The Problem of Youth Bullying

The Problem of Youth Bullying
Of all of my years in elementary school the year that I remember most was my 6th grade class. Not because I had many friends or I enjoyed being there, but because this was the only year when I was the target of the classroom bullies. I was targeted because I was different. Instead of socializing I spent nearly all of my free time in class reading hundreds of books. I was a quiet shy kid who had a handful of friends and didn't like to speak up in class. The bullying lasted about six months and it has literally stayed with me the entire time. Not a day goes by that I don't think about how I should have reacted, how I would like to go back and sock those jerks in the face. I've grown out of this experience. I don't read in class and I have many more friends now that I socialize with to the best of my abilities. And I do my best not to bully or harass others because I know the damage that can occur. But I digress; the true is is that many kids never break out of this cycle. Many still feel alone, unable to join social circles thinking that nobody accepts them. Social isolation is hell, I know because I've been there and it's not fun. Bullying starts in the elementary schools, continues into middle school, and then dies out in high school. We need to target the elementary school populations with remedies in order to stop bullying before it grows into a vicious cycle.
What is Bullying?
Defining the act of bullying is both a tricky yet important matter. Many people don't see bullying as a problem or they look at it in the wrong light. Some think of it simply as part of growing up remembering that they too had to deal with such matters. There is a less harmful form of bullying called hazing which unless taken too far, is thought of as a tradition of high school. The other kind of bullying is the continual harassment either through physical or verbal assaults. This type of bullying is carried out over a long period of time with the victim...