Solutions and Approaches to Bullying in School and Online Research Paper

Solutions and Approaches to Bullying in School and Online - Research Paper Example Gay and lesbian youths are often targeted by straight youths who remain either uneducated about the biological implications of sexual orientation or due to personal bias against homosexual peers. However, there is also the phenomenon of bullying youths that simply do not fit the social norms related to gender role or gender identity, creating verbal and physical assaults when called effeminate or inappropriately masculine (when pertaining to female victims). A recent study involving 251 students identified that 48 percent of the sample had been bullied, with the aggressors calling the youths gay whether they actually fit the label of homosexual (Swearer, Turner, Givens & Pollack, 2008). Particularly true with male students, there is a widespread fear for those that are either gay or just decide not to conform to social norms related to gender role that they will be ostracized as effeminate or improperly homosexual. These verbal or physical assaults create internal havoc in terms of i dentify formation and can create long-term self-esteem problems. Bullying also is produced due to the environment in which students learn. Brendtro & Mitchell (2010) identify that the style of educator leadership in the classroom also plays a significant role in the presence of peer bullying in the middle school environment. The authors indicate that authoritarian leaders, those who do not seek youth input in classroom decision-making, create higher levels of aggression in students. What the authors refer to as laissaz-faire leadership, those who are highly liberal in which there is little authoritarian structure, create long-term chaotic and unproductive environments for learning and socialization (Brendtro & Mitchell). On either end of the educator profile spectrum, lack of structure or... This paper declares that bullying also occurs due to sexual orientation, an inherent biological process. Gay and lesbian youths are often targeted by straight youths who remain either uneducated about the biological implications of sexual orientation or due to personal bias against homosexual peers. However, there is also the phenomenon of bullying youths that simply do not fit the social norms related to gender role or gender identity, creating verbal and physical assaults when called effeminate or inappropriately masculine. A recent study involving 251 students identified that 48 percent of the sample had been bullied, with the aggressors calling the youths gay whether they actually fit the label of homosexual. This essay stresses that bullying also is produced due to the environment in which students learn. The style of educator leadership in the classroom also plays a significant role in the presence of peer bullying in the middle school environment. The authors indicate that authoritarian leaders, those who do not seek youth input in classroom decision-making, create higher levels of aggression in students. What the authors refer to as laissaz-faire leadership, those who are highly liberal in which there is little authoritarian structure, create long-term chaotic and unproductive environments for learning and socialization. Youths should be informed that late development is a common situation and provide examples of their own feelings of inadequacy that were formed during their own sexual development.