Bullying in school: a Canadian perspective

Education is a basic need and a fundamental right of every human being regardless of what background or class he belongs to. An important nurturing ground for any child is his primary educational institute. This is a place where a child is groomed and prepared into a confident human being in order to face the world practically in future. However, for many young children this very place becomes a source of damaging their confidence and esteem and pushing them towards isolation by subjecting them towards constant physical and/or verbal abuse. This paper highlights such forms of bullying that is prevalent in schools not only in Canada, but in many parts around the world. The paper evaluates the actions that could and that could not be classified as an act of bullying. Furthermore, the paper also evaluates the causes and effects of bullying. Finally, the paper discusses the ways in which the problem of bullying can be tackled on micro and macro level.

It is critical to consider how classical theories studies on bullying have informed our contemporary outlook and interventions. This is an area of social psychology that did not see true growth until the 1990's, but it has rapidly expanded in recent years. While thirty years ago anti-bullying curriculum and legislation did not exist, today we see in-depth studies on cyberbullying and legislation that addresses hate crimes, homophobia, hazing, and harassment in our public schools. These investigations and preventative measures have altered the landscape of our primary and secondary schools, allowing teachers and parents to work towards prevention, and giving victims an avenue through which to address instances of abuse. As culture and technology rapidly change, studies on bullying behavior must also evolve and address increasingly complex issues. The body of research and curriculum reviewed in this paper is the foundation on which further work will be based, and as such it is critical that we clearly comprehend its full scope and any areas that require key improvements or additional work..

Introduction

Education, and that too, a quality education is a right of every human being regardless of gender, race, cast, color, creed or socio economic background. Education plays an important role in the grooming, upbringing, nurturing and mental nourishment of a person. Good education does not only guarantee good living, but also builds one's confidence and esteem. Unfortunately, the double standards and inequality in the provision of education has led to a lot of social problems. These inequalities lead to serious social gaps, and in many cases, the ones who are not among the privileged lot, face social discrimination and are treated as inferiors. There are various forms of inequality in the education system that exists. These include inequality in terms of class and economical background, racial and religious discrimination and discrimination on account of one's mental or physical abilities. The victims of these double standards usually fail to get into the same institution as their superior and privileged counter parts. However, even if they somehow manage to make into those superior institutions, they many a times are subjected to severe discrimination, both intentional, and unintentional, which makes them feel alienated and leads to their isolation. These issues, in turn have serious psychological impact on the victim (Pivik, McComas & Laflamme, 2002). Many a times, this discrimination takes an extreme form and as a result, offends and abuses the victim. This is referred to as bullying.