Bullying has become a common sight in many schools, beginning as young as elementary school. Children can be cruel and often do not realize the impact that their words have on others. It is not uncommon for a child to come home in tears over the names they have been called by other students. Bullying describes constant harmful actions towards another, including verbal, emotional, or physical acts. The self-esteem and confidence issues of bullying are well-known and acknowledged. However, damage also lies in the academic performance of bullied children. 

 Each given day, approximately 160,000 children stay home from school due to fear of bullying. One out of ten students who drop out of school name bullying as one of the factors that drove them to their decision. Caitlyn Harvey, a school counselor at Millbrook, spoke out on the issue: “I think that bullying plays the biggest role in school avoidance and attendance concerns. If a student feels unsafe at school, their attendance suffers and then their academic performance does as well. It is important that bullying is brought to administration so that it can be addressed and all students feel safe.”

  The lack of confidence that accompanies being bullied creates a fear of voicing one’s opinion, often decreasing the class participation of victims. Bullied students are less likely to raise their hands in class and therefore receive poorer grades, which often causes them to be labeled as an underachiever. This underachiever status creates another reason for the student to be bullied and this begins a cycle that is continuous, often sending students into a downward spiral, losing motivation to strive for academic success. 

  A UCLA study was conducted with 2,300 students in a middle school environment. These students were asked to rate personal experience with bullying on a four-point scale and the bullying they observe including other students. The students who were rated highest performed significantly lower than their peers academically. Teachers were also asked to rate students on class participation and discussion. The students with high bully ratings had low ratings of participation. Through this study, the fear of participation and the low academic performance of bullied students was proven in a traditional middle school environment.

  Therefore, bullying affects many aspects of a child’s life. Not only does it result in decreased self-esteem and confidence, but it often causes low academic performance. Fear of judgment and attention contributes to low participation. Students should not have the fear of judgment affecting their education or ability to learn. When a child goes to school, their focus should not be altered by other students’ judgments or commentary. Teachers need to be aware of this correlation in order to better prevent it. Calling out those who are performing badly is creating more of an issue. Instead, support could be given to help students catch up and decrease the amount of intimidation felt by victims of bullying.