The causes of bullying are complex and often the people doing the bullying are suffering or have suffered from some form of abuse themselves. Bullies can be frustrated because they may have some form of impairment such as illiteracy or dyslexia. They may be jealous of their victim's success. Bullying is often targeted at academically successful students by the less successful. The bullies may themselves have been bullied or are treated badly at home. The bullies may be operating on a 'pack mentality' level and are simply trying to assert their dominance. The bullies may be socially isolated and have no positive role models in their lives.
Bullying is widespread in the U.S. school system and some people describe it as an 'epidemic.' According to the U.S. Department of Education, 160,000 children stay at home every day in the United States because they are too afraid to go to school because of bullies. Statistics show that over 50 percent of all students report having been bullied at some stage in their schooling. It is estimated that many incidences of bullying also go unreported because many victims fear this will only increase the harassment.
The effects of bullying vary greatly, but at their most drastic, they can lead to the deaths of victims. The effects can be long-term and very traumatizing. Victims can become depressed and withdraw from school and social activities. Academic performance can be severely affected. Victims can experience bodily harm from physical attacks and they can be seriously injured or hospitalized. Other effects can nausea, headaches, aggressive behavior, school absenteeism and in extreme cases, victims can be driven to suicide.
Many schools have developed active bullying-prevention programs, but there are other schools that have little to no effective measures in place to combat bullying. Recognizing and acknowledging the problem is usually the first step in counteracting bullying. Having strong 'zero-tolerance' policies toward bullying helps create an environment where students feel safe reporting it. Holding educational meetings or assemblies and discussing it in classes with students can also help prevent bullying.