As a society why should we be so concerned about aggressive children and young bullies?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Unfortunately, researchers have found that bullying is a problem world-wide. Results from international studies reveal that between 10% to 23% of school-age children in 36 countries report being bullied or participating in bullying. We should care deeply about bullies because they often appear "normal" and lack empathy for their victims. They often see themselves in a positive light and are popular among their peers. However, short-term and long-term consequences of bullying are serious and require responsible adult intervention. Victims tend to have low self-esteem and many of them develop a dislike for attending school. They may distrust peers and have difficulty making friends. Long-term effects include anxiety, embarrassment, guilt, loneliness, sleep problems, and other serious physical and emotional effects. In addition to the victims of bullies, we should be concerned about children who are bystanders and experience distress from observing and not reporting bullying when it occurs. We should be concerned about bullies who are also victims. They tend to have more psychological problems than a child who is either a bully or a victim. They sometimes engage in extreme behaviors and violence.