Personal Injury Law

School Safety - School Bully Packs Big Punch

By Megan Roth

It's inevitable - every classroom has at least one - there's always a class clown, there's always a nerd, and there's always a bully. And, generally speaking, bullies pack a lot more punch than the clowns or nerds (no pun intended). In fact, psychologists have identified school bullying as a frequent and serious health problem.

So what, exactly, are the implications a bully can have on his 'prey'? How serious are the consequences of bullying another student and what damages do children around the nation face in result of one high-on-his-horse individual?

Bullies tend to have dominant personalities; they give themselves a confidence boost by cutting down others. We all know that a bully can negatively impact another child's self-esteem. But do you know the long-term effects that bully can have?

It's amazing to see adults who, twenty years after graduating high school, still harbor a deep resentment for the individual who embarrassed them in elementary algebra. Remember the ever-so-popular Billy Madison, in which actor Steve Buscemi plays a middle-aged man who has a deep, underlying hatred for Billy, the bully from his high school days? Granted, this may seem like an extreme and is intended to add humor to the story; however, it accurately depicts the long-term effects bullying can have.

And if that doesn't hit home for you, perhaps this story will: November 2007 -13-year old girl commits suicide after extreme humiliation and harassment occurs repeatedly via her myspace account. May 2008 - Lori Drew, 49, is indicted for contributing to the girl's death after falsely representing herself and bulling the girl on myspace.com. Though justice was served in the eyes of the law, the girl's family may never find peace. They will never see their daughter again due to an extreme situation of humiliation and harassment that resulted from the bullying inflicted upon their daughter.

Though many consider bullying a rite-of-passage in elementary school and junior high, it may cause more long-term damage to those who experience it than most people give credit. In fact, individuals who were teased or taunted repeatedly during their school years often develop violent tendencies. Sometimes those tendencies are towards themselves, and sometimes they're aimed at others; regardless, they're the unnecessary consequences that result from repeated ill-intentioned behavior that shouldn't occur in the first place.

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on September 06, 2008 (boomark / email).