Violence and School Bullying

  Reflection on the Movie Pay It Forward The movie Pay It Forward is not only about helping people, but it also shows some important moments of bullying. The main character, Trevor, is a young boy who has a difficult life. At school, he is bullied by other kids. They hit him and make him feel scared. This part of the movie shows very clearly how bullying can hurt someone, even if they don’t show it on the outside. Trevor is not a typical boy. He is sensitive, smart, and wants to change the world. Instead of fighting back, he creates a project called Pay It Forward . The idea is simple: help three people, and ask them to help three more people. He believes that if many people do something kind, the world will become better. This movie makes us think a lot about how society works. Trevor tries to make things better, but not everyone understands him. He is bullied not only at school, but also judged by adults. This shows that bullying is not only between students. Sometimes the worl...

  "Bullying: What It Is and What to Do About It" by the American Psychological Association (APA) Reference: American Psychological Association. (2023). Bullying: What it is and what to do about it. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/topics/bullying This article from the American Psychological Association explains clearly what bullying is and why it is a serious problem in schools and in life. It says that bullying happens when someone uses their power to hurt another person on purpose, more than one time. This power can be physical (like being stronger), social (being popular), or emotional (knowing something personal about someone). I learned that bullying is not only about hitting or pushing someone. There are different types. Verbal bullying means saying hurtful things, like insults or threats. Social bullying is when a person is left out on purpose or people talk badly about them behind their back. The article also explains cyberbullying, which is very common today. Thi...

Lady Gaga, born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, is known worldwide for her music, activism, and boundary-breaking creativity. But behind the fame is a history of emotional pain that she’s been courageously open about. As a teenager, Gaga experienced severe bullying , including being thrown into a trashcan by classmates (Born This Way Foundation, n.d.; Wikipedia, 2024). These traumatic events contributed to long-term struggles with anxiety and depression, which she has spoken about in public forums and interviews. In 2012, Gaga co-founded the Born This Way Foundation with her mother, Cynthia Germanotta. The foundation focuses on youth mental health, bullying prevention, and empowering young people to create a kinder and braver world. It promotes research-based strategies to foster school climates rooted in empathy, inclusion, and wellness (Born This Way Foundation, n.d.). Lady Gaga’s story isn’t just about surviving bullying, it’s about transforming pain into advocacy. Her journey...

In December 2015, Spain was shaken by the heartbreaking news of Alan , a 17-year-old transgender boy from Barcelona, who took his own life after enduring relentless bullying at school. Despite having the unwavering support of his family and recently obtaining legal recognition of his gender identity, Alan faced persistent harassment in his educational environment, which ultimately led him to despair.  Alan's journey towards self-identification was marked by courage and resilience. With his family's support , he legally changed his name and gender marker, a significant milestone for any transgender individual. However, the lack of institutional support within his school overshadowed these personal victories. The school's failure to address the bullying Alan faced contributed to his tragic decision to end his life. Alan's case is not isolated. Studies have shown that LGBTQ+ youth are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing mental health issues due to discriminati...

In September 2024, the tragic suicide of 12-year-old Charlotte O'Brien from Sydney, Australia, shocked the nation and reignited urgent conversations about bullying in schools . Charlotte, a Year 7 student at Santa Sabina College, had reportedly endured relentless bullying, which her family claims was repeatedly reported to the school without adequate intervention.  Charlotte's parents allege that they contacted the school numerous times over a two-year period, raising concerns about the bullying their daughter faced. Despite these efforts, they claim the school's response was insufficient , ultimately leading to Charlotte's decision to take her own life. The school has disputed the family's account, stating that the allegations were "new claims" and not consistent with their records.  This heartbreaking incident underscores the critical importance of effective anti-bullying policies and the dire consequences when institutions fail to act. Charlotte's ...

 The other day, an old video of Àngela Mármol showed up on my TikTok For You Page . I hadn’t seen her content in a while, but I’ve been following her for years. In that video, she was speaking honestly about the bullying she experienced when she was younger. It made me remember that a few years ago, she published a book  where she opened up about that painful period of her life in which she suffered bullying. I also remembered how she visited high schools to talk about her book and experience directly with students. She didn't just tell her story, she made herself present in classrooms and gave voice to something many people are too afraid to speak about. What really stayed with me is how impactful it is when someone with such a large following chooses to talk about real things like bullying. Àngela has over 7.5 million followers on TikTok and more than 2 million on Instagram. Her story reached thousands of young people who might have needed to hear it. She could have staye...

