Introduction
Bullying is one of the most severe and disturbing problems in modern society. Many factors contribute to this fact, such as the absence of an age determinant and mental consequences for the individual. Therefore, the study of this social problem is particularly critical, as it provides awareness of ways to help resolve it and help individuals suffering from it. To gain the most valuable insight, I conducted an interview with X, during which data was obtained to understand the issue of bullying under discussion.
Interview Analysis
Bullying Experiences
The first part of the interview was to determine when individual X had an experience of encountering a bullying problem. Hence, they replied that they experienced it in school when their peers bullied them because of their appearance. Since school is one of the leading agents of socialization, facing this problem can be traumatic for a child (Kendall, 2017).
The bullying situation worsened when some students learned that the respondent’s father was a policeman who had imprisoned a black man, which increased the number of bullying incidents. This happened because of the community’s negative attitude towards the police (Abbey-Lambertz & Erbentraut, 2015). Further, the respondent was a child who suffered from being overweight, which was a crucial aspect that made them be picked on as a teenager.
Research stated that “among young people, body weight is the most common reason for bullying victimization and one of the main reasons for bullying in school” (Stamate et al., 2021, p. 471). Individual X also noted that they tried to maintain good relations with classmates and belonged to the group of the cultural and national majority of the class. In other words, weight became the only determinant that led to constant bullying by classmates.
Bullying Consequences
The next cluster of questions was devoted to determining the possible psychological and physical consequences that followed constant bullying by peers. Hence, at an early age, X began to adhere to incorrect and harmful eating patterns, which greatly affected their well-being. Lie et al. (2021) showed that “bullying victimization has been associated with a range of eating disorder symptoms such as restricted eating, bulimic behaviors, and binge eating” (p. 1406). Therefore, X began to follow an unhealthy diet that severely restricted them in an attempt to lose weight and limit bullying about their appearance. This was the result of the development of the eating disorder, from which the respondent suffers to this day.
Another consequence of bullying was increased anxiety and depression in the respondent. Every day, they experienced severe stress when they had to attend an educational institution. X noted that it became so complicated and unbearable that they stopped doing homework and periodically skipped school. X continued by saying that this trend has an imprint on their current life. When they face difficulties interacting with others, they experience difficulty forcing themselves to go to work.
Research indicated that “students who are repeatedly bullied receive poorer grades and participate less in class and may get mislabeled as low achievers because they do not want to speak up in class” (Barrington, 2022, para. 6). This circumstance is also one of the characteristics of bullying, which violates and hinders education and positive learning outcomes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, interviewing a victim of bullying at school provided awareness of how such a social problem affects individuals who are exposed to it. This study has shown that it affects the psychological state and can cause anxiety, depression, and eating disorders in cases of bullying due to appearance. Moreover, it was confirmed that bullying leaves a strong imprint on the mental and physical condition of individuals, which determines the need to combat it in a school setting.
References
Abbey-Lambertz, K. & Erbentraut, J. (2015). The simple strategies that could fundamentally change how communities view their police. Huffpost. Web.
Barrington, K. (2022). How does bullying affect a student’s academic performance? Public school review. Web.
Kendall, D. (2017). Sociology in our times (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Lie, S. Ø., Bulik, C. M., Andreassen, O. A., Rø, Ø., & Bang, L. (2021). The association between bullying and eating disorders: A case–control study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 54(8), 1405-1414. Web.
Stamate, I. F., Aimé, A., Gagnon, C., & Villatte, A. (2021). Association between weight-and appearance-related bullying in high school and postsecondary academic adaptation in young adults. Journal of School Violence, 20(4), 471-482. Web.