Human development M1.1 discussion #

Scientific research on human development shapes public opinion and public policy. It provides support for editorial articles; it is cited by lawyers petitioning the Supreme Court; and it is the basis for policy decisions that influence the distribution of funds to educational and social programs. Political considerations often play the biggest role in policy decision, but opinion makers and policy makers lend credibility to their arguments by citing social science research.

Therefore, when we look at a news article or a policy statement we first check on the social science research the authors use to support their claims. Next, we evaluate the research they are citing to see if it supports the claims they are making (whether it is valid and reliable).

Your task for this written assignment is the following:

Pick ONE of the journal articles listed below. Each one evaluates, with collected research data, an anti-bullying program which is currently implemented or has been implemented in schools.
Succinctly describe how the program works. Describe the roles of the administrators, teachers and students.
Succinctly describe scientific evidence in the article that supports or critiques the program.
Provide a critical analysis of the program based on the results of the scientific evidence.
Be sure to include in-text citations in APA style and list each chosen article in your Reference List in APA format.
There is no need to do any other outside research for this essay.

This essay should be between 750-1000 words long (not including quotes, heading and references). This essay needs to be long enough to get the job done thoroughly. You may not write an essay shorter than 750 words without being penalized in your grade.

ANSWER

Human Development M1.1

At one point in one’s life, they have been bullied, been the bully, or witnessed bullying. Bullying is hardcore on most children, especially middle school children. Middle school is the awkward age when the children are approaching adolescence. Therefore, they are likely to be experiencing body changes that might be subject to bullying and criticism from fellow students. In many countries, bullying is experienced from a young age, but it becomes worse in middle school. Most children experience anxiety as they approach middle school due to et fear of being excluded, not fitting in, or getting bullied. This article addresses the issue of bullying and the fact that peers tend to ignore the bullying or encourage it. The method was implemented in polish schools. It was known as the ABBL anti-bullying transition program, which was meant to influence the bystander to stop the bullying from occurring (Wójcik & Hełka, 2019). The program aimed at converting anti-bullying attitudes into defending behavior.

According to the study, even teachers can affect the social dynamics of the classroom and have the capacity to influence the status hierarchy. Teachers can do this by forming egalitarian classrooms that regard popularity and encourage the fostering of new friendships regarding popularity status. This can be done by creating small student groups and managing the seating charts. Bullying involves an imbalance between the perpetrator and the target, and thus forming groups where all the students in the classroom get to be part of the same group removes the imbalance (Wójcik & Hełka, 2019). According to the hypothesis, students do not act as defenders as they are trying to maintain the class hierarchy. Groups where the students stay together and socialize on all levels remove the hierarchy. The lack of inter-individual variation will ensure that there are no victims as all students in the classroom will be equals rather than in the existing hierarchy where some kids have a higher status than others.

The role of the teacher in this study is to ensure that the students in the classroom do not have a chance to create groups where some are higher than others. In most cases, one funds that the nerdy students, those who do well in their class, are bullied by the popular kids. Those who dress in the latest fashion, have the newest video games, or live in the coolest house. The teacher needs to ensure that once the students are in class, this classism does not exist. They need to ensure that all students interact at the same level and thus the role of the groups. Putting all the kids in the groups and interchanging the groups to ensure that they all interact within the class ensures that all students are equal, thus removing the imbalance. Administrators also have a role to play (Wójcik & Hełka, 2019). Schools tend to have systems where students separate themselves, especially in the common areas, such as when having lunch. Having a common place where they are on a common bench ensures that such divides do not exist. Everybody is equal, and they have an equal opportunity to join all the school activities.

Students also have a role to play in ensuring they do not enable the bullies. This involves training the students to defend the bullied. It is also important to ensure that they are involved In ensuring that there is a hierarchy in their classroom and participating in the groups to prevent having victims. Students have the power to stop bullies from bullying weak students. This involves them speaking up in case they notice someone is getting bullied and reporting bullying incidents to teachers (Wójcik & Hełka, 2019). They should also not be scared that the balance of power will shift if they defend others. Keeping silent when another student is getting bullied does not help. If anything, it leads to more damage as so many things could go wrong if they do not do something about it. Students also need to understand that they are the enablers of bullies, and if they stopped enabling them, there would be no bullies. The bullies also need to learn empathy and understand why they feel like bullying other students in school validates them.

The scientific evidence presented in the article pertains to the ability of kids to develop the right behavior. The research is based on factors such as helping the students interact with each other without forming distinct groups based on popularity. It is focused on ensuring that students interact at the same level. It also appeals to factors such as empathy. Most students do not like the bullying that happens in schools. Some are not bullied, and they are not bullies, but they cannot say anything because they feel defending the weak student in the class might lead to a shift in power. The students need to learn the importance of viewing their classmates as equals and learning important factors that play a part in their development. The scientific studies I used in this approach are applicable, and they can help in the successful combatting of bullying in schools.

References

Wójcik, M., & Hełka, A. M. (2019). Meeting the needs of young adolescents: ABBL anti-bullying program during middle school transition. Psychological Reports, 122(3), 1043-1067.