BULLYING OF THE MALE-CHILD IN SELECTED SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN GHANA

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Background to the Study One major phenomenon that is responsible for the setback in the development of human society is child abuse, specifically bullying. This global phenomenon, has, over the years, attracted the attention of governmental and non-governmental organisations all over the world (Farmer, 2011). Children of today indisputably are the custodians of tomorrow’s world. The continuous existence of any society depends on the ability of the society to socialize its children in the art of survival and cultural perfection. The future of any society is also determined by the quality of its children and the level of commitment towards the protection of its most vulnerable members, the young and the old (Kempe, 1962). Gouws, Kruger and Burger (2000) describe the teenage years of children as challenging for many of the adolescents and their parents. The child is an important tool in the family, school and the society he or she lives in. The child is the future leader of the country, whether male or female. Researchers, educators, parents, and communities are struggling to understand how adolescents, most of whom are perceived to be good and caring individuals, behave in ways that condone and maintain bullying, with a substantial number of students engaging directly in bullying behaviour or failing to do anything to stop it. The picture that has emerged is a complicated one. A growing body of research suggests that bullying and peer harassment Digitized by Sam Jonah Library © University of Cape Coast 2 emerge as a result of a number of different factors (Baldry & Farrington, 2000; Espelage, Bosworth, & Simon, 2000; Pepler, Craig & O’Connell, 1999; Swearer & Doll, 2001). Such problems are not solely the result of individual characteristics of the students, poor home environments, ineffective parenting and school practices, “bad influences,” peer pressure, or exposure to violent media. Rather, they reflect a complex interplay of factors such as the home environment, school environment, health and even heredity (Sagarese & Giannetti, 1999).