lack of friends at
school, or lack of an appetite. This is why it is so important for teachers to be aware of these
problems. On the opposite end of the spectrum, it is important to be aware of signs that a student
is bullying someone. For example, if a student hangs around known bullies, they should be
monitored carefully for aggressive behavior or denial of their responsibilities.
It is extremely important to catch these signs early in the process before it becomes
something very problematic.
Another problem with bullying prevention is the lack of funds flowing from the
government to run these programs. Federal funds were given out sparingly to certain states
because of the state grant given towards the Drug-Free Schools program. To try and address the
lack of funds, the Department of Education gave eleven states $38.8 million in grants
(Bullying). This new program, called the Safe and Supportive Schools program, was to survey
schools on any problems they encountered, including bullying. The U.S House of Reps couldnt
make a bill making up for the millions of dollars in state grants for bullying prevention
(Bullying). Some states, like PA turned to charitable funding from private programs, like
Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (Bullying).

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We want to stop bullying for the safety and health of the kids but it also has an effect
financially. According to the article put together by the Highmark Foundation, having support
showing that it is more cost beneficial to have these programs provides a strong argument to
whom it may concern in terms of putting them in place (The Cost Benefit of Bullying
Prevention). School districts can lose revenue in many ways, one way is by student drop outs.
Students who have experienced extensive bullying tend to miss school, in fact, an estimated
160,000 children miss school for fear of being harassed. (Greenya). These students fears
become so severe that they actually drop out of school.
When kids drop out of school early they hurt the home district and these kids dont
count towards officials surveys determining whether they should make time and money for
bullying prevention programs (The Cost Benefit of Bullying Prevention). Another way is
through health issues. Students sometimes deal with health issues related to bullying incidents,
such as mental problems, sleep disorders and headaches. These health issues cost a lot to cover.
For example, according to Highmark Foundations article, it costs $3,567 to care for one student,
that has a mental disorder as a result of bullying, over an 18-month period (The Cost Benefit of
Bullying Prevention). Reducing the amount of health care visits related to bullying would be an
outstanding leap towards smarter, more effective programs.
The biggest problem is the loss of life. Many students get to the point where they feel
they cant go on any more and threaten to end their own lives. It is sad that other kids would push
someone to this point. There are countless amounts of suicides due to bullying recorded within a
year. A lot of the problems stem from cyber bullying. A college student in New Jersey committed
suicide after his roommate recorded him having romantic relations with another male. We also
see many cases of students being bullied to the point where they feel the need to hurt another

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student in school or out of school. Two-thirds of school shootings were a result of constant
bullying and the victims course of action was to get revenge (Bauman). Sheri Bauman is a
professor and director of the School Counseling Masters Program at ASU. Making these
programs more effective would be essential to saving the lives of not only the victim but of the
bully and innocent bystanders.
It is imperative that we stop it before it gets to this point. These cases dont get made a
big deal because the student hasnt harmed themselves or others. In my research I found that a lot
of school shooting cases are a result of constant nagging and picking on. We have to make these
minor cases a big deal so it doesnt get to this point.
Fixing how we deal with bullying in schools could be key to making these programs
more effective. As I stated in my story earlier, the teacher didnt handle it as it shouldve been.
The teacher waved it off like it was nothing, that seems to be the case according to Baumans
article a study shows that 70% of teachers believed that teachers intervene almost always in
bullying situations, whereas only 25% of the students agreed with their assessment. Bauman
paints the picture for us, it shows that teachers actually believe that they are helping or will
intervene when brought to a bullying situation and that might be one of the main problems;
recognition. Teachers or parents might not be able to see the signs that a student or their child is a
victim of bullying.
As a part of these programs, we should focus on educating teachers to be more aware of
the signs and how they should handle these situations. We should also find ways to educate the
parents of students in case they see signs at home. Teachers may not catch it because they dont
know the students as well as the parents.

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Many families and school districts have felt the affects of bullying. The way schools
handle these bullying cases can shape how prominent bullying is for years to come. The goal is
to slowly end bullying for the safety of students and their families across America.

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Works Cited
Billitteri, Thomas J. "Preventing Bullying." CQ Researcher 10 Dec. 2010: 1013-36. Web.
19 Nov. 2015.
Bauman, Sheri. "The Role of Elementary School Counselors in Reducing School
Bullying." JSTOR. The University of Chicago Press, Vol. 108, No. 5 May 2008. Web. 19 Nov.
2015.
"Bullying." CQ Researcher by CQ Press. N.p., 15 June 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
"Cost Benefit of Bullying Prevention." SpringerReference (2011): n. pag. Highmark
Foundation. Web.
"Cyber Bullying: Disruptive Conduct or Free Speech? | American School Counselor
Association (ASCA)." Cyber Bullying: Disruptive Conduct or Free Speech? | American School
Counselor Association (ASCA). N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
Greenya, John. "Bullying." CQ Researcher by CQ Press. Vol. 15 N.p., 4 Feb. 2005. Web.
11 Nov. 2015.

"Title 18." The Official Website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. N.p., n.d. Web.
23 Nov. 2015.
"What Does Free Speech Mean?" United States Courts. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.