bullying victimization on physical and mental health resulted in a position statement by the

Society for Adolescent Medicine in 2005, stressing the importance of preventing bullying,

and the need to change the perception that bullying was an acceptable "Social Norm" among

adolescents (Eisenberg & Aalsma, 2005)."

• Points out how bullying is considered acceptable among teenagers, as if it should be normalized. Teenagers don't know the consequences behind their harsh actions.

2) "A possible explanation for the decreasing trend of male victimization may be that anti-

bullying campaigns successfully reduces the more overt verbal and physical forms of

bullying common among males. As penalties for bullying increases, students, especially

females, may adopt more subtle forms of relational bullying."

• Shows how bullies could just adapt and find other ways to spread hatred among their peers. Highlights that there is no easy way to solve this issue entirely; the only solution is to minimize the problem.

3) "With the ubiquitous use of electronic media among high school students, bullying can now be conducted through e-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging, web sites, mobile phone cameras, or texting, with significant perceived anonymity (Kowalski, Giumetti, Schroeder, & Lattanner, 2014)."

• Emphasizes that there isn’t just one form of bullying anymore, especially with technology advancing at a rapid speed. Also, highlights the anonymity of it and how perpetrators often get away with heinous crimes. Who knows how much more advanced bullying has become in 2025 with the use of AI.

• It supports my belief that the perpetrator (stakeholder) values fame and social status, sometimes their actions are motivated by a desire to maintain their position in a group.

2) "The place where youth live also appears to differentiate their bullying experiences such that those living in more urban areas who reported both being bullied and bullying others appear to show higher risk of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts."

• I found it surprising that perpetrators also show a higher risk of suicidal ideation. Never really looking at it from their point of view, it highlights that both victims and bullies are affected by bullying.

3) "Yet, not all bullying is considered to be a hate crime. Bullies often select their victims because of specific characteristics that the bully views as nonconforming to their specific requirements or sense of belonging.^[27] This means that individuals in minority groups are more likely to be targeted. However, bullies usually choose victims that are more available and or vulnerable. This is a more broad approach or motivation than with the engagement of hate crimes."

• It points out that bullying could be a term to hide behind the fact they have bad intent/beliefs about a certain group. Discriminating against a group of individuals that are normally the target of hate because they don't fit into the social "norms," and fueled by others because the majority agrees.

4) "There are also cases being researched now and in the more recent years regarding the phenomenon called "cyberbullying", which takes place in the virtual or electronic world, typically over the internet.^[28] Physical, verbal, and relational bullying are most prevalent in primary school and could also begin much earlier while continuing into later stages of individual's lives."

• Supports my claim that bullying comes in multiple forms. There is no way to stop bullying completely as it continues to evolve, becoming more complex and harmful over time.

• Points out the method used in the study for analyzing bullying behaviors among students. Explaining what factors the scholars looked at that makes bullying more likely to happen, before and during COVID.

2) "There are various factors associated with bullying, including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, having a disability, being obese, and other characteristics that make adolescents appear different from their peers, and one significant cause is related to peer relationships (Juvonen & Graham, 2014)."

• Points out a few examples of the factors linked to bullying, used in their research. Shows how peer relationships play a role in bullying.

3) "Traditional school bullying is characterized by intentionality, repetition and imbalance of power (Olweus, 2013)."

• I picked this quote out because it cites a scholar, Olweus. In their own review article, "School Bullying: Development and Some Important Challenges," it says, "Two large-scale projects with time series data show that several recent claims about cyber bullying made in the media and by some researchers are greatly exaggerated and lack scientific support." Shows how most claims about cyberbullying could be exaggerated due to social media.

4) "In this study, we found the prevalence of traditional bullying victimization and perpetration both increased during COVID-19 and all types increased by twice or more."

• I picked this quote because the study done supported my belief that bullying has definitely increased during COVID. The fact that our only way to communicate during that time was through technology, there is no doubt that bullying has also spiked.

• It's shocking to see most kids encounter abuse by their peers, some would think most abuse comes from adults. It supports my belief that bullying should be treated just as seriously as abuse cases.

2) "Children who were victims of bullying have been consistently found to be at higher risk for internalising problems, in particular diagnoses of anxiety disorder55 and depression9 in young adulthood and middle adulthood (18–50 years of age) (table 2).56 Furthermore, victims were at increased risk for displaying psychotic experiences at age 188 and having suicidal ideation, attempts and completed suicides."

• It addresses the critical problem of how bullying affects mental health, many human lives are at stake if no actions are taken on this issue. It also shows that bullying leads to long-term effects on the victims, the effects don't only occur during childhood but can also last into adulthood.

3) "Children and adolescents who are bullied have a higher risk for psychosomatic problems such as headache, stomach ache, backache, sleeping difficulties, tiredness and dizziness."

