- Physical appearance is the main cause behind bullying.
- To date, it is estimated that one in three students in the world is usually a victim of this type of uncomfortable situation.
- In addition to psychological damage, it can sometimes lead to tragic events.
There are problems that have persisted for decades in society, although that does not mean that they should be tolerated. He bullying It is the clearest example and that is why so many efforts are currently being made to eradicate it. It is by no means a minor issue because it even has repercussions on health that can lead to tragic events.
One of the most recent cases involved a pair of Argentine twins living in Barcelona. As a result of the constant ridicule they received at their school, they decided to jump from the third floor of their building to end their lives.
This unfortunate news revived the discussion about the bullying, also known as bullying. According to a report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), almost one in three students (32%) worldwide was a victim of bullying by their schoolmates, at least once in the month prior to the surveys, between 2001 and 2017.
Main reasons for bullying
Physical appearance is the most frequent reason for bullying reported by students. While race, nationality or skin color is the second most common reason. The study also highlights that migrant students —as in the case of the twins— are more likely to experience bullying than their native peers (33% compared to 26.3%).
The data in the report was replicated by Statista and indicates that overall, boys (21.5%) are more likely to experience physical bullying than girls (10.1%). Although women (6.1%) have a slightly higher probability than men (4.7%) of suffering psychological harassment.
Furthermore, according to the report, students who are perceived as “gender non-conforming” are at greater risk of being subjected to violence and bullying in schools. This includes both “students who are (or perceive themselves to be) LGBT” and those who “do not conform to stereotypes of masculinity and femininity”.
According to Unesco, being bullied “may affect the commitment to continue studying” because an unsafe school environment is associated with lower academic performance. Regarding the field of health, bullying is associated with higher levels of feelings of loneliness and suicidal thoughts, as well as higher rates of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use.
The study highlights family support and communication as important protective factors. According to various surveys analyzed, children with more family support and communication are less likely to be bullied or to be bullies themselves.
School bullying in Medicine
For its part, this problem extends to professional educational levels. In fact, bullying is quite common in medical schools. Sometimes the responsible ones are the teachers and other times the other classmates.
While the residents are subjected to more taunts and attacks from the moment he begins his specialty. Higher-level personnel often exercise their authority through violence and aggression. But although complaints are usually filed, to date no one has been able to offer a substantive solution.
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