THE EFFECT OF BULLYING ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY  

In schools, bullying occurs in all areas. It can occur in nearly any part in or around the school building, thought it more often occurs in recess, hallways, bathrooms, on school buses and waiting for buses, classes that require group work or after school activities. Bullying in school sometimes consist of a group of students taking advantage of or isolating one student in particular and gaining the loyalty of bystanders, who, in some cases want to avoid becoming the next victim. School bullying is a widespread issue that affects secondary school students in three essential parts of their lives; psychologically, educationally and professionally. Bullying is a sort of aggressive behaviour against others such as, verbal by calling nasty names, physical by kicking, pushing or tripping up and social by everyone stopped talking to you.

Academic achievement is the first aspect which influences bullying at school. therefore, bullied children live within fear, self-blame,  feel weak and it affects their personality traits and self-confidence, so this situation makes them unable to study well and they might hate going to school. Furthermore, they will lose their opportunities to participate with others or enjoy school activities. Hence, they will gain less academic performance and low educational attainment. There is a strong relationship between bullying and school quality such as class size, lack of library, sports facilities. Both bullies and victims feel more negative about school, and persistent bullying may lead to stress and depression. Bullying can lead to anxiety, low self-esteem, hopelessness and isolation. Children miss lessons or are scared to attend school. They lose concentration when they do attend. Some of the effects last long after the bullying, until they are adults.       

One adverse effect of bullying is that it also leads to suicide. While suicide is rare in bullied children, the other effects of bullying are also devastating and last well beyond the time when the child is actually bullied. Many schools have a zero tolerance policy towards bullying, but sometimes have difficulty identifying the victims and the abusers because children are afraid to come forward. Bullying causes long-term problems such as depression and anxiety. In his essay “The long term effects of bullying”, psychologist Mark Dombeck relays his own bullying experiences as a child, as well as the experience of his patients and then, asserts that the anger, anxiety, and depression of that moment often lingers into adulthood, causing problems with keeping a job, forming relationship and even continued victimization in abusive relationship or work environment.

Students who are bullied cannot concentrate in schools, so their grades may be a warning sign that a student is being bullied. A child’s grade may also suffer if he or she misses a lot of school due to bullying. Children who are bullied will complain of headaches, stomachaches, and overall fatigue. This issues are usually caused by mental anguish that manifest in physical ailments. Students who are bullied often use physical complaints to get out of school. additionally, they may avoid infectious from holding crime during the day. A particularly unfortunate effect of bullying is that some children who are bullied go on to victimize and harass other children. In the same way that some student begin to bully at school because they are bullied at home, children who are bullied at school will begin to look for children more vulnerable than they are to bully. It is an effort to exert any power they may have over someone more vulnerable. A bullied children, may, at the demand of his own bully become a bully to another child. 

In the light of this problem, the study is designed to assist students, teachers, parents, and concerned bodies on how to avoid bullying in some selected secondary school in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.

1.2. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

This research is aimed at finding the causes and proposing solutions to bullying in the school environment. The problem will investigate into bullying by some set of students and the victims. Whether there are better supervisions during recess, launch time, and break time, whether there are class rules against bullying and class meetings. Whether there are creative solutions to helps students by classroom teachers, whether there are talks with targets, bullies and their parents.  

1.3. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Having examined the problem to be investigated in the study, it is imperative to state the purpose of this study, hence these include;

1. To find out the negative impact of bullying on students in schools in Edo State.
2. To find out whether students in Edo State are really bullied in schools.
3. To find out why the students are bullied.
4. To make recommendations on the ways to stop bullying.
5. To find out the extent to which it has affected the academic performance in Edo State.  

1.4. SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

This research will enable those concerned know how to deal with the problem of bullying and its obvious consequences on school children. These include;

1. It will enable the victims know why they are bullied and how to avoid being bullied.
2. Schools in Edo State will now adopt measures stated to avoid bulling in their schools.
3. The effects of bullying on students in Edo State will be better solved in the overall academic performance enhanced.

1.5. LIMITATIONS OF STUDY

This study is limited to some secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area in Edo State. given that a sizeable number cannot be taken due to time, the study is limited only to ten secondary schools which will be randomly selected.

1.6. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This research project hopes to provide answers to the following questions;

1. Is there any difference between violence and school bullying?
2. Can academic achievement take place without bullying?
3. Does bullying affect students performance in schools?
4. Does supervision reduce the effects of bullying?

1.7. SCOPE OF STUDY

This study includes ten (10) students from ten (10) schools that are mixed secondary schools. The f acts obtained will enable the researcher to see if some students are more bullied than others and the effects on the students.

1. Osemwende Senior Secondary School.
2. Joseph High School
3. Mattphilo Secondary School
4. Christ Mission School
5. Rezheights high School 
6. Sound Mentality High School
7. Charity high School
8. Great Love High School
9. Gold high School
10. Sunlight High School.

1.8. DEFINITION OF TERMS

Bullying: Bullying is the process of using aggressive behaviour manifested by the use of force or coercion to affect others, particularly when the behaviour is habitual and involves an imbalance of power.

Academic Performance: is the outcome of education- the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has achieved their educatgional goals.

Victim: Is the person who has been hurt.

Depression: This is a mental state in which you are sad and feel that you cannot enjoy anything because your situation is so difficult and unpleasant.,

Concentration: this involves giving all your attention to it.

Vulnerable: Someone who is vulnerable is weak and without protection with the result that they are easily hurt physically or emotionally.