Bullying: An Avoidable HarmFor many years, bullying has been seen as a rite of passage, but recently it has been seen as a dramatic event that marks a person's life until adulthood. "Once considered a 'normal' part of growing up, bullying is now recognized both nationally and internationally as harmful to children. The ideas...are outdated and dangerous" (Tarshis 59). Bullying is causing the same harmful effects all over the world. Many factors allow a bully to attack a victim. While some of these factors cannot be controlled, many can be prevented through anti-bullying programs and the actions of counselors, students, parents, and teachers. Bullying is a growing problem today where students and adults facilitate the behavior. This global predicament causes many long-term negative effects for both the bully and the victim. Bullying has three main components. First, the bully must physically intimidate or hurt the victim. Next, there is a clear power imbalance between the bully and the victim. Finally, the bully continually harasses the victim. This harassment can cause the victim to fail in school, get lower test scores, and lose friends. It can also lead adolescence to use drugs, get involved in altercations and even engage in harm with weapons. contributed to 71% of school shootings in the United States" (Tarshis 60). Bullying is still a leading cause of school shootings throughout the United States. The most widely recognized form of bullying is physical bullying. Males more often they engage in this f...... middle of paper...... (Viadero 3). One program will not work for every school because each school environment is unique of the school. When schools offer counseling, they show students that the school takes the problem of bullying seriously. Once considered part of growing up, bullying has only recently been seen as a serious problem that affects many people mind can be extremely harmful and sometimes irreversible. In most cases adults are seen as a safe haven for victims, but adults often help facilitate the bully's behavior. If schools wish to curb these unacceptable behaviors, they must find an anti-bullying program that works effectively with their school environment. Overall, when adults and other students do nothing about the situation at hand, they actually encourage bullying behavior.