The Pervasiveness of Bullying

Given that bullying, regardless of its forms, implies the intent to harm, the question that arises is, “Why?” Why is bullying often overlooked in our society and misconceptualized simply as boys being boys?

In answering these questions, it seems reasonable to argue that bullying has become a pervasive part of our modern culture. Although community leaders decry the practice and schools have adopted policies aimed at reducing it, bullying remains an integral part of our society. One needs to look no further than the evening news or popular culture to identify various, subtle forms of bullying. Despite considerable lip service given to preventing and reducing bullying, little has actually been done to expunge it from our everyday lives. Bullying is glorified on television and to some extent operationalized in the rhetoric of our leaders and policymakers. Name-calling has become a national pastime.

What appears to be missing in the dialogue regarding the prevention and reduction of bullying is the recalcitrant nature of the issue in our culture. When politicians are allowed to call each other names and comedians are allowed to poke fun at everyone, the message being sent is that it is acceptable to inflict harm, especially with words.

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