Bullying: Advice to Parents and Teachers A survey by the
Josephson Institute of Ethics reveals that half of high school
students in America say they have been bullied. While clearly
this is an issue which teens now have to deal with on school
campuses, it would be misguided and a mistake to see this
strictly as a youth issue. True, youth are the victims and
perpetrators of bullying on school grounds. However, bullying is
a behavior which is socially learned and reinforced by peers,
and adults, and the society. Hence, a broader approach is needed
to address this issue outside of just blaming the individual.
Just as we expect and are demand that youth be held accountable
for their behavior-take personal responsibility- so must adults
and society. The more central issue is where are the youth
learning the type of behavior that leads to bullying, and who
are their role models: “Reality TV” (The Bad Girls Club); war-
Iraq; sports, boxing, hockey, football; family (domestic
violence), political discourse (“man-up”).