Why must we take action against bullying?

Friday, 17 October 2008 18:43

We believe that bullying can be significantly reduced in schools if teachers, support staff, parent groups, student councils and administrators join together to take action against bullying.

by age 24, 60% of identified bullies have a criminal conviction
children who are repeatedly victimized sometimes see suicide as their only escape
bullying is one of the most underrated and enduring problems in schools today
schools are a prime location for bullying
bullies lose their popularity as they get older and are eventually disliked by the majority of students
primary age children who were labeled by their peers as bullies required more support as adults from government agencies, had more court convictions, more alcoholism, more antisocial personality disorders and used more mental health services
many adults do not know how to intervene in bullying situations, therefore bullying is often overlooked
bullying occurs once every seven minutes
on average, bullying episodes are brief, approximately 37 seconds long
the emotional scars from bullying can last a lifetime
the majority of bullying occurs in or close to school buildings
most victims are unlikely to report bullying
only 25% of students report that teachers intervene in bullying situations, while 71% of teachers believe they always intervene