The 21st-century school faces a beautiful yet complex challenge: embracing diversity in all its forms. And not just tolerating it, but turning it into a powerful learning asset. This is where Peer Tutoring (TEI) steps in, not only as a way to improve academic results but also as a vehicle for solidarity, empathy, and social inclusion. TEI helps build a fairer, more human-centered classroom, where every student understands that they have something valuable to offer. Student pairs are formed based on empathy, learning levels, and availability. When this is done with structure and intention, peer relationships become a source of growth for everyone involved.  Real-world examples: - The "Young Guides" program in Mataró (Spain), where trained students welcome and mentor newcomers. - Rural schools using student buddies to support younger children academically and emotionally. - Models like cross-age tutoring (older helping younger) and same-age tutoring, which is easier to implemen...

 "To teach is to learn twice" by: Joshep Jubert.  In today’s educational world, one that embraces diversity, meaningful learning, and student engagement,  Peer Tutoring (TEI) shines as a pedagogical gem. This method is not just an alternative way of teaching: it’s a quiet revolution in the classroom. TEI (Tutoría Entre Iguales) involves pairing students in asymmetrical roles (one as tutor, the other as tutee), working toward a shared learning goal. Its essence lies in structuring this relationship so that both students benefit from the process. And it’s not just a nice theory, even UNESCO and the European Agency for Special Needs Education endorse it as a highly effective practice for inclusive education (Topping, 2000). Why does it work? - The tutor reinforces their own knowledge, builds responsibility and gains self-esteem. - The tutee receives consistent, accessible, and personalized help. - The teacher can focus more on individual feedback and closely observe student ...

This article provides an in-depth review of research on the consequences of bullying in school settings, highlighting its significant impact on children’s psychological, social, and physical well-being. The findings are drawn from cross-sectional, retrospective, and longitudinal studies conducted internationally. Rigby outlines how bullying is commonly associated with an imbalance of power and manifests in various forms—physical, verbal, and relational. The consequences for victims are particularly severe when bullying is frequent and prolonged, especially in the absence of social support. The investigators found that victimized children often report low self-esteem, increased levels of depression, anxiety, anger, and, in some cases, suicidal thoughts. Longitudinal studies confirm that these effects can persist into adolescence and adulthood. These childrens tend to develop aversions to school, become socially withdrawn, and are more likely to be absent. Over time, this can lead t...

 https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20241209/crece-violencia-machista-entornos-escolares/16364783.shtml I want to share an article that reports an increase of gender violence in schools, in relation of the last blog I wrote about the male gaze. The article explains that these attitudes may be increased because of the early acces a lot of kids have to pornography and the lack of sexual education they receive. The writer says that "violence is getting normalized" among students, and blames the digital era among other reasons.  It is striking how sexist attitudes are often trivialized in the classroom, treated in a superficial manner. Speaking personally, I also believe this is a real issue. Especially because the perpetrators have turned these controversies into a political matter. Let me explain: all teenagers need figures to admire, people they can identify with and who make them feel like part of a group, and Heterosexual men have historically been the most privileged group when i...

  When we talk about bullying, we usually think of insults or physical aggression. But there’s a quieter kind that can hurt just as deeply: being ignored . It’s the feeling of walking into a room and being met with silence. Of saying something and hearing no reply. Of being present, yet feeling completely unseen. This kind of exclusion, where someone is deliberately left out, is a real and painful form of bullying. It often goes unnoticed, especially because it’s more subtle than physical or verbal aggression, and studies show it tends to be more common among girls than boys (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). Research shows that social rejection activates the same brain regions as physical pain (Eisenberger et al., 2003). Over time, being treated as if you don’t matter can deeply affect your mental health and sense of self-worth. So, what can we do? We can start by talking about it. Naming it. Letting students and teachers know that exclusion hurts  and that it’s valid to spea...

