Developmentalandgenderdifferencesinelementaryschoolchildrensrecognitionofbullying1

Developmentalandgenderdifferencesinelementaryschoolchildrensrecognitionofbullying EvaE.MendozaGonzalez UniversityofLaVerne

Developmentalandgenderdifferencesinelementaryschoolchildrensrecognitionofbullying2

Thereisalotofproblemswithinpubliceducation.Forinstance,agreatexampleofso isthebullyingproblem.Theawfulrealityisthatbullyingissuchacommonissuethatitoccurs inelementaryandsecondaryeducation.Sadlymoststudentsengageorbecomevictimsof bullying.Bullyingissuchacomplextermthatalotofpeopledonotreallyhaveafactual definition.SullivanandStonerstatedthatBullyingoccurswhenastudentissubjecttothe negativeactionsofotherindividualsbothreperedleandovertime.Everyactionalwayshasa reactionandbullyingalsoappliestothistheory.Therefore,bullyinghasnegativeeffectsin everyhumanbeingbecauseashumanswedevelopnegativebeliefsfromnegativeactions. Thisarticledefinesthemainproblems,consequences,statistics,andpartsofbullying. SomeofthestatisticsprovidedbySullivanandStoner(2011p.114)wasthatInthe UnitedStates,ithasbeenestimatedthatbetween15and30%ofallstudentsareeither bulliedorvictimsofbullying.Someareathigherriskthanothers,generallybullyingoccursto certaingroupsorminorities.Bullyingappearstooccurpredominantlyduringlateelementary schooltoearlymiddleschoolbutbullyingoccursthroughoutalifetimebutindifferentforms. Theauthorsbrokedownbullyingintotwodifferentstages:overtaggressionandrelational aggression.Overaggressionincludespushing,hittingandkickingontheotherhand relationalaggressionincludesspreadingrumours,cyberbullyingorsocialexclusion.Both aggressionshavehorribleeffectsliketheharmofpeerrelationships,depression,social anxiety,andsocialperformance.Oneofthebiggestissueswithinbullyingisthefactthat mostchildren/peopledonotrecognizeaggression. Thisstudyresearchedthegenderdifferencesoftherecognitionofbullying.The

Developmentalandgenderdifferencesinelementaryschoolchildrensrecognitionofbullying3

researchersSullivanandStonerhadtwohypothesis:onewasthatlateelementary schoolagedstudentsareabletoidentifyoveraggressionandrelationalaggressionandthe secondhypothesiswasthatgirlsareabletocorrectlyidentifyoveraggressionandrelational aggressionmorethatboys.ThestudywasdonewithintheNewEnglandstateschooldistrict, withvariousstudentsthatcouldnotidentifytheirethnicity,andwiththirdandfifthgraders. Theresultofthefirsthypothesiswascorrecttheresearchresultsconcludedthatstudentsin gradefivearebetterablethanstudentsingradethreetoidentifyovertandrelational aggression.Thesecondhypothesisgirlsarebetterabletoidentifyovertandrelational aggressionbehaviormorethanboyswasnotsupportedbecausetheworkdidnotfindgender differencesintheabilitytocorrectlyidentifydifferentformsofaggressivebehavior. Thejournalistssuggestedthatbullyingprogramsshouldbecreatedtohelping studentsidentifyanddiscriminateaggressivebehaviorandalsoteachnewwaystoprevent thethisissuesamongststudents.SullivanandStonerdeclaredthatBullyingontheresultsof thisstudy,bullyingpreventionandinterventionprogramsshouldbedifferentiatedforstudents basedonage,butnotnecessarilybasedongender(Sullivan&Stoner20011p.123).Moving oninmyopinionIbelieveprogramsandadviceshouldbeofferedtoallstudentstohelpwith thebullyingissue.Myinterpretationisthatbullyingaffectschildrendramaticallywhenachild isbeingavictimofbullying,thechildcannotfunctioncompletelyandthisconsequently affectstheirattentionspanandlearning.Thearticleprovedtomethatnooneisexemptfrom thehorribleconsequencesandinteractionofbullyingtherefore,asafutureeducatorand parentIwilltrymyhardesttohelpmystudents/childrenfeelrespected,safeandwelcomedto speakwhentheyarebeingaggravated.