• Most would think that bullying only harms the victims mental health, never considering it could harm their physical health as well. Even if it may start as mental stress, it could lead to more dangerous symptoms.

4) "Generally, victims had lower educational qualifications and earnings into adulthood."

• I wanted to point out that victims have more at stake in the future, such as financials and job security. Highlighting that bullying doesn't only have emotional tolls but also social and economical.

• It shows that there is no safe space for adolescents in this era. As technology is a constant tool being used, there is no stopping harmful content being shared.

2) "The content an individual shares online – both their personal content as well as any negative, mean, or hurtful content – creates a kind of permanent public record of their views, activities, and behavior. This public record can be thought of as an online reputation, which may be accessible to schools, employers, colleges, clubs, and others who may be researching an individual now or in the future."

• Doxing and other personal information can be stolen from an individual. It is an invasion of privacy that would create more obstacles for the victims in the near future.

3) "Hard to Notice – Because teachers and parents may not overhear or see cyberbullying taking place, it is harder to recognize."

• It highlights the harsh reality of cyberbullying, most victims don't receive the justice they deserve due to the perpetrators being able to get away from their crimes. This is why most bullies repeat their behaviors without any fear of consequences.

4) "Some states also have provisions to address bullying if it affects school performance. You can learn about the laws and policies in each state, including if they cover cyberbullying."

• It points out that there are laws set in place to protect victims from further hateful crimes. Yet I feel like this isn't showing any results of preventing bullying.

• Points out how large of an issue this is. It isn't a rare crime, in fact, almost all adolescents have experienced/involved in bullying. Whether they're the perpetrators or the victims.

2) "Bullying occurs especially at places and times when adult supervision and surveillance is minimal."

• Lists out some ideas that could possibly prevent further bullying from happening, at least minimize the issue. Such as increasing adult supervision and improving school environments.

3) "There is some continuity over time between bullying and violent crime."

• It shows a correlation overtime, that repeated violent behaviors could lead to perpetrators engaging in criminal behaviors later on.

4) "There is evidence that social isolation and victimization tend to persist from childhood to adulthood, and that victimized people tend to have children who are victimized."

• I find it shocking that the issue can be passed down to the victims children. Could be a generational cycle if not minimized early on.

• Highlights the fact that most people disregard the impact of bullying because of how common it is (35%), labeling it as "children joking around." Then they expect victims to forget and move on, invalidating their trauma.

2) "Approximately 20% of people who have been bullied experience some kind of mental health problems later in life, even at the age of 50. While some of these, such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are easy to spot, others may be more difficult to recognise. These can range from inexplicable bouts of anger to a lifetime of feeling inferior to other people."

• It's crazy to think that people are stuck with symptoms that definitely have an effect on their lives for most of their lives. Not only does it affect their mental health, but also their social life is at risk, which can disrupt relationships. Increasing isolation and keeping their feelings to themselves make the problem worse.

3) "For the bullies, it is well recognised that, behind their abusive behaviour, lies the intention to hurt another individual – usually motivated by negative emotions such as aggression, anger and hostility. But repeated bullying can also make victims more angry, which in turn maintains the cycle of bullying."

• There is a study that suggests bullies hurt others because of their home environments. This is why the cycle repeats itself when they project their hostility and anger onto others. Creating a social environment where violence keeps spreading around.

4) "Bullying can also lead to health problems, alcohol and drug abuse, social withdrawal and severe trust issues. For many victims who are trying to overcome the experience, the loss of trust is perhaps the most challenging consequence. But if nobody stands up for you at the time of being bullied, you begin to lose trust in your peers – and that may be for life."

• This shows what I meant by social life being affected. Many relationships could be damaged due to bullying, but it's also more difficult for victims to form new bonds/relationships due to severe trust issues.

• It just comes to show that problems don't end after childhood; instead, they follow both victims and bullies into their future careers, finances, and relationships.

2) "There is little information, however, about the long-term effects of problematic peer relationships, although schoolchildren spend more time, at school or out of school, with their peers than with their parents."

• Shows how much research is being neglected in finding information about the long-term effects of bullying. Knowing that building connections is an important part of a student's life.

3) "It is bully-victims, those who are victims of bullying but also bully others, that seem to be the most troubled: impulsive, easily provoked, low in self-esteem, poor at understanding social cues, and unpopular with peers (Arseneault et al., 2010). Bully-victims are also more likely to come from dysfunctional families (Lereya, Samara, & Wolke, 2013) or have preexisting behavioral or emotional problems, and it has been suggested that these factors, rather than bullying per se, may explain their outcomes in adulthood (Sourander et al., 2009)."

• I took this quote because it stood out, explaining that not only the victims are affected but also the bullies themselves. The repetitive, hurtful behavior they demonstrate might cause harm to their future mental health and well-being altogether.