Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature

Cythia (2014) analyzed bullying impact on student’s performance either in short or long

term. She found that there are differences in relationship between bullying level and

academic performance depending on student’s academic achievement. Nadine (2014)

investigated bullying impact on student’s ability to academically succeed. Nadine found

that bullied students have feel of fear from coming to school because they feel that they

are unsafe; therefore, they are unable to concentrate which reelect negatively on their

academic success.

Mundbjerg et al. (2014) analyzed the relationship between bullying in elementary school in

Denmark. Placidius (2013) found that physical bullying was perceived as a dominant

bullying element. Boys prefer to be bullies more than girls. Poor academic performance

was as impact of bullying. Mehta et al. (2013) found that when students feel that bullying is

a phenomenon in their school, they feel that they are unsafe which reflected on less

engaged in school community.

Therefore, they have less motivation to do well at school and they do not participate in

school activities. Bullying affects student’s academic achievement in various ways.

Ammermueller (2012) found that being bullied has a significantly negative impact on

present and future students’ performance in school.

Brank et al. (2012) indicated that bullying victims are weak, shy, and anxious. They added

that victims’ performance is poor in school and seek to avoid attending school classes for
the purpose of avoiding victimization. Victimization experiencing can lead to poor

academic performance and leading to absenteeism. Skapinakis et al. (2011) found that

victims were more likely to report suicidal thoughts than were bullies.

Juvonen, et al. (2011) said that bullying experiences affect victims academic achievement

in both direct and indirect ways. So bullied student by his peers may become worried and

afraid of being teased, therefore he may stop participating in class or may has e trouble in

concentrating on class work because of fear. They added that students who are often

subject to be bullied by their peers during school period have less engagement at school

and poor grades.

Konishi et al. (2010) confirmed that interpersonal relationships within school

environmentinfluence academic achievement. Roman and Murillo (2011) found that

aggression in schools has a negative effect on academic achievement in Latin America.

They affirmed that students who have been physically or verbally abused perform less.

Marcela and Javier (2011) found that bullying is a serious problem throughout Latin

America they indicated that; students who suffer from their peer’s aggression have lower

performance in reading and math than those who do not; and students who are in

classrooms. With more physical or verbal violence perform are worse than those in less

violent classroom. Settings. Konishi et al. (2010) found that school bullying affects

negatively academic achievement.

Chaux et al. (2009) argued that ten to fifteen percent of adolescents worldwide are bullied

two or more times a month. Skrzypiec (2008) found that third of students who had been
seriously bullied reported having serious difficulties in concentrating and paying attention

in class because of bullying and the fear associated with. Glew et al. (2005) reported that

bullying prevents concentration and subsequent academic achievement since bullying

victims lose interest in learning and experience a drop in academic grades because their

attention is distracted from learning. Mishna (2003) indicated that bullying is “a form of

aggression in which there is an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim that

occurs largely in the context of the peer group”.

Bullying and harassment are not new issues that students and schools face. In fact, over

the years, it has been viewed as being so common place in schools that it has been

overlooked as a threat to students reduced to a belief that bullying is a developmental

stage that most youth will experience then get over (Ross, 2002, p.107). But not everyone

gets over the personal trauma that can come with bullying both for the victim and the bully.

This is why it is seen happening by adults in work places in homes, and in the community.

This harassment is not isolated in schools alone. But schools are the best place to actively

intervene.

Teachers, administrators, counselors, and even students have the greatest access to the

most students though a school system. It is here that school staff can intervene, support

and educate students about ending bullying behavior directly and indirectly, breaking the

bullying-cycle. The paper will address bullying in general at all grade levels, but it’s

invention focus will be at the high school. Harris and Hathorn, (2006, p.50).
According also to Harris and Hathorn, “Because adolescence is a difficult time in child’s

maturation, bullying exacerbates these difficult times by forming barriers to positive

connectionwith other students and school faculty member. Consequently, the presence of

bullying at school often creates a barrier for young people to develop into well-adjusted

adults. High school is the last opportunity educators have to work with students at building

character for some students this may be the last opportunity for an intervention to change

behavior, before they become adults in the workplace with a family in the community at

large.

