Commentary: It’s time to end school bullying
“It is my daily mission to just get through the day,” or “I just don’t feel like going to school, but maybe today is going to be a good day.” This is a struggle for kids and teens who suffer victimization at the hands of their bullies. Unfortunately, these are not just random quotes, these were my thoughts when I was younger and I’m sure the thoughts of millions of other kids.
According to National Education Assn. and ABC News, statistics indicate that about 282,000 students in secondary schools each month are physically attacked and 90% of them report being victims of bullying. About 160,000 students claim that they stay home to avoid school due to fear of bullying, and one of every 10 students who drop out of schools has been repeatedly bullied.
Many of us might think, “It’s more of an individual problem and kids will be kids.” It is not just a single problematic concept and it does not only affect a few children, it affects all of us, our community, and it should be considered a schoolwide problem. How many lethal shootings on school campuses has our nation witnessed in recent years? According to reports, many were tied to a history of school bullying, and revenge was the shooters’ motivation.
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Our school systems are continuously negatively affected. According to the American Psychological Assn., schools where students reported a high rate of bullying had lower scores on standardized tests. This issue is affecting the schools’ ability to meet federal requirements to receive governmental funding and creates an immense pressure upon school officials to improve their standardized test scores and to keep their school’s accreditation.
Bullying can be related to absenteeism, lower grades and dropping out of school altogether, or switching schools due to the victimization. High school dropouts tend to face a number of problems such as an inability to get decent-paying jobs.
The BRAVE Act policy (H.R. 5959), introduced by Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) and co-sponsored by Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-District of Columbia) on Sept. 8, requires that all types of bullying be reported to the appropriate authorities within seven days. If society wants to end school bullying and implement stricter polices, they should support this proposed legislation. Every child and teen needs someone to stand up for them, and it is our duty to see that every community has a great school system that provides a safe environment and offers equal educational protection.
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MAUREN MOLINA is a Burbank resident and graduate student in the Masters of Social Work program at USC. She can be reached at maurenmo@usc.edu.