Bulling: It's affect on our youth
On April 20, 1999, two teenage boys entered their Colorado high school and opened fire on their classmates. With violence and cruelty that stirred the nation, the two teens acted out on mounting hatred toward society, in particular the micro society of their own high school. But what would trigger the hideous brutality of the two youth? What underlying factor drove them to this outcome? Many school advocates suggest that it is not just the two boys’ involvement in an underground hate organization. They propose that bullying is a huge factor in the situation. Classmates of the Colorado shooters reported that both shooters had been relentlessly harassed by athletes in the school (Shawnee). Today it is approximated that in all school shootings, over two-thirds of the time the shooters had experienced some form of bullyism (Harris and Petrie 2003). Although bullying is not the only reason that some teens resort to violence, it is definitely an issue that needs further research and attention. Problems associated with bullying and harassment are sometimes hard to identify, but they certainly exist. The worst outcome is the occurrence of more teen violence. It is crucial for teachers and other adults in contact with children and youth to learn how to identify bullying and harassment to help put a stop to it. It is also important to understand and be able to identify the problems for the victim in hopes of stopping further abuse. The first step to help solve the problem is, of course, to recognize what the definition of bullying includes.