Bullying does not need to be a reality that students face. As more schools adopt whole

school prevention programs and actively work with students, staff, and parents in

effectively addressing the issues of bullying and harassment in each individual school,

students will develop (Literature Review of School Bullying)

Effects on the victim- Kids who are bullied can experience negative, physical and mental

health issues. Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience. Bullying in the Philippines

is widespread in schools and over the Internet, with a study that states that about 50 per

cent of Pilipino students are bullied in school. Bullying can easily affect both the bully and

the victim, and that’s why the government in the Philippines is working hard to crack down

on it. The latest measures include the signing the anti-bullying act of 2013, which

criminalizes any act of bullying or cyber bullying that happens in the country. Read on to

learn about bullying in The Philippines.

aggression (Craig & Pepler. 1995). The bystanders students who are aware of bullying-can

have a powerful effect on bullying, positive or negative. However, bullying also directly

affects the bystanders: Observing bullying at school predicted risks to mental health

(Rivers, et al., 2009).

Students who repeatedly bully are more likely to get into frequent fights or be hurt in a fight,

carry a weapon, vandalize property, drink alcohol or smoke, and be expelled or suspended

from school All forms of bullying are significantly associated with increases in suicidal

ideation, both for the victim AND the offender. However, bullying and cyberbullying

victimization was a stronger predictor of suicidal thoughts and behaviors than was bullying

and cyberbullying. Offending. Bullying victims were 1.7 times more likely and offenders

were 2.1 times more likely to have attempted suicide. It should be acknowledged that

among teenagers who committed. Suicide after experiencing bullying or cyberbullying

many had other emotional and social stressors in their lives that may have been

exacerbated by bullying. (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010).

Children who are the target of bullying or who are bully-victims are at a significantly higher

risk for a variety of psychosomatic problems (Gini & Pozzoli, 2009). Research shows that

targets of bullying are more likely to be depressed, feel lonely, be anxious, feel unwell, have

lowself esteem, avoid social situations, self-medicate (substance use), have lower school

performance, and think about suicide (www.stopbullying.gov; Hostile Hallways: Bullying,

Teasing, and Sexual Harassment in School, AAUW, 2001).

greatest risk of being involved in violence, engage in multiple types of substance use, and

have academic problems. The link between bullying and other risk behaviors was

particularly noted among urban and African American students (Bradshaw, Waasdorp,

Goldweber & Johnson, 2012 60% of students who bullied were convicted of a crime by age

24 and 35% had 3 or more convictions by age 24 (Fox et al., 2003).

Youth who report being bullies and victims are at the greatest risk for social maladjustment

and for physical and emotional dating violence victimization (Espelage & Holt, 2007). Youth

exhibiting bullying behaviors are also more likely to sexually harass same- and opposite-sex

peers and be physically aggressive with their dating partners (Pepler et al., 2006; Williams,

Conolly, Pepler, Craig. & Laporte, 2008; Brendgen, Vitaro. Tremblay, & Wanner. 2002).

Among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students 85% report being bullied or

harassed because of their sexual or gender identity. In part because of this, the suicide rate

for LGBT students is 3-4 times higher than that of the general student population. (Biegel &

Kuchl. 2010). Witnessing family violence is one of the risk factors for experiencing or

perpetrating bullying. 97% of children exposed to family violence reported that they were

bullies and victims in different situations (Lozano et al., Pediatrics, Fall 2006).

For any bullying prevention program to be successful it is necessary for each school to

have a clear and easily understood philosophy that promotes a safe and positive
environment. This philosophy should start during the early childhood years and continue

throughout high school. Three values which promote a positive climate and develop a basis

for a bullying prevention program include the belief that all children can learn, people

should be treated with respect 21 and dignity, and there is no place for violence in the

school. (Orpinas & Home, 2006. P. 85) Bullying is associated with several behaviors that

pose risk to the adolescents’ physical and psychological health.

Even though both boys and girls engage in bullying behaviors, their method of bullying is

usually quite different. For example, boys use more physical violence, whereas girls are

usually more verbally abusive and engage in group exclusion. These are two different types

of bullying behavior either direct or indirect. Direct bullying can be either verbal or physical

in nature. Verbal bullying includes such behaviors as taunting, teasing, name calling, and

spreading rumors. Physical bullying encompasses behaviors, such as hitting, kicking,

pushing, choking. And destruction ofproperty or theft. Indirect bullying is often more subtle

and can include behaviors such as threats, obscene gestures, excluding others from a

group, and manipulation of friendships.

