Understanding Bullying and the Necessity for Prevention and Intervention in Schools

The emotional stability and mental health of a student plays an essential role in his or her academic success. The emotional state of a student can be greatly damaged when he or she is the victim or perpetrator of bullying. Unfortunately, bullying is an active and serious problem that affects millions of students in K-12 classrooms every day. One could argue that the issue of bullying is becoming more prevalent in present time that is ever was before. In recent years, the rise of technology gave birth to a new form of bullying named cyberbullying. Kids no longer have a safe haven when they leave school. Bullies are able to continue the tormenting of their peers through social media, texting, email, and countless other outlets. Bullying can detrimentally affect students physically, emotionally, and academically. Teachers now have the responsibility to provide a safe and comfortable learning environment for their students. In order to provide that safe environment, there must be a stop to bullying. The objective of this paper is to identify the root causes of bullying, the effects bullying has on students, and the most effective strategies to prevent and intervene with bullying in the classroom.