WUNRN
UNDERSTANDING BULLYING FACT SHEET 2015
http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/bullying_factsheet.pdf
Bullying is a form of youth violence. Bullying can be defined as any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating partners that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm.1 Bullying can include aggression that is physical (hitting, tripping), verbal (name calling, teasing), or relational/ social (spreading rumors, leaving out of group). A young person can be a perpetrator, a victim, or both (also known as “bully/victim”).
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http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsId=52292#.ViLrpK3ovmI
UN SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE ON VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN CALLS
FOR EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE BULLYING IN ALL REGIONS - GIRLS
16 October 2015 – Speaking at a panel discussion on
protecting children from bullying, the United Nations envoy on violence
against children said bullying is a “serious concern” for millions of children
all over the world and it is compromising their right to education.
“With the growing importance of social media in
children’s lives, cyberbullying is becoming an increasing source of concern,
placing children at risk of harassment and abuse, reaching out quicker and
wider, and magnifying vulnerabilities amongst children who are at risk in the
offline world,” Marta Santos Pais, the UN Special Representative of the
Secretary-General on Violence against Children, told delegates attending a
side event of the UN General Assembly.
According to the United Nations, bullying presents
special risks for children in situations of vulnerability, such as children
with disabilities or children affected by migration or who are asylum seekers
or refugees. The Convention on the Rights of the Child provides essential
guidance to address this phenomenon recalled Mikiko Otani, a child rights
expert from Japan, noting that “investment in prevention is key, starting from
early years.”
Meanwhile, data presented by the UN World Health
Organization (WHO) showed the scale and
impact of bullying on children, while the Dutch independent foundation Child
Helpline International shared children’s experiences and calls for help when
bullying takes place.
Findings revealed that boys are more likely to use physical
violence and threats, while girls seem more prone to other forms of bullying,
associated with verbal and emotional victimization. Bullying has been found to
generate depression, loneliness, anxiety and low self-esteem, humiliation,
frustration and anger and is associated with long-lasting consequences for
children’s development.
“Bullying is not just a children’s issue,” stressed
Kathleen Saint Amand, a 16 year-old representative from the non-governmental
organization ATD Fourth World Movement. “There is no age limit to being a
victim of bullying, and no age limit as to who the bully is. Children mirror
conflicts in society. Recognizing this can save the future of many children who
continue this terrible cycle because of circumstance and lack of knowledge,”
she added.
Changu Mannathoko, an education advisor from the UN
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) highlighted that
bullying is a barrier to learning and to gaining access to the full cycle of
schooling from early childhood to university.
“An effective strategy to eliminate bullying resides in
strong investment in community dialogue including young children,” she
stressed.
At the same time, UN envoy Santos Pais noted that schools
have a unique potential to promote non-violent behaviour by supporting
creative, critical, and safe use of the Internet. Schools, she said can also
prevent and respond to incidents of online violence, including cyberbullying,
even when they do not originate in the school environment.
Over the past years, several countries have reportedly
addressed this important question through legislation, public policies,
campaigns and research, which are all seen as crucial elements of the
integrated response to the phenomenon that needs to be promoted.
“Bullying is a very serious problem and still a taboo in
modern societies,” highlighted Marc Dullaert, Ombudsman for Children of the
Netherlands and Chair of the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children.
“Incidents remain invisible and unreported,” he continued.
“As an Ombudsman for children, I felt the urge to bring this to the
legislators’ table. The legislation introduced in the Netherlands now gives
clear guidance to schools on how to prevent and respond to bullying. An
Ombudsman can bridge national and international policy making and to close the
gap between policy making and real implementation.”
In addition, Ambassador Juan Sandoval from Mexico and
Ambassador Yoshifumi Okamura from Japan called for a zero tolerance policy on
bullying across regions, echoing the strong political commitment around the
topic. A representative from Chile pointed to the importance of addressing the
most vulnerable groups.
Moving forward, the results of the side-event will inform
the UN Secretary General’s report on the protection of children from bullying
which will be submitted to the General Assembly in 2016. The report is expected
to identify major concerns, document good practices and positive experiences,
and anticipate strategic recommendations to inform future action in this area.
“Preventing and addressing bullying will no doubt
contribute to the promotion of the safe and non-violent learning environments
and to the elimination of physical, sexual and emotional violence that the
[Sustainable Development Goals] seek to guarantee,” concluded Ms. Santos Pais.
The SDGs are part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted last month by all UN Member States. Goals number four calls to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all."