Bullying In Schools

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Bullying in Schools Bullying within the school environment is not a new occurrence. Indeed, evidence of this habitual negative act designed to sway the balance of power (Kipp & Shaffer, 2010) between individuals or groups and individuals, has been recorded in early teaching journals (Rigby, 2003). Analytical investigation in to the area, however, could be considered contemporary. Primary research by Olweus in the 1970’s started the process (Berdondini & Liefooghe, 2005), and subsequently, several fields of social interest were identified as relevant to school bullying. This essay will discuss the historical significance of the family in relation to the issue, as well briefly examine the impact of gender. According to Perry & Perry (2009), the family as a social institution is identifiable in almost every society ever documented. Families contribute to ones identity (Perry & Perry, 2009), particularly parents, who greatly influence their children. Parental behaviour will affect how a child relates to others in both positive and negative ways, as in the case of bullying. Parson understood this when he developed the theory known as Primary Socialisation, which indicated that the fundamental role of the family was to mould the character of the offspring (Van Krieken, Habibis, Smith, Hutchins, Haralambos & Holborn, 2010). Numerous studies have been conducted worldwide reviewing the potential correlation between parenting styles and bullying (Kipp & Shaffer, 2010). The results are conclusive. Aggressive parents raise children with ‘bully’ tendencies; while overly sympathetic parents tend to instill the ‘victim’ mentality in their children (Berdondini & Liefooghe, 2005). Such statistics reveal the familial roots behind bullying. The structural change of the family throughout history has also had an effect. The nuclear family was idealized by developing industrial
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