Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Dr. Gerrity
MUSE 353
28 April 2018
Adolescence Paper
As a future educator, I must combat the large problem that is bullying. Adolescence is a
time of change that the age group is not prepared for. Students may act out or feel uncomfortable
in both school and home environments. Adults may remember the stressful time in their lives,
but differing eras and personalities make it harder to understand how today’s adolescent feel.
Adolescents often resort to bullying to combat their feelings. I must find ways to aid students in
expressing their feelings in a positive way, rather than through hurting others.
The transition from elementary to middle school is a terrifying time for adolescents, as
they must redefine their social status in their new environment. Uneasiness in a peer group may
result in the need to put down others to feel superior. Though schools claim there is no tolerance
for bullying, victims constantly come forward. Bullies intentionally and repeatedly cause harm
and discomfort to their victims. Because of bullies’ persistence, bullying can be seen as name-
calling, spreading rumors, punching, and other hurtful actions (Williford, et al. 536). The
constant abuse brought upon victims raises the risk of depression and anxiety. Bullies may suffer
along with their victims, forming aggressive behavior and falling behind in school. The constant
terrorizing of victims of bullying reduces the ability to empathize with others, according to the
study (Williford, et al. 537). Victims, because of their exposure to cruel intentions, cannot
properly understand another person’s emotional state. Bullies, because of their persistent torture,
occurrence. For example, Jimmy, a middle schooler, does not bother to defend himself when
others call him names or make fun of him. Rather, he does not want the “popular people, because
then a lot of people gang up on you” (Perlstein 106). To combat the abuse, Jimmy begins to
make comments to those he sees below him. If he does not see himself at the bottom, he feels
better about himself. Adults do not understand why certain people are victimized because
adolescents have specific, peer-accepted reasons to “hate” another person their age (Perlstein
108). The classroom environment should be a place to express positivity. Oftentimes, students
may put down others due to bad grades or poor performance. I will create a classroom that
supports individual work in a musical setting. I will not follow a strict grading system. Because I
want to promote individuality, I will try to create a curriculum with options for different
interpretations. To ensure that all students are involved, I will have a balance of group and
Though I will attempt to combat physical bullying in the classroom, I cannot solve the
entire issue of bullying. Cyberbullying has been on the rise because of the vast amount of
adolescents on social media. Adolescents use social media to express themselves or to create a
persona they want to elicit (Underwood 147). Cyberbullying is not favored towards either gender
or age group. Usually, cyberbullies are those who are not confident in a physical encounter
(Underwood 148). Aspects of physical bullying, such as name calling and rumors, are the most
prevalent on the internet due to the ability to direct message and comment on posts.
Adolescents seek acceptance, which is equal to “likes” on Instagram (Sherman et. al 38).
The most popular picture influences an adolescent whether it is posing a positive or negative
influence. If a risky behavior is promoted on the Internet, adolescents may see it as acceptable
and a commonality among peers (Sherman et al. 45). Adolescents may think that the “party
atmosphere” will create a larger pool of friends. If popular pictures of celebrities or other internet
influencers involve alcohol or other party culture, students may think that they must copy those
behaviors to become well-liked. Confidence is lower in adolescents due to their changing minds,
bodies, and environments. To gain confidence, adolescents rely on Instagram “likes” to define
their worth and produce social reward (Sherman et al. 39). Adolescents of both genders may feel
upset if their expression is not well-received on social media. They may feel that they are
disliked or are ugly if pictures of them are not shared or commented positively on. For example,
selfies are a popular type of picture posted on Instagram. Some adolescents post the pictures in
hope that certain friends or peers will “like” or write a compliment underneath. If there is
feedback and attention, the person who posted the picture is satisfied.
Bullies crave attention when performing bad behavior, while outsiders observe and
defenders step in. The type of person you are in a bullying situation depends on your personality
and behavior. Personality and behavior are developed by each other (Pronk et al. 1071).
Personality interprets a situation, and behavior reacts to it. The outsiders and defenders in
bullying situations have both been found to be more agreeable and have prosocial tendencies
(Pronk et al. 1081). Outsiders were also found to not be as extraverted as defenders, causing
them to often intervene in a bullying situation. Lastly, outsiders were found to have high
sensitivity to punishment, further lowering their want to defend a victim (Pronk et al. 1084). A
person who is more of an activist will fight for victims. Though both defenders and outsiders will
claim that they are against bullying, not all have the personality to physically fight it.
A teacher must be sure to identify the act of bullying in a classroom and act as a
defender. Obvious name-calling or physical abuse is easy to address, but the secrets of
cyberbullying are much more difficult to decipher. In my classroom, I will establish a no
tolerance rule on day one. I want to ensure that my room will be a safe space and that I am a
trusted adult. Though I want to show that I will not tolerate bullying, I want to also communicate
that I will treat the students involved with respect rather than immediate consequence.
When dealing with a physical issue in my classroom, I will separate the bully and victim.
If I am teaching a secondary general music class, I can rearrange seats or put the contrasting
parties in different activity groups. In an instrumental setting, I will try my best to seat them as
far away from each other as possible. Disruptions during a rehearsal will be addressed after class
and I plan on sitting down with the students individually before talking to them as a group.
Because of the risk of outburst in extreme cases, I would have another trusted staff member with
me. On the other hand, I will try to distract behaviors such as slight teasing rather than address it.
Bullies are often craving attention and acceptance. If I were to compliment another student on his
or her work in class, the bully may be taken aback. I would be careful not to compliment the
victim right away due to the possible “teacher’s pet” insult. Bullies are known to twist good
The popularity of cyberbullying poses a harder problem than visible bullying. Because
teachers do not have access to all social media account of studies nor their private messages,
only an individual student knows what is going on. Teachers must be aware of a change in mood
of their students. The most important way to build a successful classroom atmosphere is to be
aware. If a teacher has blinders on, the student is not the most important thing in the classroom.
A teacher’s purpose is to promote learning and strive for success. Teachers must take the
initiative to adapt teaching to fit all levels of learners, which also includes bullies and victims.
Overall, bullying will always be apparent in classrooms due to the changing bodies and
minds of adolescence. I will strive to combat bullying in my classroom to provide a safe space
for all students. As both a previous victim and bully, I will be honest with my students and
collaborate to produce solutions to problems. I will treat situations with respect rather than
embarrassing students in front of a group. Because of their obvious discomfort in their changing
lives, I plan to be a model and mentor for my adolescent students. A school should be a place of
comfort, learning, and development rather than a feared and dismal environment.
References
Perlstein, Linda. not much just chillin’. New York, Ballantine Books, 2003.
Outsider and Defender Behavior." The Journal of Early Adolescence, vol. 35, no. 8, Nov.
Sherman, Lauren E, et al. “Influence Via Instagram: Effects on Brain and Behavior in
Adolescence and Young Adulthood.” Child Development, vol. 89, no. 1, Jan/Feb 2018,
Underwood, Marion K. and Samuel E. Ehrenreich. "The Power and the Pain of Adolescents’
doi:10.1037/a0040429.
Williford, Anne, et al. "The Effect of Bullying and Victimization on Cognitive Empathy
Development during the Transition to Middle School." Child & Youth Care Forum, vol.