Running head: Proposal Paper

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Proposal Paper
Sean Pitts
Salt Lake Community College

















Proposal Paper 2
Proposal Paper

With the amount of bullying taking place within our schooling system over the last 10
years, I feel that our school systems need to enforce stricter rules and punishments for those who
bully others. Our current schooling system is more reactive than proactive to these types of
situations. According to the National School Safety Center, 71% of students report incidents of
bullying as a problem at their schools every year and out of that 71%, 3% are actually punished.
Children within the school system have clear rules and regulations they must abide by regarding
racial slurs, sexual harassment, and physical conduct. But when it comes to bullying, there are no
set rules and regulations that
define what it is and the
punishment handed down when
warranted. According to
National Association of School
Psychologists, A number of
states have passed laws to
address intimidation, harassment, and bullying in schools. These "anti-bullying" laws are meant
to promote school safety, improve truancy rates, and reduce school violence, among other things.
The law specifically requires schools to create certain policies for prevention, training, and
enforcement concerning behavior that may lead to bullying. The issue at hand is that only 9% of
schools nationwide actively enforce them (www.nasponline.org).
Bullying has long lasting effects on the victims as well as those who choose to bully
others. Mental distress and fear of being bullied weighs heavily on the victims of this
unacceptable behavior. The National Education Association (NEA) estimated that 160,000
Proposal Paper 3
children miss school ever day due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students. In a recent
study, a strong and consistent relationship between bullying and violent behaviors was observed,
the authors wrote. This suggests that bullying is likely to occur concurrently with more serious
aggressive behavior, and while prevalent, should not be considered a normative aspect of youth
development." I believe that our schooling system has viewed bullying as a normal aspect of the
development process throughout their schooling years. This has lead to countless heartache and
repercussions for all those involved, the bully, the victims, and the school system. Most bullies
are being given slaps on their wrists, even for their participation in harassment that has caused
others to end their lives. Bullies should receive harsher punishments because they should be
made to take some responsibility for their actions that have caused harm to others. If they are not
given harsher punishment, it sends them a direct message that they are free to hurt others without
fear of retribution. The punishment they currently receive within the school system is weak and
inconsistent.
Bullying isnt just confined to schooling systems, but it also occurs on a much greater
scale outside of school. There have been recent headlines within the news concerning bullying
within the NFL. Now remember, these are grown men who are playing football as a profession.
When reports came out regarding
one bullying victim the NFL
commission had no rules or
regulations set in place to punish
the offender. There were many
lawsuits filed and the aftermath
ended with an unjust ruling and
Proposal Paper 4
oversight on behalf of the defendant, leaving the victim looking weak and feeble in the eyes of
his peers. There has also been a significant amount of oversight when it comes to bullying and
their victims within our education system. Even if a child is not directly involved in bullying,
they may be contributing to the behavior. Witnessing the behavior may also affect the child, so it
is important for them to learn what they should do when they see bullying happening and the
guidelines they should take to report the incident.
Bullies should be criminally punished outside of the schooling arena; there is no reason
why they should get away with this type of behavior. It is about time that our government should
pass serious laws to hold this kind of behavior as a crime and punishable by law. I purpose that
these types of offenders should be heavily fined with the option of a 90-day jail sentence or 6-
month community service. I also purpose that our schooling system enforces rules that would
punish those who choose to bully others, with at least a 6-month suspension from school. The
same type of punishment would take place if a student was called a racial slur or a woman was
treated or commented on in a sexist fashion. Sometimes, more often than not, those types of
situations lead to a complete suspension from school, forcing the student to retake that grade, or
transfer schools. If the school system is aware of such bullying and chooses to ignore it, the
school officials should be immediately fired and fined a minimum amount of $500, not to exceed
$1500. Teachers are not only responsible in educating children, but more importantly, are
responsible for creating a safe and secure environment for all.