I have been wondering if bullying has something to do with culture and if there are differences between countries in this topic. As usual, we have been studying this subject with the perspective of our culture, that is usually referred as western civilisation. I don’t like calling me “western”, because I believe there are a lot of differences between countries in Europe, and of course North America, and there are also cultural differences inside my country. That is one of the reasons I like meeting people from different countries and doing subjects like this with some abroad students. Everyone has different and interesting perspectives and experiences, and it makes a richer learning process in class. On the other hand, despite our differences we have also a lot in common, and it becomes clear when if we compare our cultures with some Asian ones. This is why here we usually have common knowledge, rules and methods, and in this countries' science usually only studies the concepts and...

  “Listen to me!” The role of family supervision and parental phubbing in youth cyberbullying Hi everyone! I will begin by defining the term “phubbing," as it may be unfamiliar to some of you (as it initially was to me). Phubbing means the act of ignoring the people you're with to focus on your phone or another, or as Roberts and David (2026) defines it, “the interruption of a conversation or social activity to answer or check a mobile phone”.  Children’s digital development is mostly influenced by their families, particularly through parenting styles and guidance. Excessive control or excessive laxity do not reinforce children’s positive activities on the Internet. Therefore, a supportive parenting style, offering instruction, setting appropriate rules, and engaging in shared use of technology provides healthier Internet habits in children.  Research highlights the benefits of instructive mediation (e.g., explaining online content and the proper way to use a device) and ...

https://undark.org/2019/09/09/can-bullying-change-brain/ I want to share a summary of the article above because it really kept me thinking about the invisible scars bullying can cause to young unaware children. And how these scars are usually seen as something normal, accepted, socially common. In recent years, science has revealed something deeply unsettling: bullying leaves not only emotional scars, but also physical marks on the brain. Recent studies, including one led by King’s College London, have shown that chronic school bullying can alter the brain structure of adolescents, affecting regions linked to learning and movement, such as the left putamen and caudate. These changes are associated with higher levels of anxiety and long-term consequences like depression, poor academic performance, and even suicidal thoughts. Through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and questionnaires administered over several years, researchers from the European IMAGEN project have been able to observe...

The objective of this study is examine the association between parental bereavement during childhood and the risk of school bullying victimization among youth. It also explores how factors like the age at bereavement, sex, and urbanicity modify this association. As a methodology, the investigators used a large multi-site sample of 21,489 youth aged 10–17 from the  Mental Health Survey for Children and Adolescents in Yunnan Province, China (2019–2021)  was used. Parental bereavement was self-reported, and bullying victimization was measured using the  Olweus Questionnaire.  The researchers utilized longitudinal data from multiple cohorts, employing robust statistical techniques (e.g., logistic regression models) to assess the link between parental bereavement and bullying experiences. They controlled for several potential confounding factors, including socioeconomic status and pre-existing mental health conditions. The main result that the investigatorns found is that...

ENABLE - European Network Against Bullying in Learning and Leisure Environments This Hungarian website is suggesting an anti-bullying program named ENABLE: this is a program invented by the EU which aims the prevention of school-bullying by developing social and emotional abilities for children. The basic aimes: - Helping children and youth in developing emotional intelligence and empathy - Including school communities in the prevention program - Using "peer support" system  - Teaching teachers and parents about the program and how to prevent bullying Who is this program for: - kids aged 10-14 - for the teachers and parent who want to actively take part in preventing bullying The program includes: - Social and emotional learning (SEL) modules - practical tasks for students - help for teachers - materials and useful things to learn for parents Teachers who use this program are asked to hold sessions at school using various working methods and teaching methods that are not so d...

In this post I brought you a short, animated movie on bullying, named: are you okay?   This story tells a bullying incident from a girl's, Raquelle's perspective on witnessing real-life bullying which later becomes a humiliation on the internet: first they bullied a boy named Noah, then took humiliating pictures of him and posted them online. When the girl went to the principle to report it, they took a picture about her too and uploaded it on the internet, just like they did with the boy before... everything turned really bad for her just because she helped him... the turning point came when the girl asked the bullied boy if he was okay...     This short movie clearly and understandably depicts a huge problem that pops up when trying to defend a victim... a reason why a lot of people do not stand out for someone even though they are against the bullying act...  In my opinion the creators did an amazing job also by showing the audience how a short question li...