With the release of the 2011 film Bully, the world was introduced to Alex Libby, a 13-year-old student from Iowa (Hirsh). Alex soon became the sympatric face for victims of bullying when the film followed him through a typical day of physical harassment, name-calling and death threats. Despite Alex’s efforts to report the bullying to adults at the school, the bullying continued until the movie producers feared for Alex’s well being and showed the videos to his parents. Alex’s parents were horrified by what they saw and, when nothing was done by the school administration to stop the bullying, they moved to a new school where Alex felt safe. Thanks to the producers, Alex was did not become one of the 2000 students who commit suicide every
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Social aggression, covert aggression or indirect aggression is being studied and scrutinized as major source of bullying in female adolescents. As social aggression researcher and author, Hadley wrote, “Girls are seldom given credit for their social mastery” (2003). Studies are showing the profound physical, mental and academic effects these covert aggressive behaviors are having on adolescent girls. In some instances, girls never fully recover after being subjected to major forms of social aggression and isolation. Classroom and school-wide strategies are needed create a safe learning environment and combat these bullying …show more content…
Caroline, a student at rural school of 300 students, became the subject of such bullying (Bright, 2005). Two of Caroline’s friends since first grade began teasing Caroline when she was place on a soccer team with a boy one of her friends coveted. The aggression started out with lewd comments about Caroline’s attire and rumors that she was a ‘whore’. Soon the two girls involved the whole class into a game in which students punched each other and yelled, “You’re zapped”. Being “zapped” was code for those who wanted to ‘suck on Caroline’s big tits’. These acts of reputational aggression changed Caroline’s whole attitude toward school and her absences increased. Ultimately, Caroline was so unhappy, she switched schools to a district 20 kilometers away. Caroline and Alex are not the only student who have moved to escape bullying. One in 10 student leave school because of repeated bullying (dosomething.org,
Social aggression, covert aggression or indirect aggression is being studied and scrutinized as major source of bullying in female adolescents. As social aggression researcher and author, Hadley wrote, “Girls are seldom given credit for their social mastery” (2003). Studies are showing the profound physical, mental and academic effects these covert aggressive behaviors are having on adolescent girls. In some instances, girls never fully recover after being subjected to major forms of social aggression and isolation. Classroom and school-wide strategies are needed create a safe learning environment and combat these bullying …show more content…
Caroline, a student at rural school of 300 students, became the subject of such bullying (Bright, 2005). Two of Caroline’s friends since first grade began teasing Caroline when she was place on a soccer team with a boy one of her friends coveted. The aggression started out with lewd comments about Caroline’s attire and rumors that she was a ‘whore’. Soon the two girls involved the whole class into a game in which students punched each other and yelled, “You’re zapped”. Being “zapped” was code for those who wanted to ‘suck on Caroline’s big tits’. These acts of reputational aggression changed Caroline’s whole attitude toward school and her absences increased. Ultimately, Caroline was so unhappy, she switched schools to a district 20 kilometers away. Caroline and Alex are not the only student who have moved to escape bullying. One in 10 student leave school because of repeated bullying (dosomething.org,