Another form of bullying is sexual harassment. The intent of sexual harassment is to

humiliate, embarrass, or demean another individual based on their gender or sexual

orientation. (Olsen, 2006) Bullying consist of both indirect and direct behavior. Direct

behaviors, which are more commonly seen in boys, consist of calling names, teasing,

taunting, threatening, hitting, using a weapon, and stealing by one or more individuals
against a victim. While bullying behavior of boys is usually more direct in nature, girls tend

to use more subtle tactics, which canbe more indirect in nature. In-direct behaviors

include spreading rumors, exclusion or isolation from peers, and or manipulating

relationships and or friendships. In fact, bullying victims are also isolated by other non-

bullying peers, because these peers do not want to be associated with a victim of bullying

due to the threat of becoming a victim themselves.

This ultimately isolates bully victims even more. This type of complete isolation is not only

painful, but becomes problematical for anyone in coping in a hostile environment with

virtually no support or even a friend to help relieve some of the pressure and anguish that a

bully victim faces on a daily basis. Other children who witness bullying, the bystander, may

also feel guilt that they cannot help the victim, because they either don’t know how or

perhaps, they feel threatened themselves. Being an adolescent has never been easy,

particularly in today’s desensitized society where violence is prevalent. Adolescence,

especially those who are victims of bullying, have a hard time coping and functioning in

such a stressful and aggressive environment with little or no support from their peers.

Another form of indirect bullying is called cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is done

electronically through the internet via emails and on-line chat rooms. Students can now

enter the personal space of their victims that violates them and their rights inside their own

homes through their computers. Not only is their school environment a hostile and

threatening place, but this hostility and these threats can reach them in the safety of their

home. Students who are victims of cyber bullying are subject to threatening emails or have

hostile and abusive messages posted about them in online chat rooms.
Common characteristics of bullies include lack of empathy or concern for others. Bullies

also tend to demonstrate a strong need to dominate and subdue their peers. They are

usually hot tempered and become enraged easily. Bullies usually tend to pick victims who

are weaker and use intimidation such as threats or compromise one’s reputation. Bullies

are usually physically aggressive and they tend to be defiant, oppositional, and aggressive

towards adults and authority figures.

There are three potential reasons for the etiology of bullying. (Olweus, 1993) The first theory

suggests that these aggressive behaviors exist within a child’s home. Some believe that

these children learn intimidation tactics from their parents or guardians. These types of

behavior are commonplace within their homes and therefore familiar. Bullies learn these

negative interaction styles from their parents and caregivers at home. Therefore, bullying

behaviors are essentially modeled at home. The second theory states that these behaviors

are reinforced either directly or indirectly by providing the bully with some form of reward or

privilege when involved in a bullying behavior.

Perhaps the bully feels empowered by the sense of controlling and hurting other people.

The bully is rewarded through his misguided sense of control over others. Finally, the third

theory believes that bullies have misinterpreted perception of other’s behaviors and their

intentions. For example, if an individual accidentally knocks over a bully’s book, the bully

may perceive that action as intentional and retaliate by becoming verbally or physically

abusive.
Self-confidence Level: The self-confidence level refers to the extent of certainty and

conviction in one’s skills and value as an individual. Self-confidence was defined as the

subjective evaluation of one’s own competencies, values, and general identity. It was

measured based on the individual’s overall perception of these factors.

Sex refers to the biological and social characteristics that define a person as male or

female. In this study, Sex was defined as a demographic variable used to differentiate

between male and female students,

Verbal Bullying Level: Verbal bullying level was defined as the degree or severity of verbal

bullying encountered by the participants. Verbal bullying behavior toward students was

assessed based on the frequency, severity, and persistence of such behavior in relation to

their appearance, health condition, and academic performance.

Verbal Bullying: For the purpose of this study, verbal bullying is defined as the use of

derogatory language, insults, name-calling, teasing, rumor spreading, or any other form of

hurtful remarks with the intention of diminishing and debasing individuals. Verbal abuse

refers to negative behaviors that are intended to belittle and humiliate others through the

use of spoken words.