Essay Sample on Anti-Bullying Programs in Schools

Bullying can be lethal to a child's mental and physical health. Timmy, a high school football player, ran to the end zone. TOUCHDOWN. With only 0.6 seconds left on the clock. The crowd erupted in cheers as his teammates ran to him. Timmy was a well-behaved kid. Despite his lack of schooling, he was always on top of his game and always put his all into everything he did. Although he tried in school, he always put football first. His future revolves around football. Throughout the season, his coach has reminded him of his grades. If he doesn't do well in school, he won't be able to play. Due to the importance of his next game, he put aside football to study. He has been exhibiting a behavior change but his teammates ignored him until the next game. Timmy felt out of place when he was put into the game. As he grew more and more stressed, he realized that his entire team depended on him. He was coming up short on passes and when he was running to catch the ball, it would fumble out of his hands. Their team lost 7-36, possibly the worst game he has ever played. Everyone began yelling at Timmy as soon as they entered the locker room. Insults flew left and right until Timmy could no longer handle it and ran out. Over one mistake, Timmy became a victim of bullying and was hurt by people he trusted, people he considered family. In situations like this, schools should implement anti-bullying programs, as it helps victims avoid feeling alone and reduces bullying perpetration and victimization.

By having anti-bullying programs in schools, victims can be assured that they are not alone in their struggle to recover from repeated traumas. According to “stopbullying.gov”, it states,” Talk to an adult you trust. Don't keep your feelings inside. Telling someone can help you feel less alone. They can help you make a plan to stop the bullying.” The statement implies that no matter how bad the situation is, telling someone you trust can benefit you in the long run. It brings attention to the issue as well as allows disciplinary action to take place. Schools' anti-bullying programs typically have a large number of adults who specialize in handling these types of situations, providing victims of bullying with the appropriate help. Proving that schools having anti-bullying programs would help victims through the process of healing from these cruel actions of others.

In addition, schools should use anti-bullying programs to reduce bullying perpetration and victimization. The article, “examining the effectiveness of school bullying intervention programs globally: a meta-analysis” states,” This meta-analysis found that anti-bullying programs were collectively effective in reducing school bullying perpetration by around 19-20% and school bullying victimization by around 15-16%”(international journal of bullying prevention). In other words, anti-bullying programs in schools benefit ⅕ people, which is more beneficial than having no support system during their situations. Bullying is like a cycle. The bullied becomes the bully. Anti-bullying programs at schools can provide victims with a place to seek assistance, as well as, a way for bullies to be held accountable for their actions. In this sense, schools should establish anti-bullying programs to reduce bullying perpetration and victimization.

Even though anti-bullying programs have multiple positive effects, some may argue that they can cause negative attention towards bullying victims. According to “anti-bullying programs in schools may do more harm than good” states, “Including other students can make an incident more public… damage the victim’s social status… look weak in the eyes of the bully.'' Regardless of whether this is a compelling argument, students not doing anything to defend themselves from the situation, in which they are being bullied, will benefit them in no way. The fact that there are systems in place where students can get assistance in their situation can positively impact them and solve their problems. Ignoring the fact that these problems do occur can result in bullying escalating and putting the victim at risk. Schools should implement anti-bullying programs to help prevent bullying from occurring and protect students from these types of situations.

Given these points, schools should adopt anti-bullying programs, since they can help victims of bullying not feel as alone in the process and will reduce bullying perpetration/victimization. As a result of Timmy’s fear, he lost everything he loved and put effort into, over schools not having anti-bullying programs to help him out of the hole he's in over one mistake. Why do we let situations like these repeat? Schools that have anti-bullying programs can positively impact students who fear going to school every day. Therefore, we need to do our part. A student should feel as safe at school as they do at home, and their anti-bullying programs can achieve this for school children. This type of psychological and physical torture should never happen to kids. What can the community do? They can speak to the PTA or the education board about this change that needs to be implemented in their schools. How will you help them?